On today’s Feelgood Saturday we celebrated love in many of its forms. It’s a historic show as we were on air during the preparation and build-up to the Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. As well as fitting in some celeb-spying as people were arriving at Windsor Castle, I also crammed in a few wedding themed songs, plus the Entertainment news as usual.

In the second hour of the show the love continued, with two parents from Chelmsford who are working hard to raise money for a life-changing operation for their two-and-a-half-year old daughter. Natasha and Patrick have formed the campaign “Isabella’s Wish 2 Walk”, to raise the £75,000 necessary to fly their daughter Isabella to America for the pioneering SDR surgery that would allow her to walk again. You can support them in lots and lots of ways, so have a listen to the interview below to find out more:

Their website: http://www.isabellaswish.org/  has all the information you need to donate. Plus you can follow the campaign on facebook, twitter and instagram . Or there’s a justgiving page. They even have a super-easy text link where you can donate £5, just by texting “ISAB78 £5” to 70070. It couldn’t be easier.

To listen back to the whole Feelgood Saturday show, that’s the link below:

Tracks played this week are here:

• Addicted to Love by Robert Palmer
• Crashed the wedding by Busted
• American girl by Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
• 7 days by Craig David
• All night long by Lionel Richie
• Who do you think you are? by Spice Girls
• Don’t go breaking my heart by Backstreet Boys
• Chasing cars by Snow Patrol
• Fantasy by Mariah Carey
• Everybody neds somebody to love by Blues Brothers
• Love on top by Beyonce
• Hold on by Wilson Phillips
• Life of Riley by Lightning Seeds
• Torn by Natalie Imbruglia
• You’ve got a friend by mcFly
• Greatest day by Take That
• Sound of the underground by Girls Aloud
• Set fire to the rain by Adele
• My love is your love by Whitney Houston
• Sun comes up (feat. James Arthur) by Rudimental

Today’s Feelgood Saturday was all about remembering musical icons. My guests in the studio were Katie Wilson (aka Amy Alive – the UK’s number one Amy Winehouse impersonator) and Michael Torry, founder and vocalist with eight-piece band Super Fearless and life-long Marc Bolan fan.

They’re uniting for a benefit concert in aid of Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice in North London. Michael Torry is behind the construction of a memorial bandstand on the grounds of The Ark, their new hospice. It’s in memory of and inspired by the T – Rex front-man himself, who, even nearly 40 years after his death, is still connecting with audiences young and old.

During the course of the interview we had a real treat – two of Amy’s songs, performed with uncanny skill by Katie and then a moving duet of Life’s a Gas, from Michael and Katie together… which got us wondering how the two stars would have got on, had they ever met..!

You can catch Amy Alive and Super Fearless on Friday 25th May, performing at Mill Hall in Rayleigh in aid of Noah’s Ark. You can find out more about Amy Alive on facebook here.

To listen back to my interview with Katie and Michael, you want the link below.

Or if you fancy the whole two-hour show, that’s this link. It features lots of Eurovision bangers as well as Entertainment news and an embarrassing Million Pound Drop fail!

Full track listing is below:

• One way or another by Blondie
• Bye bye bye by *Nsync
• Have a nice day by Stereophonics
• Finesse remix feat. Cardi B Official by Bruno Mars
• Waterloo by Abba
• Respect by Aretha Franklin
• I Can (Radio Edt) [Star Sign] by Blue
• Quit Playing Games (With my heart) by Backstreet Boys
• Off the wall by Michael Jackson
• Get it on by T Rex
• Ironic by Alanis Morrissette
• Cherish by Madonna
• Walk this way by Aerosmith feat. Run DMC
• Upside Down by Diana Ross
• Valerie by Amy Alive
• Life’s a gas by Michael Torry & Katie Wilson
• Love is a losing game by Amy Alive
• Rose-coloured boy by Paramore
• Storm by SuRie
• Rise like a phoenix by Conchita Wurst
• Making your mind up by Bucks Fizz

It’s marathon season so we had a very sporty Headliner on this week’s Feelgood Saturday, plus some songs to celebrate the arrival of the sun! Finally!

