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00:00Lovely to see you all. Welcome, welcome.
00:03Now, before we say another thing, I should just say,
00:06congratulations to Ariana Grande on an Oscar nomination!
00:09Thank you!
00:18Thank you so much!
00:20Thank you!
00:22Thank you!
00:24Thank you!
00:26Thank you so much!
00:28That's what a nomination looks like.
00:30I appreciate it.
00:31Practicing.
00:32And now you were here, so you didn't have to get up at stupid o'clock
00:35to hear that you got the nomination.
00:37No, it was really surreal.
00:39I did not expect it at all and it was very overwhelming
00:43and our wicked family being celebrated and Cynthia
00:46and our whole family to see, acknowledge, it's just very special.
00:49And now, here's the thing, you've sort of met Will Ferrell,
00:52but he wasn't Will Ferrell when you met him.
00:54I think we've got a picture of you here.
00:56Here he is as Ron Burgundy.
00:59Oh my goodness, yes!
01:00Do you recall this?
01:01I do, it was a very big moment for me.
01:03I'm a very big fan.
01:04That was in Amsterdam?
01:06I think so.
01:08That was a crazy night in Amsterdam for Ron.
01:11Ron imagined that he met Ariana Grande.
01:15No, because here's the old thing, Rhys and Will,
01:18you've both been kind of revisiting old characters.
01:21Rhys, you have been channelling your Elle Woods again.
01:25You've posted a clip of you getting ready to be Elle again.
01:28Oh, yes.
01:29Here you are.
01:30Again, I'm thinking, did you have all these clothes in your house?
01:34I actually do have all these clothes in my house.
01:37Yes, I have all of Elle Woods' costumes, actually.
01:42Wow.
01:43Yeah.
01:44And so this was at a big Amazon thing, so you're launching...
01:46Right.
01:47So yeah, the big news is we're doing a TV show about Elle Woods in high school called Elle.
01:52So we're having a big, open casting call across the world to find the young Elle Woods.
02:02Oh!
02:03I'm watching so many videotapes.
02:05So you haven't found the young Elle yet?
02:07Not yet.
02:08Don's ready.
02:09Yeah, I'm ready.
02:10Pop a wig on.
02:12And Will, you've been spotted out and about dressed as Buddy the Elf.
02:17Now, I think...
02:19Is that not a hockey game?
02:22That's not a hockey game, Buddy.
02:25It was a rough holiday season for Buddy.
02:28Did anyone ask you to do this?
02:30Sadly, no.
02:31This is just an idea I came up with for my own amusement.
02:37Yeah.
02:38And you can see my wife and son are really amused.
02:42But yeah, Buddy's just having a smoke at a hockey game.
02:47And did you have the costume in your house?
02:48No, that's a...
02:50That's a cheap, cheap Amazon version.
02:53Yeah, I have one.
02:54I think I have that one.
02:55Yeah.
02:56Yeah.
02:57No.
02:58By the way, you could put the pineapple down.
03:00No!
03:01Oh, no, no, no.
03:02OK, OK.
03:03Please, this is mine now.
03:05Your comfort pineapple.
03:06OK, fine.
03:07Have it.
03:08Thank you so much.
03:09And Don Gile, thank you very much for being here.
03:10You are here tonight because you're taking the lead in Death in Paradise,
03:13the huge popular BBC show.
03:14Yes.
03:16And a lot of people will remember you from EastEnders.
03:22Now, my American friends, are you all familiar with EastEnders?
03:25Yes.
03:26No.
03:27Uh-huh.
03:28Oh, oh, Ariana is.
03:29Don't you shoot in Bormwood?
03:31In Bormwood, Elstree, that's where we shoot.
03:33Yeah, that's where we used to.
03:34Is Bormwood a real place?
03:37I don't think so.
03:38Bormwood?
03:39Bormwood is a real Bormwood.
03:40But Wormwood is not a real place.
03:41Bormwood is lovely this time of year.
03:43Is it?
03:44Yeah.
03:45I hear it is.
03:46Yeah.
03:47Now, on EastEnders, it's a big soap opera here.
03:49OK.
03:50And is it fair to say you played a serial killer?
03:52It's fair to say that, yeah.
03:53Yes.
03:54Yeah.
03:55Lucas Johnson, you have the fourth highest kill count of all EastEnders killers.
03:59Oh.
04:00Oh.
04:01Fourth?
04:02Fourth highest.
04:03Yeah.
04:04What's the point of reading that out?
04:05Who's going to say I was a first or second?
04:06I'm surprised.
04:07How many people did you kill?
04:08Was it three or four?
04:09You know what?
04:10I don't actually know.
04:11It was quite a test, but there was an animal involved as well.
04:14Yes.
04:15And you got more hate mail about the animal than the people.
04:18Yeah.
04:19People like their pets.
04:20Yeah.
04:21And you don't even see that.
04:22Graphically, you don't see that.
04:23I go off with the dog on a lead.
04:25I come back with the lead.
04:27Or leash.
04:28No, I don't like that.
04:29And, yeah, they think now I'm on the map as a killer.
