The journalist, presenter and author on catchy kids’ earworms, impromptu rap-off during BBC night shifts and the 90s pop banger that plays havoc with her ankles
The first song I fell in love with
I grew up in a house where music was played all the time. I watched Kylie on Neighbours, and so fell in love with I Should Be So Lucky. I love how you don’t need to know about her private life, you can still just love her. I went to see her recently and she was amazing.
The first album I bought
Hangin’ Tough by New Kids on the Block, on cassette, from Woolies in Middlesbrough, with some pick’n’mix. I don’t think you could ever go into Woolies and not come out with some pick’n’mix. I liked the underdog, so Donnie Wahlberg was my favourite member.
The first song I fell in love with
I grew up in a house where music was played all the time. I watched Kylie on Neighbours, and so fell in love with I Should Be So Lucky. I love how you don’t need to know about her private life, you can still just love her. I went to see her recently and she was amazing.
The first album I bought
Hangin’ Tough by New Kids on the Block, on cassette, from Woolies in Middlesbrough, with some pick’n’mix. I don’t think you could ever go into Woolies and not come out with some pick’n’mix. I liked the underdog, so Donnie Wahlberg was my favourite member.
The song I do at karaoke
I hate singing, but I love a good dance, so I do C’est la Vie by B*Witched, because there’s a musical interlude where I can impress everyone with a few Irish dancing moves on the wobbly old ankles.
The song I inexplicably know every lyric to
I was on a night shift at the BBC, and I ended up having a Gangsta’s Paradise by Coolio rap-off with this girl called Katie Prescott. I remember thinking: there’s no way she’s going to know the words, because she’s dead posh, but she knew them all as well.
The best song to play at a party
I Wanna Dance With Somebody by Whitney Houston, because it travels every generation.
The song I can no longer listen to
When I was a kid, my friend’s mum, who had this new boyfriend, was playing High by the Lighthouse Family on repeat, to disguise the noise that was coming from the bedroom. I still can’t listen to it.
The song I secretly like, but tell everyone I hate
I’ve got a five-year-old. The one that gets the kids going is The Floor Is Lava by Baby Shark, which isn’t something you should enjoy as an adult. But seeing my kid jump about doing all the actions means it’s my guilty pleasure.
The song that changed my life
My dad was a big Smiths and Morrissey fan, so when he was teaching me to drive, he’d always have Everyday Is Like Sunday playing. When I passed my test and was working for Black+Decker, I’d have it blasting in my car, celebrating my independence. Now, it just reminds me of my dad.
The song that makes me cry
All Bets Are Off by Nerina Pallot is about heartbreak, and so the song I play when I get dumped. I’ve been dumped at various points in my life in various ways. It takes me back to a time of utter heartbreak and thinking I’ll never get over it.
The song I’d like played at my funeral
For Good, from the bit in Wicked the Musical where the two witches go their separate ways. The lyrics are about people coming to your life for a reason, who might not stay very long, but there’s a reason they’ve played a part in your life. I well up thinking about it.
Source: theguardian.com