Full list of all the tracks played is here:

• A change would do you good by Sheryl Crow
• Domino by Jessie J
• Walking on sunshine by Katrina and the waves
• Get Lucky (Radio edit) [feat Pharrell Williams] by Daft Punk
• Rich girl by Gwen Stefani feat Eve
• Another chance by Roger Sanchez
• Lost in music by Sister Sledge
• Flowers by Sweet Female Attitude
• King by Years and Years
• I feel love by Donna Summer
• Jumpin’, jumpin’ by Destiny’s Child
• Moving to New York by Wombats
• Levels (Radio edit) by Avicii
• Finesse Remix feat. Cardi B by Bruno Mars
• Walk like an Egyptian by Bangles
• How will I know by Whitney Houston
• The man by The Killers
• The way I are by Timbaland feat. Keri Hilson & DOE

And you can listen back to the whole show here:

This week saw the return of some repeat guests – the Early Doors Productions crew – to the Feelgood Saturday studio.

(l-r) Bill, Justin, Lionel, Darren and Amy

They were here to talk about their next show, Alice, an original based on the much-loved Lewis Carroll characters from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

While they were here we also chatted about the first records we bought, worst accidents they’ve had on stage and what percentage of the Pig Lady (one of the characters) is actually a pig.

Listen back to their interview below, which also includes an original song written by Justin for the show, and performed by Lady Grey & the Earls, with Amy as lead vocalist. So you get the picture – a ridiculously fun and talented bunch.

Alice is on at the Cramphorn Theatre Chelmsford from Thursday 26 to Saturday 28 April. You can get your tickets here!

If you want to hear the whole Feelgood Saturday show, including Entertainment news, events, traffic and a whole lot of music, that’s here too:

Tracklist below:

• We no speak Americano by Yolanda Be Cool vs DCup
• Hush by Kula Shaker
• Find you by Nick Jonas
• Virtual insanity by Jamiroquai
• Teenage kicks by Undertones
• Big love by Fleetwood Mac
• Sweet about me by Gabriella Cilmi
• Wow by Kylie Minogue
• Where is the love? by Black Eyed Peas ft. Justin Timberlake
• Dog days are over (radio edit) by Florence and the Machine
• Push it by Salt-n-pepa
• Denis by Blondie
• The king of wishful thinking by Go West
• Rehab by Amy Winehouse
• Return of the mack by Mark Morrison
• Black magic by Little Mix
• What lunacy is this? by Lady Grey & the Earls
• Another one bites the dust by Queen
• Happy hour by Housemartins

What do the following five songs have in common? And what news story from the past week does it relate to?

• Taxman – The Beatles
• Pop – N*Sync
• Heartache – Pepsi & Shirley
• Weapon of Choice – Fatboy Slim (feat. Bootsy Collins)
• Sugar, sugar – The Archies

That’s the puzzler I set the listeners of #FeelgoodSaturday this week in my Headliner. But you’ll have to listen back to hear the answer:

Elsewhere on the show, the music game was really strong. As demonstrated by this track listing:

• Sledgehammer by Peter Gabriel
• Don’t go breaking my heart (feat. Demi Lovato) by Q-Tip
• Paradise by George Ezra
• Ooh aah just a little bit by Gina G
• Shut up and let me go by Ting Tings
• Common people by Pulp
• Bicycle race by Queen
• Tainted love by Soft Cell
• You don’t know me by Armand van Helden feat. Duane Harden
• Girls on film by Duran Duran
• Waka waka (This time for Africa) by Shakira
• The way you make me feel by Michael Jackson
• Don’t stop movin’ by Livin’ Joy
• Hey there Delilah by Plain white tees
• Scream & shout (feat. Britney Spears) by will.i.am
• Everybody wants to rule the world by Tears for fears
• Get it on by T-Rex
• Two can play that game by Bobby Brown
• Wannabe by Spice Girls

Plus we also had the Entertainment news, which included hot water for some of the cast of TOWIE for their bad behaviour towards their girlfriends 🙁

It was an Easter #FeelgoodSaturday egg-stravaganza this week (I couldn’t resist), which meant great music and some really fun guests who took a break from scoffing Easter eggs to join me in the studio.

