The Radio 2 presenter, whose career with the Corporation stretches back over 40 years, said staff no longer held a job with the BBC in high esteem.

"When I started, people who worked for the BBC knew they weren't earning as much as people in commercial television, but they did have the satisfaction of knowing that they worked for one of the finest, if not the finest, broadcasting organisation in the whole world. I'm not sure they feel that any more, or at least that it means as much as it used to," Wogan said.

Illustrating the way times have changed, Wogan recalled getting his big break in the 1960s: "When I sent in my first tape to the head of Gramophone Programmes at the BBC, I had made the fatal mistake of forgetting to rewind it to the start. Yet that gentleman took the time to wind it all the way back, and once he'd listened to it, things went from there.

"I can tell you, if I was a young chap coming over from Ireland today, they probably wouldn't even listen to my tape, let alone rewind. Somehow, that old-fashioned thoroughness and commitment have disappeared. I suppose no-one has the time for it any more."

He also lambasted modern presenters "who just read out the autocue without any of their own personality and with these awful glazed eyes, like a seagull's", although he declined to name the offenders.

In an interview with the Radio Times, Wogan also confirmed that he is stepping down as the BBC's Eurovision host after 37 years. The 70-year-old presenter has tired of the "political voting" which determines the outcome. Russia won the contest in Belgrade this year, while the UK's Andy Abrahams scraped just 14 points.

"I was considering giving up before Belgrade, and now I have to say I'm very doubtful about ever wanting to do Eurovision again. I've had so much fun, but I think it's time for someone else to take over," he said.

"Days before the show, I knew Russia would win. The fact is, Putin was getting nasty, which means the former satellite states were always going to vote for Russia in order to keep the oil coming.

"It's unfortunate, I suppose, but whereas we have always taken Eurovision with a pinch of salt, the former Eastern Bloc countries are not sufficiently versed in the ways of democracy to realise they are supposed to be voting for a song, not a next-door neighbour.

"The only way the UK will ever regain any respectability is if we get a major British star – Robbie Williams, Take That, God knows there are enough of them – to represent us, and then people will vote for us."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news....er.html

Много хороших новостей и напоминаний

http://www.garybarlow.com/

*THANKS FOR THAT NIGHT, SUN *

СПАСИБО ГАРЕ, А НЕ МНЕ!! ОН ПРОСТО СОЛНЦЕ В ОКОШКЕ!

*THANKS FOR THAT NIGHT, SUN *

Industry sources have rubbished reports they are to play three nights at Croke Park next summer – instead revealing it is boyband Take That who are bidding to play there.

“I know for a fact that U2 are planning a monster Phoenix Park gig next year,” said a source.

TAKE THAT are entering the final stages of work on the follow-up to 2006 album Beautiful World.

The lads have jetted to Los Angeles to master the disc — and it has turned into a real family outing.

GARY BARLOW and MARK OWEN have taken their very pregnant partners with them.

While Mrs Barlow Dawn Andrews and Mark’s fiancee Emma Ferguson took their bumps on a tour of Santa Monica boutiques, the lads enjoyed their break from the studio by popping into the local Porsche dealership.

They must have high hopes for that album.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/moslive....at.html
The Insider: Working out with Take That
MONDAY, September 22
I was lying by the pool this morning when two bearded young men approached me.
‘Oh no,’ I thought, ‘not more autograph-hunters…’
‘All right, mate?’ asked one, in a Mancunian accent.
Even worse, they were English. That usually means I have to spend the next ten minutes discussing how brilliant Simon Cowell is.

‘Fine, thanks,’ I replied, stiffly.

Then they both smiled and I realised who they were – Jason Orange and Howard Donald from Take That.

‘What the hell are you two doing in Hollywood?’ I asked. (The answer was mixing their new album.)
‘What the hell are YOU doing in Hollywood, you mean!’ retorted Jason, shaking his head with understandable incredulity.

‘A lot more than Robbie Williams, for sure,’ I replied.

Piers ran into some old friends in Hollywood... Jason Orange and Howard Donald from Take That. Also pictured Mark Owen and Gary Barlow
I was Take That’s official biographer in those heady early days of the band’s teenybopper mania.

‘What’s fame like second time round?’ I asked.
‘Better,’ said Howard. ‘We’re older, wiser and can enjoy it more for what it is.’

‘If you could go back to the anonymity you enjoyed before Take That ever began, would you take it?’

‘I would,’ said Jason. ‘Fame corrupts people’s lives.’

‘Really?’
‘Yes, though what I’d really like is to have all the money and musical success without the fame…’
TUESDAY, September 23
I walked into the gym and found a grimacing Jason Orange bunched into an extraordinarily tight, crablike yoga position.
‘Need some help, mate?’ I joked. ‘You look stuck.’

‘I’m fine, thanks,’ he grimaced.

