Viewers of BBC One’s I’d Do Anything who have been singing along on the sofa whilst enjoying the show now have the opportunity to have a go themselves!

Accompanying the television series will be a number of free BBC Learning events across the UK giving thousands of people the chance to sing as part of a group with the BBC Singers and musicians from the BBC Orchestras, as well as some familiar faces.

Adults and children over the age of eight are welcome to attend these fun and friendly sessions with songs from musical theatre.

All levels of ability will be catered for – from keen amateurs to absolute beginners who have never dared sing in public before.

Event details were announced by Graham Norton in the I’d Do Anything results show last night (Sunday 27 April 2008).

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The grown man in the picture is Hal. Hal spends a disturbing amount of his time dressed up as Barry The Badger. And he is - by far - the most disturbing Upstaged contestant that I met. Maybe it’s the badger head he wears makes things a little impersonal…

On our first meeting, Barry tells me that the badger came about because he received a stuffed badger from his grandfather as a child. And for some reason he wasn’t able to explain, Barry Hal took it away and wrapped it in cling-film. Kinky.

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Chris Cohen has a unique talent - he can improvise full songs on the spot. Not only that, but the songs are absolutely hilarious.

Like many of the acts featured on Upstaged, Chris rose to prominence on YouTube with sharp songs about sports. His song about Steve McClaren got over 250,000 views on YouTube, and attracted the attention of sports programmes in the UK.

When we met, Chris told me that he’d managed to get a lot of TV work on the back of that song. He’s done performances for Setanta Sports, and was asked to do one song per week for Channel 5. He’s teamed up with another guitarist, Marek Homola and they’re both about to release an album of songs they’ve written.

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Back when I visited the Upstaged set a couple of weeks ago, I had an excellent opportunity to meet some of the huge gang of video bloggers (or Vloggers) who are participating in the contest. They’re through to the final, by the way, so you’re going to see them on TV. And they’re very popular, so they might actually win the contest!

I got to interview the three vloggers at the front of the picture above: Dave from Blue Skies, Els (with the pink hair) and Davey the comedian.

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Pianist Sophie Cashell from Ireland has been crowned the winner of BBC Two’s Classical Star series.

Sophie beat bassoonist Karen Geoghegan and guitarist Ian Watt to the title and has secured the prize of a recording contract with top label Universal Classics and Jazz.

The judges Charles Hazlewood, Chi-chi Nwanoku, Steve Abbott and Jason Lai had to review the three candidates as they performed at LSO St Luke’s alongside the 40-piece City of London Sinfonia Orchestra. Read more & comment »

It’s an all Celt final for BBC Two’s Classical Star, with two Scots and an Irish youngster competing to win the title, it was revealed at the end of the penultimate episode on Tuesday 6 November.

Bassoonist Karen Geoghegan and guitarist Ian Watt from Scotland, along with Irish pianist Sophie Cashell have been selected by the judges to compete in the final.

The final takes place at the prestigious LSO St Luke’s, where they will be accompanied by a 40-piece orchestra, the City of London Sinfonia.

For one of these exceptional young musicians, the opportunity of a lifetime is just one step away.

To win a recording contract with top label Universal Classics and Jazz, they will have to impress the judges: conductor Charles Hazlewood; double bassist Chi-chi Nwanoku; artist manager Steve Abbott and conductor Jason Lai. There is nothing more their Music Director and mentor Matthew Barley can do to help them. Read more & comment »

The BBC have announced that they will be bringing back Celebrity Apprentice, in aid of Sport Relief, early next year.

Last year saw celebrities compete against each other for the approval of business guru, Sir Alan Sugar,and we were lucky enough to witness Piers Morgan being sacked for the second time.

This year the BBC are said to be on the hunt for celebrities, but former BBC chief Greg Dyke is said to be the first contestant to sign up.

Did they say celebrity???????

The BBC has defended itself against criticism that the Sunday night Strictly Come Dancing results show was pre-recorded, by claiming that it never billed it as being a live show.

25 BBC viewers complained about the show after seeing competitor, Kenny Logan on ITV’s rugby coverage at the same time. Many have called it misleading and believe that the BBC set out to trick people. Read more & comment »

The BBC has commissioned Endemol-owned Initial to produce The Ultimate Tribute (working title), a new prime time
BBC One Saturday night series.

Presented by Graham Norton, The Ultimate Tribute is a brand new talent show that will leave viewers amazed … and wondering if seeing is believing.

The show will be looking for tribute acts who think they are the best.

Performers don’t have to just sing like a superstar, they have to look like them, dress like them, and act like them. In fact they have to live, breathe and actually turn themselves into the superstar of their dreams. Read more & comment »

Hot on the heels of Jospeh and The Sound Of Music, BBC sources have revealed that their next big hunt will be to find the leading star for a West End production of My Fair Lady.

An insider told The Sun: “There were several ideas on the table but eventually we whittled them down to West Side Story and My Fair Lady.

“We decided that as we had searched for a male lead last year with Joseph, it was probably right to hunt for a female one next. Read more & comment »

Three Welsh families have been hand-picked to live in 1927 for four weeks this autumn.

The families will travel back in time to live life as it was in a mining community in 1927 as part of BBC Wales’ ambitious Coal House television series, which will be broadcast on BBC One Wales and BBC Two.

Each family will leave all 21st century luxuries behind when they enter a tiny miner’s cottage at Stack Square, Blaenavon later this October. With no bathroom, central heating or running water, it will be downshifting in the extreme.

The three Coal House families – selected from more than 150 applicants – are:

* The Cartwright family from Penarth
* The Griffiths family from Cardigan
* The Phillips family from Cowbridge

The reasons the families gave Read more & comment »

Three Welsh families have been hand-picked to live in 1927 for four weeks this autumn.

The families will travel back in time to live life as it was in a mining community in 1927 as part of BBC Wales’ ambitious Coal House television series, which will be broadcast on BBC One Wales and BBC Two.

The Cartwright Family are lucky enough to be amongst the chosen three.

* Joe Cartwright, 48, is a Professor of Geology at Cardiff University

* Annabel Cartwright, 50, is an Astrophysicist at Cardiff University Read more & comment »

Three Welsh families have been hand-picked to live in 1927 for four weeks this autumn.

The families will travel back in time to live life as it was in a mining community in 1927 as part of BBC Wales’ ambitious Coal House television series, which will be broadcast on BBC One Wales and BBC Two.

The Griffiths Family are lucky enough to be amongst the chosen three.

* Gethin Griffiths, 8, is a pupil at Cardigan Junior School

The Griffiths gang are the only family of the three to speak Welsh Read more & comment »

Three Welsh families have been hand-picked to live in 1927 for four weeks this autumn.

The families will travel back in time to live life as it was in a mining community in 1927 as part of BBC Wales’ ambitious Coal House television series, which will be broadcast on BBC One Wales and BBC Two.

The Phillips Family are lucky enough to be amongst the chosen three.

* Richie Phillips, 33, is a carpenter, builder and coal merchant

* Gwennan Phillips, 1, is the daughter of Stephanie and Richie

Richie’s great-grandfather was killed Read more & comment »

DanceX hopeful, Rana Roy has revealed that she has been greatly inpsired by former Spice Girl, Melanie C.

Rana danced in Mel’s single, ‘I Got Candy’ and was thrilled to be given some tips by her idol.

“Mel was really nice. I’ve always been a fan so it was great to work with her,” Rana told The People. “Seeing just how talented Mel is proved to be a massive inspiration for me. It was so surreal to finally be dancing for one of my childhood heroes. It made me so happy. Read more & comment »