04:31And in that kind of blurry thing of fact and fiction, did people kind of in a weird
04:36way believe you were a killer?
04:38Well, no, but it's that fiction they invest in it.
04:40Yeah.
04:41You know, it's a bit of escapism.
04:42But, I mean, there was, I mean, there was one occasion where somebody, let's say, spotted
04:47me in, can I say TK Maxx?
04:49You said it now.
04:50Yes.
04:51Looking at the smalls section.
04:53Yeah.
04:54Discontinued smalls.
04:55Yeah.
04:56There you go.
04:57And there I was, I was just looking through the, yeah, that's my size.
04:59And then, from across the way, someone would go, that is the murderer.
05:02This is him.
05:03He's the murderer.
05:04Yeah, she was Welsh.
05:06Did lots of people turn round?
05:07Everyone's turned round.
05:08You can imagine even the security cameras all doing that.
05:11But it's because she's seeing it.
05:12And what she was saying, yeah, she did explain that that is the guy who plays the murderer.
05:16But that's not what she said in her first few words.
05:17Yeah.
05:18That is the murderer.
05:19That is the murderer.
05:20Didn't help you for the first few seconds.
05:21Holding some Calvin Klein's like this.
05:22Now, talking of show business beginnings, Ariana Grande, before superstardom, or before anything,
05:32I think you were tiny, you were singing on a cruise ship.
05:37Now, how old are you when you were singing on a cruise ship?
05:40Oh, my God.
05:41You really do your research.
05:42Oh, we dig.
05:43We dig.
05:44I was, I think I was maybe five, if you're talking about the story that you're going to ask about.
05:51Yeah, yeah.
05:52But no, I was, I went on a family trip and we went on a cruise and there was karaoke.
05:57And I sang, really, not the best tonally choice of song, but I sang My Heart Will Go On from the Titanic.
06:05On this cruise.
06:09Everyone just putting down their drinks, like, oh.
06:12Yeah.
06:13And we were like, shit.
06:15Anyway.
06:16No, yeah.
06:17This is so crazy.
06:18Coincidentally, Gloria Estefan was in the audience at this karaoke on the cruise ship.
06:26And she gestured over and my mom went with me.
06:30She was like, it's dark.
06:31Who is that?
06:32What the hell is going on?
06:33And she was like, oh, my God.
06:34Ariana, it's Gloria Estefan.
06:35And she was so nice.
06:36And she just said, you know, how old are you?
06:40And keep singing.
06:42The fact that you would get up there and do that at this age.
06:46Just keep singing.
06:47It was just so sweet.
06:48And have you guys been here again?
06:50Yes.
06:51I've seen her a few times.
06:52And it's just, like, so crazy to connect the dots and remember that story.
06:55Wouldn't it be amazing if she was here tonight?
06:57Yeah.
06:58Oh, my God.
06:59Don't even tell me.
07:00Don't even tell me.
07:01Don't even tell me.
07:02Don't even tell me.
07:03Don't even tell me.
07:04Don't even tell me.
07:05Don't even tell me.
07:06Don't even tell me.
07:07Don't even tell me.
07:08Oh, maybe she's out there.
07:09Yeah.
07:10Just going, my girl.
07:11Oh, wait.
07:12There she is again.
07:13Yeah.
07:14She's waving.
07:15All right.
07:16We're going to crack on with our first treat tonight.
07:17Reese Witherspoon and Will Ferrell are together at last in your Cordially Invited.
07:22It's out on the 30th of January on Prime Video.
07:25And here's the moment your characters meet.
07:32It's a great premise.
07:35It's double booking.
07:36So, Reese, you're the sister of one of the brides.
07:39Yes.
07:40My sister's getting married.
07:41His daughter is getting married.
07:42And we booked the same tiny island.
07:44So, we're also on a tiny island that we can't get off of.
07:47And you seem more organised than your character, I would say.
07:51Right.
07:52I mean, I'm...
07:53My daughter is everything to me.
07:56And I've always tried to make her life perfect.
07:58So, I am very obsessive in making sure this is the greatest day ever.
08:02But I've also handed it over to her wedding party, which are all a bunch of 20-somethings who don't know what they're doing.
08:11So, I get very upset by that.
08:13And an alligator, as we saw in the poster, plays a role in this film.
08:17Yes.
08:18There is a moment where the chaos builds to the point where I try to plant a live alligator in Reese's room to get her back.
08:29Basically, to kill her.
08:30But then I have second thoughts.
08:32Then he has second...
08:33I have second thoughts.
08:34Then he's a nice person and he regrets it.
08:37And in the movie, it does look like a real alligator.
08:39We've got a photograph.
08:40They sent a photograph.
08:41It does not look like a real alligator here.
08:43No.
08:44But was there a real alligator involved?
08:45There was...
08:46There was a real alligator there.
08:47Wow.
08:48How did you...
08:49How does that work?
08:50Does it have like an agent?
08:51Does it have like an alligator manager?
08:53There was a real...
08:54It had a wrangler.