They were Michelle, Declan and Louise from SODS (that’s Southend Operatic and Dramatic Society to you!) and they were here to chat about their latest show – Kiss me, Kate!

Listen back to my interview with the guys, covering topics like how you keep yourself at your best for two performances a day, the challenges of Shakespearean dialect and what you can expect from the SODS interpretation of a Cole Porter classic.

It’s on from Wednesday 18th to Saturday 21st April at the Palace Theatre in Southend-on-Sea. To book your tickets click here.

You can also follow the latest goings-on at SODS on social media – @SODSofficial on facebook, @SODSofficial on twitter. They’re also on instagram (SODSofficial) and have their own YouTube channel…

All the tracks I played for the full two hours are here and you can listen back to the whole show below:

• Take your mama by Scissor Sisters
• Feel by Robbie Williams
• Dub be good to me by Beats International
• White tiger (Marcus Layton remix) by Izzy Bizu
• Honky tonk woman by Rolling Stones
• Pack up by Eliza Doolittle
• Into the groove by Madonna
• This is me by Keala Settle and the Greatest Showman Ensemble
• Need you tonight by INXS
• 7 Days by Craig David
• Give me your love by Sigala feat. John Newman and Nile Rodgers
• 9PM (til I come) by ATB
• Let the music play by Shannon
• Stand and deliver by Adam & The Ants
• You’ve really got me by Kinks
• Finesse (Remix) feat. Cardi B by Bruno Mars
• Country house by Blur
• Too darn hot by Ella Fitzgerald
• It’s not unusual by Tom Jones

Feelgood Saturday this week was a Billericay-based extravaganza, with three lovely guests joining me in the studio.

First up were Abby and Camilla, the ladies behind the upcoming Great Afternoon Tea for Free. Inspired by the Billericay Acts of Random Kindness movement (B.A.R.K.) they’ve organised and are hosting a free afternoon tea for elderly and vulnerable people across Billericay. It takes place on Saturday 14th April, from 14:30 – 17:30 at Ramsden Bellhouse Village Hall, Church Road, Ramsden Bellhouse, CM11 1RH.

Listen back to our interview here in which we talk a bit more about that event, who it’s meant for and some tips for doing our own random acts of kindness. If you’d like to help or go along you can find out more here or get in touch with Abby Knight on 07917 003695 abby@abbyknight.co.uk.

Abby and Camilla

Then in the next hour of the show I got to try my hand at an ancient tradition, all to do with replenishing the energy back into Mother Earth – Morris Dancing!

Geoff Douglas from the Mayflower Morris side came to teach me a few steps and explain the significance of it all. You can listen back to my interview with him below and further down there’s video evidence of my efforts!

I tweeted a video of my little Morris lesson, which you can watch here!

To listen back to the full two hour show, you want this link below:

And every song I played is here:

• Bad love by Eric Clapton
• Pump up the volume by M.A.R.R.S
• I want your love by Chic
• Next to me by Foster the People
• Hello goodbye by The Beatles
• St Elmo’s fire by John Parr
• Leave right now by Will Young
• You win again by Bee Gees
• Some girls by Rachel Stevens
• The final countdown by Europe
• Happy together by Turtles
• Viva Las Vegas by ZZ Top
• Million dollar bill by Whitney Houston

Two exciting interviews on this week’s Feelgood Saturday – both on the theme of musicals. First I chatted to Chesney Hawkes on the phone and heard how he’s preparing for his role as Joseph in Joseph & the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat at the Brentwood Centre in April. I also discovered he’s a West Ham fan and encouraged him to check out The West Ham Way on Phoenix.

To listen back to the interview with Chesney, just click the link below:

Tickets are available from the usual outlets – you can get them from the Brentwood Centre’s website or by calling 0333 666 3366. They’re priced at £20 – £30.

Then the musicals fun continued in the second hour with Jake, Dan and Jamie (l-r) three of the boys from BOSSY theatre crew – the Brentwood-based youth theatre group – dropped in to chat about their fifteenth anniversary concert next weekend and treated us to two live performances. Plus a little tease of their next production – Phantom of the Opera, which will take place in November.

