Eggs-cellent Television
Originally published on my personal blog on the 8th of June 2013.
In a result that surprised no-one anywhere, shadow dancing act Attraction was declared the winner of Britain's Got Talent 2013.
Their patriotic performance, featuring tableaux cameos from Winston Churchill and Her Majesty the Queen, captured the nation's hearts. But the nation's fingers? No, they were busy pressing the rewind button on the Sky+ remote to watch, re-watch and re-re-watch Simon Cowell getting egged by an ensemble violinist. If that's whet your whistle for live TV being forced off script, here are a few previous television studio invasions.
BBC Six O'Clock News (1988)
Forewarned: the above clip contains strong language…
…not from newsreaders Sue Lawley or Nicholas Witchell, but rather the studio director whose talkback is included in the clip, adding nicely to the sense of chaos. Lawley valiantly carried on as the news studio was invaded by a group of protesters angered by a law against the promotion of homosexuality in schools. They chained themselves to camera cables, ensuring their presence was felt and their voices were heard.
The National Lottery: Jet Set (2006)
Fast-forward eighteen years to just another edition of The National Lottery: Jet Set, or so Eamonn Holmes and Sarah Cawood thought. Two years after Fathers 4 Justice had famously thrown purple paint in The House of Commons and then scaled the walls of Buckingham Palace whilst dressed as Batman, they returned to their part protest, part prank ways by making the case that fathers' rights are not a lottery. Cue two minutes of very awkward filling from Alan ‘Deadly’ Dedicoat. Fortunately, the show ended on time and they were able to cross to the Eurovision Song Contest. Speaking of which…
Eurovision Song Contest (2010)
The 55th annual running of everyone's favourite tolerance-testing telecast was made at least partially more interesting when Spain's entry Daniel Diges was joined onstage by a chap from the crowd adorned with an orange gnome cap. Amusingly, such is the campfest of Eurovision that—in the middle of a group of dancers dressed as mannequins—it took several moments for anyone to realise that he wasn't a part of the performance!
World Snooker Championship (2010)
Fathers 4 Justice make their second appearance in this list, taking advantage of links and interviews for the World Snooker Championship being conducted live in Sheffield's beautiful Winter Gardens. 1980s snooker supremo Steve Davis had enjoyed a return to form late in his professional career, and was waxing lyrical with Hazel Irvine about the good old days—until a stampede of protesters forced a hasty throw to VT.