08:55This is an animatronic alligator, but the real alligator was there as a technical consultant.
08:59Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
09:01To tell the fake alligator what to do...
09:03No, totally.
09:04...and how to do it properly.
09:05More like an intimacy coordinator.
09:07Right.
09:08Yeah.
09:09And he had a heart out at five years.
09:10So I was...
09:11Right.
09:12Yeah, they wanted to make sure I was handling the alligator in a...
09:14Correctly.
09:15...correct, appropriate manner.
09:16Yeah.
09:17Yes.
09:18As you can see, look.
09:19Yeah.
09:20Perfect.
09:21Yeah.
09:22Keeping your hands nice and high.
09:23Yes.
09:24You're respectful.
09:25Away from the business end.
09:27It's very full on.
09:28It's full on.
09:29Yeah.
09:30It's full on.
09:31Oh, yeah.
09:32Do we know how...
09:33I'm just noticing it.
09:34Yeah, I'm noticing it.
09:35Yeah.
09:36Do we know how accurate that is?
09:37What is that round bit?
09:38Nothing, darling.
09:39She's beautiful.
09:40And this idea of, you know, weddings.
09:43Will, you get invited to weddings and people want you to do things at them?
09:48Well, I did have a friend who thought it would be fun.
09:52So, you know the moment in some weddings where, you know, the minister, whoever is running
09:57the ceremony says, at this point, does anyone object to the union of these two people?
10:02The groom thought it would be hysterical if I stood up and objected to this moment.
10:09I said, are you sure this is going to go on?
10:12Is this going to be all right?
10:13Have you told your fiancée?
10:15She's like, oh, she'll...
10:16She thinks it's hysterical.
10:18So, we get to that moment and the priest goes like, does anyone object?
10:22And I say, I do.
10:24Carol, I love you.
10:26I want you back.
10:29At which point, the groom, my friend, turns back and is like, Will, her name is Barbara.
10:39And I said, oh, sorry, my bad.
10:41And I sit down.
10:42No one laughs.
10:44No one thinks it's funny.
10:47I'm just getting odd looks from the family.
10:51But he loved it.
10:56Ask me if they're still married.
10:58Are they still married?
10:59No.
11:08What surprised me is that you haven't worked together on a movie before.
11:12Yeah.
11:13Yeah.
11:14So, were you what each other expected or did you know each other before?
11:17How did this, what was it like?
11:19Well, we met on Saturday Night Live in 2001.
11:22Right.
11:23And then we decided...
11:24In 2001.
11:25We decided to take a 20-year break.
11:3022 short years later.
11:32We came up with an idea.
11:34We teamed up.
11:36And now that you've found each other, is this the start of a beautiful relationship?
11:41Will we see you together in other films?
11:43We have signed a 10-picture deal.
11:47Get ready.
11:50Every single studio left in Hollywood.
11:53Yep.
11:54All the different ones.
11:55All three of them.
11:58And it'll be, yeah.
12:00It would be a dream to work with Reese again.
12:02It was so fun.
12:03We had the best time.
12:04We had a great time.
12:05And honestly, it comes across the movie.
12:06I was telling you about that it's such a...
12:07Oh, and our kids are friends too.
12:08Yeah.
12:09And they would really like that.
12:10Our kids have a song in the movie.
12:11Our kids collaborated and have a song in the movie.
12:12Yeah, have a song in the movie.
12:13Oh, my God.
12:14Wow.
12:15Because our boys actually met at a party.
12:17And then my son came home and he was like,
12:20I met Will Ferrell Sunday.
12:21He's so cool.
12:22You should make a movie with Will Ferrell.
12:23And so I did.
12:25Well, we're glad you did.
12:27We're glad you did.
12:28And of course we invited.
12:29We'll be streaming a cram video from next Thursday.
12:32OK.
12:33We move on now.
12:34Everyone knows, of course, that Ariana Grande is Glinda in Wicked.
12:39We should do this more.
12:40Have people on after films come out.
12:41We really liked it.
12:42It was the movie event of last year and it's still available.
12:47It was the movie event of last year and it's still available.
12:50It was the movie event.
12:51It was the movie event of last year and it's still available.
12:56in cinemas now.
12:57But you can also, it's available for digital download at home.
13:01So, as we all know, you play Glinda to Cynthia Erivo's Wicked Witch Elphaba.
13:06And here are the two of you performing one of your big numbers, Popular.
13:11This stuff was great too, though.
13:21Oh, yes, no.
13:22She is full of her own delusional magic.
13:24Yes.
13:25Toss tossing.
13:26I have neck problems to this day from the toss tossing.
13:30I bet you do.
13:31No, I actually do.
13:32Do you really?
13:33Oh, I super do, though.
13:35Like, actually, I should probably get an MRI.
13:37I should probably take a look.
13:38I mean it.
13:39Yeah.
13:40After my first day of rehearsal, I had, like, I came in covered in hot, icy hot patches.
13:45I couldn't move.
13:46Oh, no.
13:47Oh, no.
13:48You've brought us all down now.
13:49Fun story.
13:50We were like, lovely film.
