What a Carry On this Sunday!

Watch out tomorrow for two classic Carry On films in the television schedules. One in the morning, on at teatime, so you can spend the day sprawled on the couch with our favourite comedy actors. ITV3 are showing one of the last great classics from the series from the early 1970s while over on Film4, one of the crowning glories from the Anglo Amalgamated era. So sit back and enjoy. Here are the details:

Carry On Abroad -  11am, ITV3

Continuing on in chronological order is this classic, one of my all time favourites and a film many would argue is the last truly great Carry On in the series. The gang take on the fashionable 70s trend for foreign package holidays and there is much rich comedy and farcical situations to be found in sending the great bunch of British eccentrics ever to take to the silver screen! Sid James and Joan Sims are the best pub landlords in comedy film history and Kenneth Williams excels as a rather posh, frustrated package holiday tour guide. A lovely supporting cast includes Bernard Bresslaw, June Whitfield, Kenneth Connor, Carol Hawkins, Jimmy Logan and Gail Grainger while Peter Butterworth and Hattie Jacques are the best as the Spanish hosts! Sadly this film also marked Charles Hawtrey's last Carry On and indeed his last ever film role.

Further reading: Carry On Blogging Interview: Sally Geeson 
Carry On Blogging: Whatever Happened to Gail Grainger? 
Carry On Blogging: My Top Ten Carry Ons - Carry On Abroad 

Carry On Cleo - 5.05pm, Film4

Surely one of the best ever films in the entire series, this send up of the big budget Hollywood Cleopatra movie featured particularly lush costumes and sets mainly because the Elizabeth Taylor epic left loads of gear behind when they left Buckinghamshire for a sunnier climate in 1963. Cleo boasts a stunning star turn from Amanda Barrie as the dippy, rather camp Cleopatra who spends most of her time up to her neck in asses' milk. Also along for the ride are Sid James as a very Hancockian Mark Anthony and Kenneth Williams as the definitive comic Julius Caesar. For me though, one of the stand outs is Kenneth Connor as the beautifully judged timid slave, Hengist Pod, inventor of the square wheel. Charles Hawtrey, Jim Dale and Joan Sims provide peerless support.

Further reading - Carry On Blogging Interview: Amanda Barrie 
Carry On Blogging: Five Reasons Why I Love Carry On Cleo 


You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and on Instagram

Carrying On with … Confessions of a Pop Performer!

I've written before about the Confessions series of bawdy comedy films from the 1970s but really only from the perspective of the effect they had on the slightly more innocent Carry On films we all cherish. The Confessions films have suffered the same fate as the Carry Ons in that they have frequently been looked down on, written off or just plain criticised.

However these films all featured a superb range of actors and provided entertainment to the masses during years when perhaps the country sometimes didn't have that much to laugh about. What interests me a great deal about these films is how they represent the changing face of British society. By the time Confessions of a Window Cleaner burst onto cinema screens up and down the land in 1974, censorship had been relaxed and a whole new generation were much more liberally minded. 

Last time, I focussed on the hugely popular Confessions of a Window Cleaner, the sexy comedy film which burst onto cinema screens across the country back in 1974 and catapulted leading man Robin Askwith to lasting fame. Today I thought I would move on to the following year and another big hit, Confessions of a Pop Performer. Many of the same original team from Window Cleaner returned for this second outing with recurring actors Bill Maynard, Sheila White and Tony Booth appearing again as the traditional sitcom style family around Robin's Timmy Lea. They provide the grounding and the basis for much of the comedy in between the racier material. Sadly Dandy Nichols did not return to play Mrs Lea after the previous film but she was ably replaced by fellow sitcom legend Doris Hare. Doris would go on to appear in both further Confessions films. 

Val Guest, that legendary British film director, chose not to make another Confessions film, allegedly because his wife wasn't keen on him being on set with so many scantily clad nubile young actresses! Columbia Pictures, the big name backer of these low budget comedies and clearly cleaned up with Window Cleaner (as it were) and were keen for more antics. And Mr Askwith was only too happy to oblige! Pop Performer sees Booth's wheeler dealer character become manager to a dubious pop group called Kipper and Timmy gets involved too. The usual slapstick and naughtiness follows as I'm sure you'll already know.