They’re on the hunt for new members so get in touch if you want to join the clan. Full show can be heard here and a track listing (including lots of my favourite musical numbers) is below:

• Rock you like a hurricane by Scorpions
• Cry baby by Cee Lo Green
• Sit next to me (Stereotypes remix) by Foster the People
• This is me by Keala Settle & The Greatest Showman ensemble
• Bonnie & Clyde 03 by Jay -Z & Beyonce
• Love machine by Girls Aloud
• IDGAF by Dua Lipa
• Lay all your love on me by Abba
• Any dream will do by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Jason Donovan, Joseph & the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat (1991 cast recording)
• The one and only by Chesney Hawkes
• Without love by Zac Efron, Nikki Blonsky,Elijah Kelley, Amanda Bynes – Hairspray
• STARS – from Les Miserables by BOSSY theatre group – Jamie
• One Song Glory – from RENT by BOSSY theatre group – Dan
• The Phantom of the Opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Sarah Brightman, Michael Crawford – Phantom of the Opera

On this week’s #FeelgoodSaturday we kept the International Women’s Day vibes alive with lots of lady music and a chat with a very strong lady (literally, she’s a bodybuilder)

Suzie Volkes of The Valkryie Solution bounded into the studio and we had great fun! She talked all about the female fitness phenomenon she’s kicked off with her women’s health club and what it’s like on the women’s bodybuilding circuit. She even gave us some tips for exercises you can do at home while listening to the show every week…

Listen back to her interview here and the exercises can be seen ably demonstrated below.

Suzie’s always on the look-out for new female warriors to drive the movement so check out her website to sign up:

https://thevalkyriesolution.com/

You can also follow her for inspiration on social media:

Instagram: bevalkryie

twitter: @bevalkyrie

facebook: BeValkryie

Listen back to the whole show here and the playlist is below…

• Play by Jennifer Lopez
• Dancing by Kylie Minogue
• Mercy by Duffy
• Ship to wreck by Florence & the Machine
• A good heart by Feargal Sharkey
• This love by Maroon 5
• Ooh wee by Mark Ronson ft. Nate Dogg
• Sit next to me (Stereotypes remix) by Foster the People
• Linger by The Cranberries
• Came here for love by Sigala & Ella Eyre
• La isla bonita by Madonna
• Hold on by Wilson Phillips
• Running up that hill by Kate Bush
• Fighter by Christina Aguilera
• Born this way by Lady Gaga
• Rock star (Jason Nevins Remix edit) by N*E*R*D

The snow has stopped falling, the ice has begun to melt and Feelgood Saturday is here once again to give you that warm, toasty feeling. On this week’s show we kept one eye on the traffic and weather in between loads of upbeat music. If you don’t believe me check out the track listing below:

• Two hearts by Phil Collins
• Freedom by George Michael
• Snow (Hey Oh) by Red Hot Chilli Peppers
• Ironic by Alanis Morissette
• It’s a beautiful world by Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds
• Say you’ll be there by Spice Girls
• Livin’ on a prayer by Bon Jovi
• Sweet lovin’ (feat. Bryn Christopher) by Sigala
• Female of the species by Space
• Supernatural by Loretta Boutwell
• Loco in Acapulco by Four Tops
• SOS by Rihanna
• Isn’t she lovely by Stevie Wonder
• What I go to school for by Busted
• Dancing by Kylie Minogue
• Crazy love by Michael Buble
• Keep warm by Jinny

Ooooh and we also heard about Ed Sheeran’s latest step into world domination in the Entertainment News. Listen back to the show here:

My guest this week saw Sibel Beadle – a fascinating lady who’s recently given up a full-time career in the city to become a full-time children’s author. She’s the creator of the Witchy Travel Tales series, the third book of which is due for release in a couple of weeks. We were chatting about how she owes the beginning of her writing career to WhatsApp, as well as how she goes about building each story and what’s next for the witch Miranda and her seven daughters.

Listen back to that here:

You can follow Sibel on twitter on @witchytales1 or her instagram is witchytraveltales. Her first two books are out now on amazon or Waterstones online, with the third “The Golden Bunny of the Lake District” out very soon.