13:51Oh.
13:52Yeah.
13:53A fire thing happened.
13:54Good talk.
13:55No, yeah, she's with me forever.
13:56Well, listen, Cynthia has already been here.
13:58Yes.
13:59Good talk.
14:00Thank you for her journey in the film.
14:01But I love your story and your kind of connection to this film.
14:07So how old were you when you went to see Wicked on Broadway?
14:10I was 10 when I went to see Wicked for the first time.
14:13I had the extraordinary privilege of seeing the original Broadway cast.
14:17And I, they were doing the auction Broadway Cares, Equity Fights AIDS, where they auction off different things,
14:24whether it's a backstage tour or a signed t-shirt so that they can raise money for this incredible cause.
14:30And I kept bidding.
14:32And the audience and my mom was like, okay, it's enough, Ari.
14:35I kept bidding.
14:36And we were able to go backstage and meet everyone.
14:41And I met Idina, who was so sweet and beautiful.
14:44She gave me a little green bracelet.
14:46And Kristen, who gave me a little wand and a little body wash that she said was magic.
14:54And I really believe that it was now, now that we're on the other side of it.
14:58It was.
14:59And yeah, it was just really surreal.
15:00Oh, there you are.
15:01Yeah.
15:02Is that your...
15:03That's me, Nana.
15:04That's your grandma.
15:05Yeah.
15:06Yeah, yeah, yeah.
15:07And, uh, Kristen Jenner with a parent date, she claims she remembers this encounter.
15:10Yes, she claims she remembers.
15:11I'm like, how and why would you remember?
15:13I think it's because her dog peed on the couch.
15:15And I helped her clean it up.
15:17So that was...
15:18I mean, that would defi...
15:20To me, I guess that would separate other fan encounters.
15:22Oh, you were that girl.
15:23And in the picture there, it's your grandmother.
15:25Yes.
15:26Took you to Wicked.
15:27And then when the movie came out, you did a lovely thing for your grandmother.
15:30Yeah, so, she's 99 now.
15:33Wow.
15:34Yeah, so she was 14 when the original Wizard of Oz came out, which is just so crazy.
15:40Because Oz has always been, like, something she loved in a part of her life.
15:44So, I got to take her to see it at Cinemark 20 in Boca Raton, Florida, which is where I'm from.
15:51And it was just really special to be able to show her this new exploration of Oz so many years later.
16:00So, there's the movies going on.
16:02There she is.
16:04So sweet.
16:06So sweet.
16:07Yeah.
16:11By the way, that's illegal.
16:13That's illegal what you did.
16:14I know.
16:15I'm so sorry.
16:16I'm sorry.
16:17Inside the theatre.
16:18I know, I know, I know.
16:19I hate to be that guy.
16:20I'm really sorry.
16:21So, Will's been on the show a few times and we've never talked about this.
16:27Right.
16:28Before SNL, before your films and everything, you were in a sketch comedy group.
16:33Was it The Groundlings?
16:34The Groundlings in Los Angeles?
16:36Yeah.
16:37Yeah.
16:38Yeah.
16:39It's okay.
16:40It's okay.
16:41It's okay.
16:42Please.
16:43Stop.
16:44Everyone, stop.
16:45It's a somewhat famous improv sketch comedy theatre.
16:48And, yeah, I was in the show and it happened to coincide during the same time the OJ trial
16:56was going on.
16:57Yeah.
16:58And they were sequestered that whole time, this group of 20 people.
17:01And we thought, God, these poor folks.
17:04And someone came up with the idea to do our sketch show, not in our theatre, but in the
17:10courtroom to the jurors.
17:13Oh, no.
17:14Just us and the jurors.
17:16To lighten the mood?
17:17To lighten the mood.
17:18Okay.
17:19With full fluorescent lighting.
17:21And so they were performing in a courtroom sketches.
17:27They seemed mildly entertained.
17:29Yeah.
17:30Yeah.
17:31Were you the only group that did it?
17:32Or would they do life drawing classes?
17:34I didn't hear...
17:36Yeah.
17:37I didn't hear of a lot of other comedy performances.
17:39Yeah.
17:40And was it improv?
17:41Were they shouting out, like, suggestions?
17:42There was some, but I think we mostly did our little sketches and put on our wigs and
17:47costumes and, yeah, it was very bizarre.
17:50That's so weird.
17:51That's so weird.
17:52That is so weird.
17:53I would do anything to see that.
17:55Yeah.
17:56Absolutely anything.
17:57I think there's a movie in it.
17:58Yeah.
17:59It's so weird.
18:00Like a Lifetime movie.
18:01Yeah.
18:02And a lot of celebrities, I think, when it comes to jury duty, they try to get out of
18:05jury duty and they do it.
18:06But Reese Witherspoon, oh, no.
18:08You step up.
18:09God.
18:10Well, listen.
18:11I did not want to do jury duty.
18:14But I remember, OK, it was after Legally Blonde, it was probably seven years after Legally
18:20Blonde, I got called for jury duty.
18:23And it was in Beverly Hills.