There are several Carry On links to this film and not just in front of the camera. The brilliant cinematographer Alan Hume, who worked on countless Carry Ons as well as big budget pictures in the Star Wars and James Bond franchises, worked on Pop Performer. Frank Bevis, Production Manager on this film, was also involved in many Carry Ons. Frank was Production Manager on Carry On Sergeant, Nurse, Teacher and Constable and later worked as an Associate Producer on Cabby, Jack, Spying, Cleo, Cowboy and Screaming!

In front of the camera, we've of course got the brilliant Robin Askwith, who had already made a name for himself as Larry in Carry On Girls and as Sid's son Mike in the film of Bless This House. And Bill Maynard, there once again as Mr Lea, appeared in supporting roles in five 1970s Carry Ons. Playing a major supporting role in Pop Performer is the lovely Carol Hawkins as the rather proper journalist, Jill Brown, object of Timmy's affections. Carol had already appeared in Carry On Abroad by this stage, playing Marge and the same year worked with Robin in Bless This House. 1975, the year Pop Performer was made, also saw Carol return to Carry On for a major supporting role as glamorous camper Sandra in Carry On Behind as well as co-starring in two episodes of the ATV series Carry On Laughing. Despite the raunchier material in the Confessions film, Carol maintains her dignity throughout, I hasten to add!

Also appearing is that wonderful comedy character actor Peter Jones. Playing a rather obvious send up of a notorious television host, Peter rather over eggs it as Maxy Naus. Another recruit from the world of television comedy is the great Ian Lavender in a cameo turn as Rodney, which involves a lot of funny business with a pantomime horse! Say no more. Ian  was still appearing as Private Pike in Dad's Army at the time and also in 1975 he cropped up in Carry On Behind as Adrienne Posta's husband. Clearly in the Jim Dale persona, sadly Ian suffered from a lack of screen time. Ian's Dad's Army co-star, the late great Bill Pertwee also pops in for a brief cameo in Pop Performer as the stereotypical angry husband who chases Robin's Timmy off with the help of a javelin! 

Two future Carry On girls made quite an impact in Pop Performer as the aptly named Climax Sisters, a truly awful singing double act! Giving a rather spirited performance are Diane Langton and Linda Regan as Ruby and Brenda Climax. Diane would go on to appear in Carry On Laughing on television the same year and in 1976 would take on the Barbara Windsor persona in the awful Carry On England. Joining Diane in England was Linda Regan who several years before had a small part in one of the Carry On Christmas television specials.

Playing Augustus is that instantly recognisable character actor Robert Dorning. Robert would join what was left of the Carry On team three years later to play The Prime Minister in Carry On Emmannuelle. Also look out for Darth Vader himself, Dave Prowse in a brief cameo as a Man in the Cinema. Dave had played a small role as a Bearded Torturer in Carry On Henry five years earlier. Playing Mr Barnwell is the small screen comedy actor Bob Todd, who had already played two small Carry On roles. He had a wordless cameo as a patient in Again Doctor on the big screen and played two small parts in Carry On Again Christmas in 1970. And finally Carry On Behind cameo player, the Danish born actress Helli Louise, plays Eva, one of Timmy's conquests. We see rather a lot of her here, as did Peter Butterworth in yet another shocking Carry On shower scene also in 1975 when she popped up and out in Carry On Behind. 

Pop Performer clearly cashed in on the very best of British comedy talent from both the big and small screen and followed the pattern started with Window Cleaner in casting a mix of 'interesting' young starlets alongside some instantly recognisable and well respected comedy performers. The content might have dated and may not be for everyone but it's all lighthearted fun and exists today as a fascinating time capsule of a Britain in tumult undergoing great social and cultural change. Watch out for a small cameo from future leading lady Rula Lenska as a rather harrassed receptionist and even a fairly major supporting turn from a pre-The Gentle Touch Jill Gascoine, revealing rather a lot as Mrs Barnwell. 

If the sight of legendary character actress Rita Webb running about a freezing cold Borehamwood housing estate screaming "Have you seen my Fanny?" gives you the giggles, Confessions of a Pop Performer is definitely for you!! As far as I'm concerned, anything that gives us plenty of Bill Maynard, Carol Hawkins and Peter Jones is fine by me. And Robin does what only Robin could. And he does it with aplomb! 

