When I heard that James Morrison and Keith Lemon were attending the Blackpool Switch on, I thought, 'I HAVE to get backstage.'
I emailed every orginiser, the council, the sponsers, the artists agents and record labels- all to set up an interview.
Eventually, VisitBlackpool provided me with a press pass.
I could not even descibe to you quite how excited I was.
The night came, I spent 64332643 hours getting ready: fake eyelashes, bronzer, a hair style I had to redo about 10 times to get right- just trying to look my very very best.
I arrived at half 5 to the press tent which had subway sandwiches, (of course I was too nervous to eat) bottles of wine and beer, (bad times that I was too hungover from -my last- night out in Blackpool, it probably would have numbed the nerves,) and a guestlist, neck cards with 'PRESS' on them, pendrives with info on the event and artists and a lot of VisitBlackpool event management.
As fun as this all sounds, I was not backstage as I had previously arranged with Malcolm Packer, the managing director of real radio and Smooth FM so I was pretty much bummed that I was watching the likes of Olly Murs (que girls screaming) and Joe McEldary walk back stage, past poor little Karen.
However, I snatched a photograph with Joe and James Morrison (que Karen screaming!!!!!! ... probably the best moment of my LIFE so far.)
After the excitement of meeting JaMo wore off, I was getting pretty upset I couldn't get the interviews with the celebs that I had requested, so I text Malcolm:
'Hi Malcolm, It's Karen... Are there no interviews tonight, I'm in the press area now.'
Thankfully, he sent a lovely girl out to grab me, then explained that I had missed the interviews because I had been stuck outside backstage. He was not happy that noone sent me back to attent the interviews I tried so hard to maintain.
I was gutted.
However, he grabbed Keith Lemon for me: Star of the Show!!!!!!!
I actually got to speak to Keith Lemon on my own for a while- WARNING: it got a little dirty (embarrasing when my mother heard the recording- good thing she was laughing.)
To start he introduced himself with a hug and a cheeky kiss on the cheek.
The question everyone asked me after they found out I interiewed Mr. Lemon was 'Is he generally funny ALL the time?' .. the answer is, from what I saw, YES!
He was charming, funny, rude, cheeky and just generally lovely.
The mayoress of Blackpool interupted my interview to get a quick word with Keith... he was no different or polite with her, he was actually really cheeky, and maybe poking a bit of fun at her and the other official people.
Mayor of Blackpool : "You know the Blackpool lights are incomparable with any other."
Keith Lemon :"Well, yeah.. It was a dream of mine as a kid to switch on the Leeds lights, so when I was asked to switch on the Blackpool lights... not lights... ILLUMINTATIONS!"
Mayoress: 'You're from Leeds, where abouts?"
Keith Lemon: 'A rough part, propper rought, like the bronx, I'm here to prove that even if you come from a bad area you can still do good.. I mean I have a car and everything... a soda stream... a microwave.. all mod cons, I'm doing well for myself."
The interview with Keith started:
K: 'I write for a fashion blog as well so..'
Keith Lemon: 'Im in to me fashion... She's my stylist.. she'sa bit ashamed she's my stylist.'
K: 'Have you got any fashion tips?'
Keith Lemon: 'Olly Murs moves..'
(He changed the subject after Olly walked past dancing.)
K: 'Are you excited about the new season of Celebrity Juice?'
Keith Lemon: 'Yeah it started yest'rday.'
K: 'It is actually halerious, I was watching that one with ... verne, the little man.'
Keith Lemon: 'Last night we had Joe McEldary, who is here tonight, it's nice to see him again..Rochelle from the Saturdays, but I called her Rachel.. Dave Berry filling in for Rufus..'
Que Mayor and Mayoress butting in.
Keith Lemon: 'I'm just doing an interview with a student, Karen. Just doing an interview saying how nice it is to be in Blackpool. It's the place I bought my first bo'selecta mask for £1.50, best one pound fifty I ever spent. '
A couple of people backstage interupted again to ask for photographs with Keith, he was very polite and said, 'Its up to Karen really.'
K: 'So, is it hard being funny all the time?'
Keith Lemon: 'I don't really think about it, all I do is say things I have experienced and seen, I don't know anything about comedy. I don't try, thats why I don't know any jokes, If someone tells a me a joke, I just say, 'Oh thats clever.'
K: 'Do you not get in trouble for some of the things you say?'
Keith Lemon: 'No, cause I think honesty is the best policy... where people have a thing in their head that says STOP STOP, I dont... honesty is the best policy, Superman did alright for himself... he had a career, about 4 films and a reboot, and they are doing another film soo..I live by superman rules, except I wouldnt have super powers cause it means I couldnt make love to women, cause he had to give up his powers to make love to Louis Lane, if he ejaculated he would brake her back.'
K: 'Yeah actually it would wouldnt it?'
Keith Lemon: 'I think thats why he gave up his super powers... thats what I thought when I was 8!'
K: 'Oh, so you started young?... so how do you do your hair?'
Keith Lemon: 'Oh I use that Babyliss.. is it babyliss? The hair dryer that kinda rotates...I put a bit of serum in it.'
K: 'So you care a lot about your appearance?'
Keith Lemon: 'Yeah, Its a bit disheveled....ITS ALL ABOUT TONIGHT.'
(He started singing along to Pixie Lott who was onstage.)
Another man asked for an autograph for his granddaughter... Keith signed the pad and started drawing something..
K: 'Is that a dolphin?'
Keith Lemon: 'No, but Im as smooth as a dolphin.'
(It was a sketch of himself.)
K: 'Oh your actually pretty good at drawing.'
Keith Lemon: 'Thanks.'
K: 'So whats your kind of girl?'
Keith Lemon: 'As long as she has had a wash, Im not bothered...eyes, nose, a mouth, arms, legs... is human.. and good banter...'
K: 'Aw, well thank you for your time.'
Keith Lemon: 'WATCH CELEBRITY JUICE, THURSDAYS AT 10 OCLOCK, ITV2 AND BUY ME NEW BOOK SEPTEMBER THE 29TH...AND ALSO BUY ME SOCKS FOR ME UNDERPANTS AND ALL THE OTHER MERCHENDISE THAT COMES OUT AND LISTEN... YOUR LISTENING TO SMOOTH RADIO WITH KEITH LEMON, WELL IM NOT ACTUALLY ON REAL RADIO'
Over all he was AMAZING, halerious, genuine, such a great person.
Pixie Lott was a bit of a diva, but none the less seemed to be a nice girl, she did demand pasta in the middle of a Blackpool carpark- a kebab= easy, pasta= not so much.
She said: 'I like what I have seen of Blackpool but I havent got to go on the rides, and I love rides.'
I also had a cheeky photo with the very well presented Overtones:
Following this I got to watch the concert from the press pit, I don't really want to admit it, but JaMo wasnt at his best (take this from me, I have seen him 4 times.) However, he is a beauty and Keith kept the crowd happy with some great banter-POTATO, OOOSCHH, and all the other famous lines he has. The crowd was LOVING IT!!!
Despite the hickups at the start, I would just like to thank Malcolm Packer-who sorted the mess, Real Radio and smooth radio for a great night.
LOVE K