Half an hour later, he reappeared as I was trying (with excruciating difficulty) to repeatedly, and pointlessly, lift two 60lb dumbbells high above my head.

‘Need some help, mate?’ he chuckled. ‘I could hear you grunting and groaning in the room next door…’

The Take Thatter is working on a track for Peter's new show Britain's Got The Pop Factor, which airs as a one-hour special this Sunday.

"He came round to my studio to work at the house recording the song.

"He had my kids doing the Amarillo dance, marching around the room in fits of giggles. His new show is brilliant, so funny," Gary said.

The winner of Sunday's spoof talent show will release a single, to go head to head with last year's X Factor winner Leon Jackson for Christmas No 1.

They may be all grown up these days but Take That turned into a bunch of teenagers on a recent trip to America.

Gary, Jason, Howard and Mark – who were out in LA putting the finishing touches to their new album – escaped from their other halves and hit the highway for a laddish road trip to Vegas.

They even dropped in on former bandmate Robbie Williams.

Chatting to us over a cuppa at their West London recording studio, Gary laughs: “You should have seen us.

“We couldn’t even figure out how to fill the car up.

“It’s really rare for just the four of us to be on our own. It took us six hours to get up there but it was such a laugh.

“I love Vegas. We went to see the Cirque du Soleil show to get some inspiration for our tour. It was amazing, but I just kept thinking, ‘That looks expensive.’”

The four have long since buried the hatchet with Robbie, who now lives in LA.

And Jason Orange told us: “Rob’s looking really well at the moment. We went out for dinner and he was telling us he’s been chilling out and writing a lot, but nothing with us.

“I don’t know if it’s all about UFOs but he’ll be bringing something out soon.”

Poor Robbie never did manage to crack the States – and Take That reckon they might succeed where their old mucker failed.

It may be a bit of a long shot but Jase believes their next single Greatest Day, which gets its first airplay on Monday, could do well there.

He told us: “Actually, there are a couple of songs on the album which I could definitely hear being played on the radio in America. We’re thinking of sending a few tracks out there to see how it goes down.

“America hasn’t been a massive priority for us – we’ve got our album out here to promote and another big European tour next year – but it’d be good to see what the response is like.”

Meanwhile, Gary has also recorded a song with Peter Kay for the comic’s new Channel 4 show Britain’s Got The Pop Factor And Possibly A New Celebrity Jesus Christ Soapstar Superstar Strictly On Ice.

Gary laughs: “Peter came down to my studio to work on it. He’s playing a female character called Geraldine.

“At one point my kids were asleep on the couch and my wife looked at me and said, ‘This is mad, Peter Kay is running around the studio.’ It was a bit surreal.”

http://www.mirror.co.uk/celebs....0789295

TAKE THAT vow they'll not change the name of their new album - even though it has the same release date and title as Britney Spears' LP.

The Manchester group's ' fifth album, The Circus, is out on December 1, the same week Britney's Circus hits the shops.

But yesterday their manager said: "The boys have worked on this for months, like Britney, and we certainly won't be changing the title.

"When you work that far in advance, it's impossible to know what people will call albums. Erasure had an album Circus. The name is not copyrighted.

"I doubt there will be confusion. Fans will either ask for the new record by Take That or Britney Spears."

Britney's camp were also steadfast. An insider said: "Britney is not likely to change the title. She announced it two weeks ago.

There won't be confusion - Take That are great at what they do and everyone is excited about Britney's comeback."

Gary Barlow went on Radio 1's Chris Moyles show yesterday to debut their new single Greatest Day, penned by the entire group. Gary said: "This is a team effort. We always think we've got great songs for finishing our concerts, so we wanted something to start a concert."

He also revealed plans for Take That's 2009 tour.

Gary said: "We're finalising dates - maybe in a couple of weeks we'll all come in and announce it." The singer also chatted about collaborating with comic Peter Kay on The Winners Song, which featured on Sunday night's Britain's Got The Pop Factor .... spoof show.

He said: "Peter called me in January saying he wanted a song for the end of his show.

"He had all these lyrics - an amalgamation of all The X Factor songs - and we wrote it together."

The track, which Kay sings as trans-sexual Geraldine McQueen, is out now.

Yesterday, Take That's website was full of excitement about the tour.

But one fan posted: "I hope they don't go on sale in December, do wealthy people not read about the credit crunch?"
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/enterta....0801677

'Greatest Day' was written by Mark Owen, Jason Orange, Howard Donald and Gary Barlow and was produced by John Shanks. The song was written and recorded at SARM studios in Notting Hill and was mixed in Los Angeles at the Jim Henson Studios.

The video for 'Greatest Day' was filmed on location in Los Angeles on top of a 60 storey building in the downtown area. It was directed by Meiert Avis (who’s previously shot videos for U2, Damian Rice, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan).
http://www.lastbroadcast.co.uk/music....um.html

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Circus-....&sr=8-3