Compared to some of the content we see on our screens these days, Pop Performer is relatively tame but watching it again, it's clear times have certainly changed! It's quite possibly the most gloriously Seventies film I've ever seen. And that's a compliment! 


You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and on Instagram

Butterworth Carries On … As Bidet

A couple of years back I started a regular series of blogs which profiled each of Joan Sims' fabulous 24 Carry On roles. I enjoyed giving each performance a turn in the spotlight so once I completed the mammoth task of writing about everything from Nurse Stella Dawson to Mrs Dangle, I went on to blog about all of Hattie Jacques' roles in the series and then those portrayed by Dame Barbara Windsor.

More recently I have carried out the same task for two of Carry Ons' unsung heroes - Kenneth Connor and Bernard Bresslaw. Now I will turn my attentions to all sixteen of Peter Butterworth's delightful supporting turns in the Carry On series. Peter, along with Sid James and Joan Sims, has long been one of my very favourite comedy actors and favourite members of the Carry On troupe. Sadly, Peter has received scant attention from the wider press, with only diehard fans really giving his acting talent the praise it so rightly deserves.

Peter joined the Carry On team in 1965 for Carry On Cowboy and remained a loyal servant to the series pretty much right through until the end of the original series in 1978. He was also a frequent contributor to many of the team's small screen outings and appeared alongside Sid James, Barbara Windsor and several others in the Carry On London stage farce in the early 1970s. He never put a foot wrong and was the master scene stealer. 2019 marks not only one hundred years since Peter's birth but also, sadly, forty years since he passed away. It therefore seems fitting to devote some blogging time to his wonderful performances.

Follow on from my first two blogs in this series on Peter's roles in Carry On Cowboy and Screaming, today I'm looking at his performance as the conniving if slightly slow-witted CItizen Bidet in the 1966 film, Don't Lose Your Head. This French Revolution romp was an important picture for Peter Rogers Productions as it was the transition film in many ways. After parting company with Anglo Amalgamated earlier that year, Peter signed on with The Rank Organisation as the Carry On films' distributor. However Rank were not keen on using the Carry On moniker as it linked the series too much with their rival, Anglo. Hence why the film was released in the first instance simply as Don't Lose Your Head. After this entry and the next in the series performed less well at the box office, they were both re-released with the Carry On title and took off up the charts! Given that the films were made by the same crew, written by the same writer and starred many of the same faces, it was surely only a matter of time.

Don't Lose Your Head is another costume heavy, period comedy parody, sending up films like The Scarlet Pimpernel. The film pitches goodies versus baddies and English versus French as landed gentry Sir Rodney Ffing and Lord Darcy (Sid James and Jim Dale) head to France and the guillotine to rescue their French aristocratic counterparts, including the foppish Duke de Pommefrite (Charles Hawtrey). Much of the film sees the enraged and increasingly deranged revolutionary leader Citizen Camembert attempting to unfrock the English Master of Disguise and this cat and mouse game is very funny when it's Sid pitched against the high camp of Kenneth Williams. It's a glorious film full of delicious performances, brilliant sets and locations, cracking costumes and plenty of action. 

So what about Peter Butterworth's role in proceedings? Peter grabs one of his most substantial supporting turns in Don't Lose Your Head. As with his other roles to date, Peter is playing second in command as part of a hugely successful double act. This time he's partnering Kenneth Williams and as the toadying CItizen Bidet, Butterworth excels. Kenneth always wrote very fondly of Peter in his diaries and it's clear there was a great deal of affection between the two actors. No mean feat really, given how picky Williams could be. As Bidet, Peter is on fine comedic form as the snivelling, grovelling Bidet, constantly muttering on about 'the glorious new French Republic'. The timing and exchanges between the two actors is consistently sublime and really makes the film.

When Camembert and Bidet are joined by their third wheel, the pretty but ditzy, high pitched Desiree Dubarry (Joan Sims), we're all set for a delicious romp. Joan's first scene is pure high camp with comedic misunderstandings and Peter's drooling underling unable to keep his eyes off her. When the three French baddies go rather unconvincingly undercover in England in a bid to trap Sid's 'Black Fingernail' we are treated to some rather lavish (for a Carry On) scene at Sir Rodney's ball (yes, 'you've always had magnificent balls…and I wouldn't miss one of them'). With Bidet sent to trap the Fingernail in action we are treated to Peter's brilliantly inspired range of funny faces and delightful sight gags. He never misses a trick or an opportunity to pull a face in the background, upstaging his co-stars. When those stars are Sid, Joan and Kenneth Williams, you can understand that it takes a supremely talented comedy actor to achieve this! And that's what Peter was. 

