Love/Hate Spot
'Bucket Of Water Song' by The Bucketeers (from Tiswas)
SK verdict: "Deeply moved", "Beyond me", "You don't get that on commercial radio" and "I've got water on the knee"



Lessons learned from today's show

Sarah has a new VW beetle (bought from abroad), but it doesn't have an internal flower vase.

SK loves Willie Nelson (who's 70 today).

Love/Hate Spot
'Minuetto Allegretto' by The Wombles (aka Mike Batt)
SK verdict: "Can't stand anymore of that"

Lessons learned from today's show

After yesterday's debacle regarding the late Wogan, Sarah returned to her car to find four empty bottles of champagne next to it. Admitting it "doesn't look good on the old image", SK said she didn't even drink the stuff.

Love/Hate Spot
'Benny's Song' by Paul Henry
SK verdict: "I've just lost the will to live"

Lessons learned from today's show

Sarah's bedroom was as cold as an igloo this morning.

The actor who played Benny in Crossroads now runs a pub.

Wogan overslept this morning and Sarah had to run his show as well.

Friday's Love/Hate Spot
'Rat Rapping' by Roland Rat
SK verdict: "Truly dreadful"

Lessons learned from Friday's show

The lights went out again.

Correction
Sarah did not appear in "Working Girls". It was a different Sarah Kennedy. Apologies to Sarah.

Love/Hate Spot
'John Kettley Is A Weatherman' by Tribe of Toffs
SK verdict: "So is Wincy Willis"

Lessons learned from today's show

The lights went out in the studio this morning.

Sarah is a keen cyclist.

Bad BBC website
I have emailed the BBC with regard to their severely under-resourced website to Sarah Kennedy:

"Dear Madam/Sir,

I wonder if you could tell me why the Sarah Kennedy website is so hopelessly resourced? There are just two pages - a biography and a contacts page, with just one photo of Sarah Kennedy. Most of the other R2 presenters have far more to see on their websites, with many even having the facility of listening to shows through the web.

Are there any plans to add more content for Sarah?

I have tried to remedy the situation by creating my own Sarah Kennedy website at www.sarahkennedy.blogspot.com. I wonder if you know how I can I make this the official website of Sarah Kennedy?

Regards,

Debby Rich"

I shall of course let you their response.

Lessons learned from today's show

Saturday felt like the coldest day in Sarah's life.

SK's cats were very naughty over the weekend, especially Bernie and Hector. One of them tried to gnaw the rings off Sarah's finger, before moving on to a more "sensitive area".

Sarah has a sofa in the guestroom's bathroom (and yes, she knows it sounds grand).

SK loves the American Kentucky accent. She often finds herself thinking in the accent!

Sarah has now seen The Simpsons and has become a fanatic. Her favourite one is where Marge becomes a police woman.

Much Beloved is 36.

Love/Hate Spot
'Without You' by Harry Nilsson
SK verdict: "Quite liked it, really"

Love/Hate Spot
'Do The Bart Man' by Bart Simpson
SK verdict: "It's good isn't it?"

Lessons learned from today's show

Sarah has yet to watch The Simpsons on TV.

Love/Hate Spot
'Mr Blobby' by Noel Edmonds
SK verdict: "Truly horrendous"

Lessons learned from yesterday's show

Sarah went into a petrol station, only to be given an "incredible look" by the man behind the counter. He said, "Have you had a hard night?", from which SK got the impression he was implying she was a lady of the night! "I'm going to the BBC", said Sarah rather pompously, bringing the unseemly conversation to an end.

Love/Hate Spot
'Everybody's Free To Wear Sunscreen' by Baz Luhrmann
SK verdict: [no comment]

Lessons learned from today's show

Sarah mentioned once again that she thinks Avril Lavigne sounds like a transvestite.

Love/Hate Spot
'Achy Breaky Heart' by Billy Ray Cyrus
SK verdict: "How can you not like that?"

Lessons learned from today's show

Sarah's going to Salisbury to see "the oldies" soon and "sit in the conservatory".

SK's lovely father is 84-years-old.

Sarah's favourite words of the moment are "vivid" and "random".

SK does wear knickers whilst on air
I received a lovely email from Sarah's hard-working producer (Mark). I simply asked whether or not SK wore knickers on the show as there was a message on the R2 message board which created some doubts.