18:25And I thought, Shirley, they picked me for a long trial, y'all.
18:31It was, like, probably two weeks I was on the jury.
18:34That's not that long.
18:38OK, Farrah.
18:39I thought you were going to say a month.
18:41No, listen, it was two solid weeks every day going in.
18:45And I was watching, and it was like a dog bite case.
18:49But it was, like, very clear.
18:50Like, I was very invested in this case.
18:52Two weeks.
18:53Yes, I was there for two weeks.
18:54We went every day.
18:55And then we went to deliberation.
18:57And so at the very end, they say, OK, well, somebody in this group has to be the foreman.
19:01And they all unanimously were like, her.
19:04Me.
19:05Me.
19:06And I was like, why did you pick me?
19:07And they were like, you went to law school.
19:11Lawyers.
19:12I was like, y'all, this is really upsetting.
19:14I definitely did not go to law school.
19:17I didn't finish college.
19:19Like, I played a lawyer in a movie once.
19:22But they fully made me the foreman.
19:24And I started realizing people don't know much about the law.
19:30And if you get picked for jury duty, please do it.
19:33Because honestly, some bad stuff goes down in there, y'all.
19:36They were like, I think she's guilty because I didn't like the way she looked.
19:40And that was, like, very troubling.
19:42I was like, you can't say that.
19:43Was the dog innocent or guilty?
19:45We don't have enough evidence.
19:46What?
19:47Was the dog innocent or guilty?
19:48The dog...
19:49Listen.
19:51The dog...
19:52This lady had a dog.
19:53Right.
19:54And the dog bit somebody in the neighborhood.
19:56Small dog, I imagine.
19:57No, it was like a medium dog.
19:58Okay.
19:59But here's the deal.
20:00This other lady put her hand in a dogfight.
20:02You can't do that.
20:03You can't do it.
20:04Rule number one.
20:06What did your mother always tell you?
20:08Don't put your hand in a dogfight.
20:10She put her hand, ding-dong, right in the middle of a dogfight.
20:13And now she's suing this other lady.
20:15And the lady's like, you put your hand in a dogfight.
20:17Yep.
20:18I've always told my children, put your hands in dogfight.
20:22I feel terrible.
20:23No.
20:24Yeah.
20:25You should not do that.
20:26I've always said, first rule.
20:27See a dogfight?
20:28Get your hand in it.
20:29And wave it around.
20:33In terms of groups, so Will was in the groundings, but Don Gile, you were in a dance troupe.
20:39Oh.
20:40And what was the name of your dance troupe?
20:41That's quite posh to call it a dance troupe.
20:43It was a crew.
20:44Oh, crew.
20:45And what was the crew called?
20:46I don't think we'd have gone down very well being called a dance troupe.
20:48Okay.
20:49Okay.
20:50What were you called?
20:51We were called the Rock Sonic Crew.
20:53Yeah.
20:54I believe we've got a picture of the rocks on it.
20:56Oh, there they are.
20:57Oh.
20:58Oh, yeah.
20:59Oh, yeah.
21:00Yeah.
21:01Was it just the two of you?
21:03Yeah.
21:04Yeah.
21:05Well, no, there eventually was probably about eight of us.
21:07Okay.
21:08But we were the core, the founding members.
21:10That's me in the middle of it.
21:11I got that, yeah.
21:12Yeah.
21:13With the glasses.
21:14Unchanged.
21:15And the hat.
21:16It was, yeah, we did.
21:17We watched the American shows.
21:19That's where it came from.
21:20You know, Buffalo Girls.
21:21Yeah.
21:22And all that stuff.
21:23Who had the Rock Steady Crew.
21:25Uh-huh.
21:26Can you see?
21:27Can you see what we did?
21:28Yes.
21:29Yes.
21:30We still have the same initials.
21:31So there was a Rock Steady Crew and then we called us the Rock Sonic Crew.
21:33And that's how we sort of made our name for ourselves.
21:36Did the Rock Steady Crew hear about you guys and say, hey, not cool?
21:39Well, let me tell you, they didn't take us on.
21:41So, you know.
21:42Yeah.
21:43All right.
21:44Don't mess with Rock Sonic Crew.
21:45Right.
21:46Now, Wicked, of course, it's not just a hit film.
21:50It's become a sort of cultural obsession.
21:52It seems like people are poring over everything about it.
21:56The movie, the press tour.
21:58Oh, no.
21:59Where are you going?
22:00You know what I'm going to ask you about.
22:01Because I've heard you talk about this.
22:03So, holding space.
22:04Oh, my God.
22:05Holding space.
22:06So, describe what happened.
22:08You and Cynthia, you're in a press junket.
22:11Oh, no.
22:12Yeah.
22:13And what was the actual question?
22:15Or was it a question?
22:16It's hard to say.
22:18I don't really know what it was.
22:20So, oh, my God.
22:21I've never been asked to describe what happened.
22:23So, this wonderful woman, Tracy, was interviewing us.
22:27And she's amazing.
22:28And we love her so much.
22:29She's a queen.
22:30And she's so kind.