Being a true professional, Peter throws himself into all manner of scrapes, being bashed over the head, falling into mucky ponds and basically enduring whatever the script demanded. One of my favourite scenes sees Bidet fooled by Sir Rodney into thinking Robespierre (Peter Gilmore) has instructed that Camembert is actually the Black Fingernail in disguise. This set up sees Butterworth and Williams in a wonderful comedy of misunderstandings, bickering and slapstick which defines them as the closest the Carry Ons ever got to the work of Laurel and Hardy. Yes, I think as a double act they are that good. Kenneth and Peter imbue their characters with so much comedic charm that the audience loves to hate them. We may even feel a touch of sympathy for the pathetic Bidet and all he endures at the hands of the nasal, camp Cammy. 

The climax of Don't Lose Your Head, and as all fans know, every Carry On needs a big climatic sequence, sees Camembert's country pad in lockdown as Sir Rodney attempts to rescue the lovely Jacqueline (French actress Dany Robin) from Camembert's fiendish clutches. While you could argue this final scene goes on a tad too long, it does provide plenty of spectacular action, stunts and set pieces as Sid, Jim and Charles Hawtrey takes on Kenneth's men and destroy his precious home and priceless artefacts in the process. Even Kenneth Williams struggles to maintain the momentum as he flings himself about the place clutches smashed porcelain and slashed chairs. He does have one lovely moment though when he runs nostrils first in a harp! 

Peter has a running gag (literally) throughout this sequence as he continually fails to come to Camembert's aid. First of all he's pretty much blown up by an exploding front door, then he's continuously pushed behind said heavy door and squashed by a variety of opponents. Peter really did have a gift for physical comedy and in his safe hands he provides several big laughs which act as a counterpoint to some of Kenneth's overacting. Right at the end of the sequence, just when you think Bidet is coming good for his nasty boss, sadly he goes awry once again and single handedly demolishes the palace. As Sid leads the rest of them to safety, Camembert and Bidet run up the stairs clutching bits of furniture for protection!

All is well in Carry On Land as Sid and Jim win the day. Sadly though for Camembert and Bidet there is an unpleasant final twist as the two snivelling wretches go to the guillotine. In a final flourish the executioner is revealed to be none other than Sid James as the Black Fingernail. With his characteristic chuckle he pulls the leaver and it's goodnight Vienna! A fairly gruesome end really, for a comedy at least if you think about it. Don't Lose Your Head is always up there as a favourite for me. I think it's production values raise it up to a different level, much like Screaming or Cleo. A lot of that is down to it's period costume setting. Several key players are missing - there's no Bernard Bresslaw, Barbara Windsor, Kenneth Connor or Hattie Jacques - but the handpicked cast of favourites do a sterling job and Peter puts in one of the most consistently funny performances. He really did work terribly hard for his laughs in so many of his Carry On roles. Lots of physical comedy, face pulling and inspired reactions to other lines and funny situations. Always a true pro.

So there we have it, my take on Peter Butterworth's glorious turn as Citizen Bidet in Don't Lose Your Head. Coming up next is my blog on Peter's role as Simpson, manservant to Bo West in the Foreign Legion Carry On caper, Follow That Camel.



You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and on Instagram

The Star Of … Carry On Teacher

I have decided to dedicate a new series of blogs to what I consider to be the very best performances in each of the thirty original Carry On films. As ever, it's a purely personal take on these films from yours truly and of course you are welcome to agree or disagree as you see fit! 

Since I started the blog in 2015 I have often championed the underdog or the under appreciated. The Carry On series employed hundreds of cracking comedy actors during their twenty year lifespan and while I've done my best to celebrate as many of them as possible, there is still much to do to preserve their legacy. Some of the actors featured in this new series will be household names and leading lights, others perhaps not so well known. Whoever they are, I hope you enjoy reading about my chosen few.

