Neil phones in

Channel 5  8th February 2002

The item began with footage of Neil singing Sweet Caroline from the Greatest Hits video. Then we saw a still from the last interview Gloria did with Neil last year. The telephone link opened up and there was Neil's voice. He sounded as if he was just out of bed!

Gloria remarked that the studio audience had thought he was about to walk through the door but here he was on the phone. Neil remarked that they wouldn't want to see him at this time.

Gloria asked when he had last been here on tour and he replied it was three years. He liked to pop up every couple of years and hope people would turn up.

Gloria then went on about his fans and asked about them following him around on tour. He agreed that was true and that he found it very flattering. Neil said the fans often stayed at the same hotel as he did and managed to get back to the hotel after a concert before he did. He often wondered how they managed that! He said it was as if he and the fans were like travelling together almost.

The next question was about his stamina for the travelling. Neil said it was fine, he'd had some time off and he was in very good shape.

Gloria then asked about the next bit of his tour just starting in the States. He told her it was on the east coast. He remarked about the great difference in the weather however between nice, warm, gorgeous Florida and Buffalo with its Antarctic type of cold.

Gloria said at least it would be the summer when he got here and Neil said he was looking forward to that as the weather was nice then.

Then came a comment about leaving his dogs, grandchildren and children to set off on tour. Neil replied that he was having dinner with them tonight. He would give them a big kiss and a hug but then it would be nice to get away and see what was going on around the world. Gloria asked him if he was as enthusiastic about travelling as he used to be. The answer to that was - Not really. However he was still just as enthusiastic about the shows. This tour in particular as he had an enlarged band of seventeen pieces which he had always wanted to do. He found it a delicious experience and he hoped that everyone would get to see it. He said it was exciting and got him out of the house! He was a kind of lazy guy.

Gloria said that the thing she would look forward to when he came over besides the concerts was having Neil come into her house and join him in the kitchen (they have a cooking part to the show). Neil said he loved food so would make a good subject to work with. She said she would hold him to that!

This part of the show then finished with a competition to win pairs of Neil tickets for the forthcoming concerts.