"In this weather" says Mark, "she always has the full thermal allocation."

Lessons learned from today's show

Sarah thinks Macy Gray is quite frightening.

BBC's Iraq correspondent Ragi Omah is doing a "cracking job".

Mike wrote in to suggest that Sarah put all the Love/Hate songs onto a compilation CD. (Great idea, Mike.)

SK is going to spend the weekend looking for Radio 2's "new perspective"

Love/Hate Spot
'The Big Architect' by Duncan Johnson
SK verdict: "Better fade this out 'cos I think Wogan's going to walk"

Love/Hate Spot
'I'm Allwright' by Steve Wright and the Afternoon Boys
SK verdict: "What was the point in that?"

Lessons learned from today's show

Sarah is usually in the bath at 18:30.

SK could smell the snow coming yesterday.

The new word "bummocks" was used as a mild expletive.
(Apparently SK mentioned that she was knicker-less during today's show. I have emailed Sarah to find out if this was true.)

"How old is she?", people always ask Sarah. Well, the answer is unknown, but her youthful vigour is put down to vinegar!

Love/Hate Spot
'Wunderbar' by Zara Leander
SK verdict: "truly awful" and "doesn't take any hostages"

Lessons learned from today's show

Sarah was at the Cabinet War Rooms yesterday for a grand opening. She sat next to gardener Alan Titchmarsh who had just come back from studying lichen in Norway. He's a nice man SK commented.

Also there were Timothy West and John Profumo.

Lessons learned from today's show
In a "scouser-themed" show (in honour of SK's day out at the Grand National) we learned:

SK met some interesting people... Andrew Lloyd Webber looked odd in a paisley shirt, fawnish suit and strange tie (but has a model wife). Robin Cook was also there and Sarah noted that "press photos don't do him justice".

Sarah once modelled nude! It was during her salad days and the rather alluring photos were published in a well-known top-shelf magazine.

Love/Hate Spot
'The Smurf Song' by Father Abraham
SK verdict: "... made my day, that one"

Love/Hate Spot
'Bathtime in Clerkenwell' by (The Real) Tuesday Weld
SK verdict: "Fabulous!"

Lessons learned from today's show

SK loves Tina Turner's work.

Sarah finds the new advert where Jonathon Ross makes fun about David Attenborough tasteless, as the naturist has lost his wife.

Love/Hate Spot

'Here Today, Gone Tomorrow' by Tony Blackburn

SK verdict: "Dreadful" and "will put Terry [Wogan] in a bad mood"

Apology from SK's producer
Following the aborted attempt to see SK "in action", a few people have asked me to publish the full email that I received from Sarah's producer. Here it is...

Dear Debby

I do not want to get into a long running argument about this.

The BBC rules are quite straightforward, no guests, not even family members are allowed in the studio during the broadcast and its preparation. The production staff do not go into the studio during the show unless it is absolutely necessary. Presenters need to concentrate on the programme and their presentation.

It is nothing personally. [sic]

N***** [Mr Simpson's assistant] was mistaken when she said that two people could be invited. This has not ever been the case and I can't see the rules changing as even BBC staff are not allowed into the area unless they are an essential part of the production.

The webcam is provided in case people want to see what the presenter looks like and if guests are included or there is a visual element to a feature or competition. You will find the webcam on the Radio 2 website, near the message boards - the link is under the "listen live" section at the top of the radio 2 wesbite. Please let me know if you have trouble finding this. It only operates during the show's transmission times.

I can't continue this argument any further, unfortunately no guests can visit the studio at any time, if you feel this will spoil your enjoyment of the show then I am sorry.

Best wishes

Mark Simpson
Producer, Sarah Kennedy
BBC Radio 2

Lessons learned from today's show

Sarah believes that teenage popster Avril Lavigne sounds like a "drag-queen artist".

Love/Hate Spot
'Vindaloo' by Fat Les
SK verdict: "Dear, dear"

Love/Hate Spot
'I'm Going To Spain' by Steve Bent
SK verdict: "upmarket" and "deeply moving"

Lessons learned from today's show

Like most of us, Sarah doesn't understand the Radio 2's "New perspective" advertising campaign.

Sarah loves her cats. In her lifetime she has amassed over 200 of them!