The first in this series saw me write about my love for Kenneth Connor's role as Horace Strong in Carry On Sergeant and then, moving forward to later in 1958, we focus on Kenneth Williams in Carry On Nurse. With the series beginning to gather momentum a third film quickly followed in the spring of 1959. Carry On Teacher, probably the most innocent of all the films, takes its lead from the popular St Trinian's films with a dash of Ealing comedy for good measure. With a cast brim full of young actors, mostly plucked from the Corona Academy, Gerald Thomas showed his directorial skill by coaxing excellent comedy performances from the likes of Richard O'Sullivan, Carol White, Larry Dann et al. 

Featuring a smaller cast of character than previous entries, Teacher sees the first signs of a core team being pushed forward with familiar faces Kenneth Connor, Leslie Phillips, Hattie Jacques, Joan Sims, Charles Hawtrey and Kenneth Williams taking centre stage. With guest star Ted Ray putting in a sublime performance as head teacher William Wakefield and Cyril Chamberlain grabbing more screen time than usual, there is plenty to keep fans happy. The basic premise of Teacher sees a bunch of well-meaning if badly behaved children decide to take action to ensure their beloved head teacher doesn't leave for his dream school in a prestigious new town. Taking advantage of the arrival of two very contrasting school inspectors, the kids begin a campaign designed to create as much upheaval as possible. This provides plenty of slapstick moments and delightfully childish set pieces which, in the hands of anyone other than this band of seasoned pros, might have fallen flat.

Teacher is the sweetest, softest and most gentle of all the Carry Ons. It's a lovely Sunday afternoon film and I have a deep affection for it. As for my star of the film, well it's the only actor involved who hasn't been named checked yet - the glorious Rosalind Knight, here playing snooty school inspector Felicity Wheeler.

Rosalind debuted in the series with a cameo in the previous film, as Nurse Nightingale in Carry On Nurse. In a cast bursting with familiar and well-loved actors, Rosalind pops in for a few scenes as the earnest but accident prone Nightingale and is absolutely wonderful. Her scenes with Ann Firbank and Susan Beaumont are a delight and it's clear to see she'd be back for more fun with the gang. And less than six months later she was. Felicity is a much bigger, starring role and Rosalind grabs it with both hands. In the 2015 Carry On Forever documentary Rosalind spoke about the part and even went back to the school used for Maudlin Street. It was great to hear how much she relished the part of Miss Wheeler and how much she enjoyed working with Kenneth Connor as bumbling Science master Mr Adams.

Rosalind Knight came from a theatrical family, with her father being the renowned actor Esmond Knight, her mother Frances Clare and her step mother Nora Swinburne. She had started to appear in films a couple of years before Nurse and Teacher with an eye-catching role as a glamorous six former alongside Dilys Laye in the 1957 film Blue Murder at St Trinian's. It's easy to see why Peter Rogers and Gerald Thomas cast her in two of the early Carry Ons and she plays her roles with aplomb for an actress who was so young and relatively inexperienced in film making.

The strength of Rosalind's role in Teacher comes from two onscreen partnerships. The first, with fellow inspector Alistair Grigg, played with wolfish glee by Leslie Phillips. The two characters are polls apart and Leslie's louche, relaxed approach to discipline amongst teenagers contrasts vividly with Rosalind's strict and uncompromising Miss Wheeler. We always need contrasts in comedy and these two actors provide it in spades. At the heart of Teacher for me though is the comedic romance between Felicity and Gregory Adams (Connor). Ray's William Wakefield quickly spots the spark between the pair and decides to push them together mainly for his own ends.

What follows is a delightful collection of set pieces where Connor's bumbles, prat falls and jumbles his words with glorious comedic nervous energy. Rosalind proves to be the perfect comic foil and as the film progresses, Connor's character slowly cracks her tough exterior. Their on screen romance is the perfect example of the tender side to the early Norman Hudis Carry Ons. Before the films were wall to wall innuendo, slapstick and over playing, there were moments of genuine romance and social comment. Following on from Kenneth Williams playing it for real in Nurse with Jill Ireland, here we have almost serious dramatics from Connor, himself a very serious proper actor, falling for Rosalind's strict inspector. When they finally admit their feelings for each other, the audience is right behind them. Knight and Connor obviously got on well and their partnership on screen is simply wonderful. I only wish they had worked together more often.

