Harry Krishna – a bear belly for Children in Need
This Monday night I was privileged to be invited as a guest and performer for BBC Look North’s Children in Need fund-raising event at Batley Frontier Variety Club, near Leeds. The club was packed out with a lovely audience who had bought tickets to raise money for the charity and it was being filmed for a special Children In Need show to air this Friday. There was a big stage and the event took the form of Parkinson-style interviews on big purple comfy chairs on the stage. Carrying out the interviews, were much-loved BBC presenters Christa Ackroyd and Harry Gration and interviewees included singing-legend Tony Christie (probably best known today for his Amarillo song with Peter Kay). To be included in this list of interviewees, was a really proud moment for me. I knew I’d also be dancing later and I was a little nervous – for Harry Gration that is! We were to dance together in the second half of the show, after my interview with him and Christa and I wondered if Harry would remember his belly-dance steps from the last time we filmed together? Or would it all go belly up?
I’d trained him previously, at Shiraz restaurant in Sheffield, after performing on ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ last year.
Me and my agent Louise, Troupe dancer Jess and Steve White (presenter- BBC radio) were greeted by the lovely BBC staff and shown to the dressing room. To our good fortune, I was sharing with other guests such as Sheffield legend Tony Christie, Robbie Paul (rugby) and the lovely Harry and Christa! Some fine chats were had and some secrets told – lol.
It was lovely seeing Christa again (me and my family love her!) so as ever I had photos with her and the rest of the legendary crew.
Harry was as welcoming and as cheerful as ever and he is always game to try new things!
It was then time to sit at our posh tables (I was chuffed to be sat with Tony Christie – although I had to stop myself singing a certain song to him…)
I was the first up to be interviewed which went well (I think), although the problem with staged events is the moment they announce your name, in my head as they say “Sophie…†(I’m thinking right – smile but not too much as my cheeks look reight chubby, breathe in…) “Mei†(Oh sugar! Stand up in heels, whilst pulling dress down) and then the dreaded music plays that gives me about 30 short seconds to stumble up the steps and onto stage.
I tell you whenever I’m being interviewed for TV I’m just so glad to sit down!
Anyway, all the interviews went well and we heard some really inspirational speakers such as the real-life Calendar Girls – they were lovely – real Yorkshire women!
It was then time for a quick change into my and Harry’s bellydance costumes during the interval. I’d brought him a bright yellow flared costume so he matched Pudsey the Bear. Harry as ever was a very good volunteer and changed into the costume like fork lightening and he was quite happy as I sprayed him top to toe in glitter (luckily his wife knew it was for charity!).
I then performed my first solo on stage until Harry joined me for a veil dance! We had lots of fun – and the audience seemed to enjoy it – whether they were laughing with or at us us another question…
The night was was cheerfully finished off with a rendition of ‘Music Man’ by Blacklace’s Dene Michael. I recorded the new version with him and it brought back some wonderful childhood memories.
The whole evening, in fact, went by in a flash (doesn’t it always when you are having fun?) and soon it was time to pack up our wings, veils and makeup and it was off back to sunny Sheffield. Little did I know that Christa’s makeup had got accidentally packed away with mine.  Doh!
The dreaded discovery was made late the following evening – although my agent says Christa looked fantastic anyway on TV that night – so no harm done! Lol. Getting Christa’s makeup bag back has been quite an adventure – eventually resulting in it taking a detour journey into BBC Radio Sheffield before making its way home to its proper owner thanks to a very kind BBC researcher called Emma Blackburn!
All in all, it was a great night, what a fabulous evening we had in Batley and the greatest thing is that it raised nearly £7000 for Children in Need – just shows you how people coming together can make a huge difference!
