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Straight From The Mouth
The Morning Mouth's November Interview with Jo & Twiggy
(Reprinted by permission; Copyright © 2007 Talentmasters Inc.)

Quick background check:

Jo: I started by working for free at Hospital Radio on evenings and weekends before getting chance to do a weekend show on a new station for expenses only -- then an overnight show at a different station, then 12 years ago got my first Breakfast show. When I did overnights I also had a fulltime day job which I went to after my overnight shift. I did this for a year but it was all worth it.

Twiggy: I started by sweeping the car park, making tea and then to commercial production. I eventually managed all the station's events before landing an on air shift with the lovely Joanna RU.S.sell. It's the best job in the world but sometimes the most frU.S.trating. However I U.S.ed to be a

What do you think is the biggest difference is between morning radio there and on this side of the pond?

Twiggy: Whenever I've heard U.S. morning shows, they seem to get away with much more than we do. I think it's a British thing to be safe, although we do have our moments.

Explain the Diana phenomena? Ten years later, the whole world is still obsessed. Does this remain a hot topic on your show?

Jo: You have a lot more competition than we do, whilst our market is very competitive we don't have anywhere near as many radio stations in each market. From what I can gather too they probably talk more than we do!

It's been a few years since I was in England, but I recall the BBC was still extra strict on content. Has that opened up more?

Twiggy: Well no not really, although they have been in a spot of bother on phone in competitions to their TV shows.

Jo: Not working for the BBC it's hard to say, we are all governed by guidelines over here and therefore we're all answerable to someone if we go against them!

We've had the pleasure of your show's company at several Morning Show Boot Camps. What's been the best idea you ever picked up there, along with the best advice? Given your tighter reigns, did you ever repeat an bit that got you in trouble?

Jo: It's interesting you ask the question about getting into trouble!! There are so many things in Battle of the Bits that we couldn't do here in the UK. I think the best bit we've done was a stunt with a billboard in town where the model stripped off one item of clothing every time our football team Nottingham Forest won! We changed it slightly and half way through the campaign added a male model to strip too!

I understand on-air guests work a bit differently there. Do you do many phone interviews, in-studio guests, etc? Are celebrities harder to get on the air there?

Jo: They are hard to get hold of for our station but we do manage a few! Orson, David Schwimmer were both recent guests on the show. It tends to be that they are in a studio in London and we pre-record it with U.S. in Nottingham.

Twiggy: We do get them from time to time, but mainly CList . The thing is I don't think people are that bothered about self appointed big name nobody's so we deliver content our audience can relate to. Does anyone have Brad Pitt's number?

Trent FM is part of G-Cap there in GB. Aren't you the biggest independent operator in GB?

Jo: GCap is the UK's largest Commercial Radio operator, with the UK's largest National Commercial Station in Classic FM, Capital 95.8 in London, XFM in London, Manchester, Scotland, and now South Wales, the network of Gold stations across the UK and London, and of course over 40 local stations around the UK like the one Twiggy and I are at, Trent FM in Nottingham. We also have over 90 Digital services, some local and some national like Planet Rock, Core, Fun Radio for kids, and Chill.

What's the relationship between independent radio and the BBC?

Jo: I couldn't really comment on a corporate level of course, but we are in a battle for listeners and the BBC has a huge guaranteed resource in the licence fee so that's a challenge but great ideas are free, so as long as we are able to produce great content everyday and make it relevant for our listener in Nottingham we can compete. Locally in Nottingham Trent is by far the number one station -- the BBC National services compete of course and have massive cross promotion on BBC TV services too, the local BBC station in Nottingham is aimed much older and is largely speech and news- we know a lot of the guys over there and they are nice people but we are mutually exclU.S.ive in terms of audience.

Tell U.S. about your show: who are all the players?

Jo - single, fun, passionate about music, up for a laugh.
Twiggy - family man, opinionated, loves golf.
Brainz - Producer, single, computer and gadget geek

Do you get American Idol there? How does it differ most from Britain's Got Talent?

Jo: Yes, watch it all the time! I'm addicted to shows like that. Britains Got Talent is totally different, our version of American Idol was Pop Idol, and now we have X factor which is like American Idol but with 4 different categories, Boys under 25, Girls under 25, Groups and Over 25's. Don't worry I'm sure you'll get that too!

Complete this sentence: The biggest difference between being a woman in morning drive here vs the states is...

Jo: I can only answer for me but, I drive the panel and I'm not sure that happens a great deal in the states. I have as much input into the show as the rest of them and as well as taking part in the content, I also deal with the bU.S.iness end of the links.

Jo: X Factor, Heroes, Desperate HoU.S.ewives, Studio 60, Brothers and Sisters.

Twiggy: 24 definitely. That guy should run a country.

Explain the Diana phenomena. Ten years later, the whole world is still obsessed. Does this remain a hot topic on your show?

Jo: No, this is not a topic we'd discuss, but it certainly would be covered in our news bulletins. It's a really emotive topic and with the trial going on at the moment we're simply not allowed to talk about it. Our show is fun too so we try and keep it light hearted.

Twiggy: No not really, I'm actually sick to the back teeth of it. I'd sooner be chained down and forced to listen to back to back Barry Manilow songs.

One afternoon to spend with any radio show, who would it be?

Jo: In America I'd say Ryan Seacrest for sure, or Eric and Kathy in Chicago -Here in UK it would be Chris Evans. He's a radio legend!

Twiggy: Jeff and Jer on your side of the pond but over here probably Steve Wright or Chris Evans.

How about newspapers and TV: Do they follow radio personalities much there?

Jo: It really varies, our national stations get a lot of coverage but locally not so much.

Twiggy: Not really, I think they see U.S. a threat (commercially that is). I personally think we would all benefit if we supported each other

British web sites that talent in the states should visit?

Twiggy: trentfm.co.uk

British myths: all beer is served room temp., food is terrible, etc.

Jo: The biggest myth I can tell is your interpretation of our accent! It sounds so nothing like us!

Owwww really?

Twiggy: British Beer is great, what's a matter with you all?

Next British TV show that American TV will probably rip off?

Jo: X Factor, its American Idol with a difference and would be huge in America!

If a group fight broke out in the studio, who would be the last one standing?

Jo: Me, for sure -- I have more stamina than the boys.

Twiggy: No I'd run off but, sue the others for actual bodily harm or defamation of character.

Read previous Morning Mouth interviews.

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