22:31And she's an icon.
22:33But she said to Cynthia.
22:37She said, I saw online.
22:39And forgive me if I don't quote it perfectly.
22:41But she said, I saw online.
22:43A lot of people are taking the lyrics of Defying Gravity.
22:50Cool.
22:51And really holding space with that.
22:53Okay.
22:54And so, you know, for me, I'm sitting next to Cynthia.
22:57And I'm like, holding space with that.
22:59Okay.
23:00Yeah.
23:01And Cynthia goes, Cynthia goes, um, I didn't know that was happening.
23:07And I'm like, wait, what's happening?
23:10Wait.
23:11So, I kind of missed what, I'm like, what's happening at that point?
23:14And, um, Tracy then responds and kind of doesn't know what Cynthia took it as.
23:20It seemed, like, it seems like Tracy was like, oh, no, I, I mean, I saw it a few times.
23:26I've seen it a few times.
23:28I mean, I am in queer media.
23:30And I'm like, what the fuck?
23:33Is any of this interaction?
23:35What does it mean?
23:36I didn't know what it means.
23:37And I'm just trying to comfort Cynthia because she's very emotional.
23:40And so I, like, um, because we're very, like, physical touch.
23:45We're very, like, you know, that way.
23:47And so I grab her finger because I, because I see that she's getting, like, choked up by what Tracy has shared.
23:55And I am like, and I'm like, oh, shit.
23:57And I grab her finger and I just go like this because I don't know what else to do with myself.
24:02Was it like Morse code?
24:04I don't know.
24:05I don't know.
24:06It was just, like, energy that I didn't know what to do with.
24:09And it came out in that way because it was, like, well-intentioned.
24:11And I wanted to be loving in there for her.
24:13Why this?
24:14I don't fucking know.
24:15But...
24:16Has anyone explained it to you since?
24:18No, I still don't know what it meant.
24:20OK.
24:21I think, you know, it was just a beautiful way of saying that people identify with the lyrics.
24:24And it brings them strength and, you know, of course that was what it meant.
24:27But it was just a really strange thing.
24:29And I was grateful to see the reaction of the world when this clip came out because I was like, oh, great.
24:37I'm not broken.
24:39They felt weird, too.
24:41They felt so confused, too.
24:44That's great.
24:45I was like...
24:46Yeah, I'm sorry.
24:47That's so weird.
24:48Yeah, yeah, yeah.
24:49What I love about now is there was so many little girls, like, when you were ten at Broadway, who are now seeing this movie.
24:57That must be a lovely feeling for you.
24:59It is.
25:00It's really emotional.
25:01And it's really sweet.
25:02And I think one of the most moving things has been seeing little girls, like, with their brooms and their wands and having their dads pick them up at the end of Defying Gravity.
25:11And I don't know.
25:12It's very uplifting and beautiful and it's special to be part of.
25:16And more to come.
25:17More to come because part two comes out this November.
25:20Yes.
25:21With a whole new...
25:22You've got the new song.
25:24Yes, we have new songs in part two.
25:26Oh?
25:27Oh.
25:28Yes.
25:29Stephen Schwartz wrote us some new songs.
25:31And I'm so honoured to be trusted with the original Stephen Schwartz song.
25:36And it's so cool.
25:37I hope they add it to the show.
25:38We look forward to it.
25:39We should add it to the show.
25:40We look forward to it.
25:41And just a reminder that we could pop one is available for digital downloads right now.
25:46Yes, it is.
25:47And go to the sing-alongs.
25:48Oh, to sing...
25:49Yeah, go to the sing-alongs.
25:50They're really fun.
25:51Oh, they're quite hard, those songs.
25:53They're fun.
25:54They're really fun.
25:55They're really fun.
25:56No, my...
25:57Yeah.
25:58Yeah.
25:59See?
26:00You're ready.
26:01Perfect.
26:02I'm not sure I want to hear that.
26:04Now, meanwhile, Don Gillet is the new detective inspector Mervyn Wilson in Death in Paradise.
26:10It returns to BBC One for its 14th season at 9pm on the 31st of January.
26:15It is, of course, also available on iPlayer.
26:18So, Don, who is Mervyn?
26:20What's he doing on the fictional island of Saint-Marie?
26:23Well, I don't know if people are up to date with the Christmas special, but what he was doing was leaving Saint-Marie.
26:29He was done with Saint-Marie.
26:30Yes.
26:31But because he's a detective and because he finds puzzles and confounding things irresistible, he's pulled back in.
26:38But it turns out to be sort of a larger arc throughout the whole episode because there's something personal.
26:43His mum, he finds out his mum passed on the island and now becomes drawn into, did his mum die of natural causes?
26:50Or is there something suspicious behind it?
26:52So he stays there as well as, you know, solving crimes and general sleuthing.
26:57There's also something personal that's drawing him into the staying on Saint-Marie.
27:01I like general sleuthing.
27:02That's good.
27:03Yeah.
27:04General sleuthing.
27:05We've got a clip.
27:06This is you as D.I. Wilson.
