Radio Times Zelig, slight return

Had a lovely time at the annual Radio Times Covers Party on Tuesday night. (I think we have it on a Tuesday night so that we can turn the coverage round for the next week's magazine. It does always seem to be on a Tuesday, a frankly underloved night of the week.) It's an excuse, every year, for me to stand next to some of the actors, producers and performers that I admire off the telly. I may be something with Editor at the end of it at Radio Times, but this doesn't reduce the fan in me. So, with a magically self-refilling flute of champagne in my hand, I managed to bother Rob Brydon, Steve Pemberton, Keeley Hawes and the great Joan Marsh this year. David Morrissey, who I bothered last year along with James Nesbitt, said hello but left before the great post-presentation luvvy-a-thon. Thanks to RT's Stuart who took the above pic on his phone, even though we were in the area outside the Claridge's Ballroom where professional portraits were being taken for the magazine. Doctor Who fans will be jealous that I was in the same building as Amy Pond in some hot pants, but this was frankly wasted on me. I'm far more excited about having thanked Jean Marsh for Upstairs Downstairs. There is a whole reel of star-studded pics here. I'll publish a few more next Tuesday, once the magazine is out. Don't want to steal their thunder. In the pic below you can see how good an actor Brydon is, as he convinces me that he's interested in what I'm saying.

And look, two years ago, in virtually the same spot, I bothered Philip Glenister. Ironically I was talking to him about the sitcom I was writing, which eventually got rejected by the BBC, but has now been accepted by Radio 4. I wonder if he remembers the conversation, and the name of the sitcom? Note: same jacket. But different black shirt, so let me off.