In Carry On Land, everyone gets a happy ending. Couples get together or reunite, Williams, Jacques and Hawtrey camp about and the kids win the day as William Wakefield decides to stay put at Maudlin Street. As the music swells and the children cheer in the playground, it's quite hard not to be caught up in the moment. For me Rosalind Knight is the star of Carry On Teacher, thanks to her brilliant performance as Felicity Wheeler. Her partnership with Connor is superb and my only complaint is that Rosalind didn't return for more Carry On adventures. However given the depth and variety of her subsequent career, she probably made the right decision!

Stay tuned for the next instalment of this series when I write about my own personal favourite 'star' of Carry On Constable.


You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and on Instagram  

Art & Hue Presents: Funny Men!

To bring style and fun to your walls, Art & Hue has launched a new collection of stylish pop art prints featuring British comedians and comic actors.

Funny-"ha-ha", in a humorous and comical way, but also funny-"peculiar" with their offbeat, quirky characters and work, these unique talents have brought joy to countless listeners & viewers across the years through their idiosyncratic performances.

Peter Sellers, John Cleese, Benny Hill, Tony Hancock, Frankie Howerd, Bernard Cribbins, John Inman, Leonard Rossiter, Ronnie Barker, & Ronnie Corbett all get the pop art treatment in this collection of iconic funny men from British film & television. 

An official collaboration with Studiocanal, Art & Hue has delved into the archives to uncover images of classic British comedy stars which have been transformed into ten stylish pop art prints.

Exclusively by Art & Hue, the collection is available in three sizes and 18 colour options, printed on museum-quality archival card of 310gsm, made from 100% cotton, with fine-art pigment inks for longevity.

Visit artandhue.com/funnymen to see the full collection.

And if you are looking for something extra special for Valentine's Day check out the Art & Hue range of stylish cards and pop art here: http://artandhue.com/valentines-day/


You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and on Instagram 

Robin Askwith 69!

Robin Askwith is back! Yes the legendary actor and star of countless classic films and television shows is bringing his one man show to the Phoenix Artist Club in London's West End. 

Expect the unexpected as Mr Askwith shares outrageous stories from his eventful and eclectic career on stage and screen. We all know him from the Confessions films, Bless This House and Carry On Girls, but Robin's got more strings to his bow than that! Prepare yourself for stories on the likes of Sid James, Ray Cooney, Frank Bruno, Pasolini and even Jimi Hendrix. 

The Phoenix is a great, intimate venue for Robin's show so prepare to get up close and personal with this screen legend! After many years playing a whole range of characters, Robin is finally playing with himself, as it were.

You can read the first part of my interview with Robin here: Carry On Blogging Interview: Robin Askwith (Part 1)

And you can read my recent blog on Confessions of a Window Cleaner here: Carry On Blogging: Confessions Time

Misty Moon Presents Robin Askwith 69! is at the Phoenix Artists Club on Tuesday 19 March 2019, from 8pm. You can buy tickets here


You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and on Instagram

Listen Again: The Oldie Podcast with Amanda Barrie

The wonderful Amanda Barrie, one of my very favourite actresses, received a very special honour the other day. Amanda, star of two Carry Ons and as Alma in Coronation Street, won the 'Keep Calm and Carry On' Award at The Oldie Magazine awards at Simpson's in the Strand in Central London.

Amanda was joined at the very special lunch by fellow winners Lionel Blair and Sheila Hancock and ceremony host Gyles Brandreth. The great lady collected the award on behalf of herself and the Carry On team and joined The Oldie editor Harry Mount for a very special podcast during the event.

The podcast is a delightful listen as the hilarious Amanda discusses how she first came to be involved in the Carry On films back in the early 1960s. She shares memories of working for Peter Rogers and Gerald Thomas, of her fondness for the great Sid James and what it was like to work with Kenneth Williams. The stories are a joy to hear and Harry makes an excellent host. It's fascinating to hear what it was like to grab the starring role in Carry On Cleo, something of a modern day classic nowadays despite its humble origins as a cheap and cheerful comedy. 

There is also time to talk about Amanda's experiences in Coronation Street and how the fast and furious filming of the soap compared to her time on the Carry Ons. The modern trend for reality television also gets a mention with Amanda's recent appearances in the likes of Big Brother and The Real Marigold Hotel. 

You can listen to the podcast right here: The Oldie Podcast: Amanda Barrie

And you can read my own interview with Amanda here: Carry On Blogging Interview: Amanda Barrie

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and on Instagram