27:08And this is you, again, trying to get back to Britain, but you can't resist another case.
27:18I mean, I'm not a detective.
27:21No.
27:22Never mind.
27:23She did it.
27:24Yeah.
27:26Guilty as hell.
27:27Yeah.
27:28Yeah.
27:29Yeah.
27:30On this island, a murder happens every week?
27:33Yeah, it's not a good place to go, really.
27:34It's not a good place to go.
27:35Yeah.
27:36Don't just go there for the sun.
27:37Right.
27:38It might be the last sun you see.
27:39Apparently, since the show started, 116 people and one cat has been poisoned as well.
27:47I know.
27:48According...
27:49Someone on my team did a lot of research on this.
27:52Too much.
27:53Could happen.
27:54The island of Saint-Marie is 600 times more dangerous than living in the United Kingdom.
28:00Wow.
28:01There you go.
28:02But it looks nicer.
28:03So, hey, I'll go there to die.
28:04It's a lovely climate.
28:05It's a lovely climate.
28:06It's a lovely climate.
28:07For as long as you can enjoy it.
28:11But is it that gorgeous thing?
28:13Is it like being on holidays or is it too hot?
28:16Well, you know, heat isn't an issue.
28:19Heat and mosquitoes is an issue.
28:21Yeah.
28:22But it becomes one of the characters.
28:25The heat of the place is a character in itself.
28:27And you've just got to let that go because we're all under the same sun.
28:31We're all sweltering.
28:32It's just that you don't all have the make-up guys and girls patting you down and changing...
28:36Wait, where do I shoot it?
28:38It's Guadalupe.
28:39Oh, OK.
28:40And the average temperature is about 28, 29, sometimes 31.
28:44But once it reaches 28, I'm not going to...
28:46Oh, we hit 31 today at 29.
28:48It's just hot.
28:49You know?
28:50So, but it's fun to do.
28:51But we're all hot, so we'll just get on with it.
28:53And when, because a detective constantly changes, when you sign up, is it open-ended
28:57or do you kind of go, I'll do it for a couple of years and then...?
28:59You get...
29:00Well, you know, I suppose you do it as long as they want you to do it,
29:02and as long as I still stay alive in that heat.
29:05Unless they run out of people on the island.
29:07Yeah!
29:10The final episode will just be the detective.
29:14Might as well just kill myself.
29:17Who did it?
29:20Now, talking of a drama, Rhys Witherspoon, obviously you've got your book club,
29:25but you're now a writer of books.
29:27You've written a thriller.
29:28I'm writing it right now.
29:29Oh my God!
29:30Yeah!
29:31Yeah!
29:32This is exciting!
29:33What?
29:35Now, now that you're doing it, are you thinking, why didn't I do this ages ago?
29:39No.
29:40Oh, okay.
29:41It's very hard.
29:42It's very, very hard.
29:43But I have this wonderful co-author, Harlan Coben.
29:46Oh, yeah!
29:47Who did the show Fool Me Once on Netflix.
29:49I don't know if y'all saw that.
29:50But he's amazing and he's just a friend of mine.
29:53And I met this really interesting person at a dinner party and I started thinking,
29:58oh, this would be a really good book.
30:00And so I called Harlan and I was like, do you want to write this book with me?
30:02And he thought it was a great idea, so we're doing it.
30:05And where are you in...
30:06Are you halfway through?
30:07We're about 90 pages in.
30:09Okay.
30:10I don't know how long the book is, so...
30:12You're finished.
30:14Yeah, no, we're not done.
30:1591.
30:16Yeah, it'll take a little bit longer.
30:19And your book club is such a phenomenon.
30:21So I know you're a voracious reader and you were recommending books on Instagram and things.
30:25Yeah.
30:26How did you make the leap into it being a kind of a big organized thing?
30:29Oh, you know, well, probably like 2013, I think.
30:35I just, I read some, like a really, really terrible script.
30:39And it was really just so negative towards women.
30:44And I thought it was just terrible.
30:45And then I called my agent and I said, this is the worst script I've ever read.
30:48And I'm not doing it.
30:49And she said, every actress in Hollywood wants to do this part.
30:52And I thought, okay, well, if this is how bad the parts are for people, you know,
30:58who are really thriving in an industry, I've got to do better.
31:02And so I complained about it for a long time.
31:04And then I realized complaining doesn't help.
31:06And then I was like, what am I going to do about it?
31:08So I put my own money into a company.
31:10And I bought, the first three books I bought were Gone Girl, Wild, and Big Little Lies.
31:16Wow.
31:17And so, it was good.
31:18That's a hit, right?
31:19Yeah.
31:20You were well chosen.
31:23We got a few, we got a couple of Oscar nominations.
31:25We won eight Emmys.
31:26And then I was like, oh, okay, this will work.
31:28So we just, I pick a book every month.
31:30And then we turn probably two or three a year into television shows or movies.
31:35Wow.
31:36It's phenomenal.
31:37Congratulations.
31:38When will the book, when might the book hit stores things?
31:40The book that Harlan and I are writing is coming out in September.
