The previous Friday, the word had gone round the "grapevine" that Channel 4's "The Big Breakfast" (a TV show here in England) was going to feature Wham! all the next week, in the run-up to the release of "If You Were There". I received a phone call, requesting that I speak to one of the researchers, with a view to lending them some items of Wham! memorabilia from my collection to use as a "back-drop" for Monday morning's show. Infamy at last!! So -- I phoned their offices and left the message that I would be willing to lend them some items, as long as they promised to take good care of them! A researcher called back, delighted to have found a willing victim! I spent the weekend sorting through my collection, choosing nice items -- CDs, singles, videos, books, posters and pictures. I even included a few particularly nice "George" solo items. So far, so good -- until the Sunday evening, when the researcher called me back. Oh yes, they would be sending a car to collect the items, and would return them as soon as the show was over. But would I like to accompany the collection and keep an eye on it, they wondered? As soon as I said "Yes", I was doomed. In that case, they asked, would I like to be interviewed on the show? "No!" I replied, to obvious disappointment at the other end of the phone. To cut a long story short, I shall say only that two hours and several phone calls later, I was finally persuaded to be interviewed on live (yes, LIVE) TV. It certainly wasn't going to be too intellectual: just a light-hearted chat about how long I'd been a Wham! fan, what my favourite/least favourite items were, and what the music meant to me.
To allow time for a quick rehearsal in the studio in London, we were going to be collected at 4 a.m. "We"?? Well, you wouldn't expect my husband or son to be left out of the fun, would you?? Hmm, it didn't sound TOO bad...but what was a girl to wear??

Beverley and Joseph

I finally settled for my GM "Roman Numerals" t-shirt, complete with AIDS ribbon, and skirt... and went off to bed for an early night!! So that's how I came to be woken by the alarm clock at 3 a.m.

The car arrived to collect us right on time, and my "bits and pieces" were carefully packed in. On our arrival at the studio in East London, we were greeted by the researcher (Deborah), who plied us with coffee, and ran through a few questions with me. Then I had a rehearsal with Denise Van Outen, the presenter, in the "house", as the set is known. Then it was just a case of waiting. We did chat to some of the other people who were guesting that morning: some paratroopers, a woman with a theory about the Turin Shroud, and a student who made collages out of underwear!! Talk about a varied show! We were allowed total access to the set during broadcasting, and I couldn't believe how chaotic things were!! But on the "plus" side, we did get to meet Ian Broudie, from the Lightening Seeds, and his young son, Riley.

While the show was being broadcast from another part of the "house", I helped the "gaffers" set up the memorabilia display; I kept the items I wanted to discuss on one side. I was fitted with a microphone... Tension was building... Too late to back out now... I sat on a sofa... Denise sat opposite me on another... My husband and son were reassuringly right behind me, but out of camera shot... It was 8.24... THIS WAS IT!!

The item was introduced with clips of some Wham! videos -- "Young Guns", "Club Tropicana" and "Wake Me Up Before You Go Go". Denise announced that in celebration of the forthcoming Wham! Greatest Hits release, they would be having a new strand to the show called "YES, I REALLY LIKE GEORGE MICHAEL"...and that this morning she was going to be talking to someone who would hold up her hand to that claim -- ME!! The next few minutes passed very quickly. I was asked how many years I had been a fan, and replied "since 1982", the beginning of Wham!, when I had danced to their music at University discos (that gave away my age!!). We then turned to discuss my collection. I told her that I had brought with me the "selected highlights of the Wham! end of my collection", and had several more CDs, 12" singles, 7" singles, videos etc., at home. What was my favourite item? I had no hesitation in choosing the Australian "Faith" picture disc, admittedly post-Wham!, but absolutely stunning! At that point, my large "Older" display board decided, rather unfortunately, to become detached from its resting place, and it crashed to the floor!! We all fell about with laughter -- and I just hoped that none of the corners were dented!! -- maybe it was a "sign" that George was watching?! My least favourite item came under the spotlight next. I chose the Japanese 12" single of "Wake Me Up...", not because I dislike the song, but because the cover bears a truly awful picture of George! And my most valuable item? Well -- the original 12" of "Wham Rap!" was certainly rare, as it credited George as George PANOS, but was probably worth very little as it had been played to death! To wrap up, I was thanked for going in with all my "stuff"... but when it came to the closing line, I changed it just a little -- "Yes, I LOVE George Michael"!!

And so onto the next part of the show... my few brief minutes of fame were over! Only then did I start to shake!! My husband and son congratulated me on my "top" performance, and we were all invited to stay for the big "Goodbye" at the end of the show!! Then afterwards, we were all treated to (what else?) a BIG BREAKFAST!! By the time we arrived home we were exhausted! The Wham! tribute continued all week. Other "guests" involved on subsequent shows were the lady who had been Andrew's "Mum" in the "Wham Rap!" video, a girl who was an "extra" in the audience for the "Wake Me Up..." video, the delightful Pepsi (sadly without Shirlie, and jokingly introduced as "Orangina"), and Andy Hamilton (George's saxophonist). So my three minutes of fame are over! But in case you're wondering -- yes, I DID remember to set the video recorder!! So I now have a lasting reminder (although it's far too embarrassing to watch!) of my escapade, all for the sake George and his music. It was very nerve-racking but, in retrospect, it was also great fun and I'm glad I agreed to do it. I only hope I did George proud (I wonder if he ever watches "The Big Breakfast"??)!

"Loving you takes such courage..."