I was lucky enough to get my hands on tickets to see the BBC show A Question Of Pop being filmed on April 1st (to be screened on April 15th). When we got into the studio the first thing I noticed was where Melanie would be sitting, after arguing with the security guards I went and sat down right opposite Melanie’s table. Melanie was on a team with Suggs and Hank Marvin, they were playing against Noddy Holder, Kavana and Amanda Ghost, the game was hosted by Jamie Theakston.
The BBC floor manager explained the format of the show and introduced Jamie and both of the teams. Melanie got the loudest cheer when she was introduced – of course!
The game was very funny and I have to say that Melanie was the sharpest and the funniest. (Not that I am at all biased!) She kept cracking jokes and arguing with Jamie. A lot of this got cut out for the actual screening, which I thought was a shame. One of my favourite memories was when they had to re-shoot the ending. Both teams were level, it was the final quick fire round and Jamie asks “Whose debut solo album was called Schizophonic?” Melanie buzzed in shouting “Geri Halliwell” and the audience was laughing and clapping really loudly. Due to all this noise Jamie didn’t hear the sound for the end of the game, so, he carried on with the questions. The scores weren’t changing and Jamie had his bosses shouting down his earpiece telling him what had gone wrong. The “Schizophonic” question had to be re-shot along with a proper ending for the show. Jamie explained to the teams and the audience what had happened and the scores were set back to what they were before. He told Melanie he was going to ask the question again and she had to buzz in with the answer. Like the true professional she is she did it perfectly! When I watched it on the TV a few weeks later it wasn’t obvious at all. Melanie’s team were the winners!!!
The absolute highlight was after the filming when I got to meet Melanie!!! She had to walk right past my seat to go back to her dressing room, just as she was going past I got up and called out to her. The pesky security bloke got up after me but then Melanie stopped and turned round to talk to me so he went away (LOL!) Melanie was really nice and really friendly. She looked so much tinier than she does on the TV and her tattoos look so much cooler in real life! She signed my album, we talked for a bit, and I got a hug! Looking back it seems so freaky, I cannot believe I was really face to face with her. That had to be one of the best days ever!