31:43Okay.
31:44I'll come back.
31:45Please do.
31:46Very quickly, Will, I just want to say congratulations on your BAFTA-nominated documentary with your friend Harper Steele.
31:53Will Harper.
31:54If people haven't seen that film, watch it.
32:00It's gorgeous.
32:01It's still on Netflix.
32:02Are you kind of surprised at the level of reaction the documentary's got?
32:06Yes, for sure.
32:07I mean, to premiere at Sundance Film Festival a year ago and have this thing that, you know, we took a road trip for 17 days and mounted some cameras on the hood of a car and really didn't know what we had.
32:22In fact, we drove from New York to LA and got out of the car and Harper and I both went, I don't think there's a movie there.
32:31But to see the reaction it has had, you know, the reaction from so many families who have trans kids to people who don't know any trans people, it's been remarkable.
32:45It is beautiful.
32:46How is Harper now?
32:47How is Harper Steele doing?
32:49She's doing really well.
32:51I mean, it's been a remarkable time for her in terms of, she was so brave to tell her story.
33:00Yeah.
33:01And, you know, she's really now become, whether she wants to or not, kind of a centerpiece for this movement and for continuing to fight for trans rights around the world, especially in the US right now.
33:20Yeah.
33:21Well, good luck to the movie at the BAFTAs and good luck to you at the BAFTAs.
33:26That's on, when are the BAFTAs?
33:28On 16th of February and good luck at the Oscars in March.
33:32And just a reminder that Don Gile is in Death in Paradise on BBC One starting at the end of the month.
33:38OK.
33:39It's time for music.
33:43The singer and actor was the front man of years and years and is now releasing his first solo album.
33:48Here performing his latest single, When We Kiss, it is Oli Alexander.
33:53To be joining.
33:54Here, welcome.
33:55The pineapple from Ariana.
33:56Hooray!
33:57I will cherish this pineapple.
33:58Yeah.
33:59No, because I remember once we made you sing in front of Rihanna, and now Ariana Grande.
34:08I know.
34:09I only meet legendary superstars on this show.
34:10Sorry about that.
34:11Thank you very much for that performance.
34:13That is from your upcoming debut album as a solo artist.
34:14Yes, that's right.
34:15Yeah.
34:16It's out on the 7th of February.
34:17Has this been a long time coming?
34:18Yeah.
34:19Yeah, it has.
34:20Because I feel when I heard it was your debut solo album, I thought, oh, I'm sure you've
34:23done one already.
34:24No.
34:25Yeah.
34:26Well, I was in, so I was in a band called Years and Years.
34:27Yeah.
34:28And I actually, we were a band, and then the last Years and Years album, I did as a solo
34:32album.
34:33But I realised, everyone still thought it was a band and it didn't really make sense.
34:37So I just decided I should do my under my own name.
34:38So yeah.
34:39Very excited.
34:40Okay.
34:41And this one, so it's your name, and the name of the album is Polari.
34:44Yes, Polari.
34:45And now a lot of people know what Polari means, but some people don't know what Polari means.
34:48So for those of you who don't, what does Polari mean?
34:52So Polari, the word Polari is called Polari.
34:53Yeah.
34:54It's called Polari, but they have the name of the album.
34:56It's called Polari, but it's called Polari.
34:58And I'm so excited.
34:59It's called Polari.
35:00What's it called?
35:01And the name of the album is Polari?
35:02Yeah.
35:03And so do you know what Polari means?
35:04Yeah.
35:05So Polari and the word Polari it comes from the from the Italian word Polari which means to speak and
35:11Polari is the name given to a kind of slang that was used to be spoken here in the UK
35:15And it was kind of adopted by some gay people as a way for them to communicate in secret
35:20So it's kind of like a hidden gay language. Yeah, so it's this really beautiful
35:26Concept really that I just was very inspired by for for my album
35:29You know you are young Polari, you know, he's not your generation. So who was telling you about it?
35:50Country I didn't know too much about it, but I was looking at kind of my my gay heroes, right?
35:55So it's like the pet shop boys erasure George Michael and Derek Jarman and Derek I was reading Derek Jarman diaries and he
36:03Writes and stuff about Polari, and I just got really fascinated by it
36:06So that's kind of how it led me down this path. I've say Will Ferrell has seen you perform already. Yes
36:12Because Malmo in Malmo. Yeah, because I thought you were going to Eurovision getting ready for your Eurovision
36:18Fire Saga film right now. You're still going to your vision. I just can't stay away
36:25No, we're we're trying to develop it into a Broadway show
36:30I heard oh my god, so we went we went to go
36:35with
36:37Songwriter and director just because they had never seen it for the first time and my wife happens to be Swedish. So Malmo, Sweden
36:44Eurovision and here we are now
36:47Yeah, I can't believe you were there. Well, I wish I'd seen you. I tried to get your attention, but
36:55I was quite busy
36:57Now we've we've talked since your vision. You're fine. It's all good. Okay. Yeah, I'm okay
37:05What interests me is there about you know any minute now they're going to announce the new UK act. Yes. Do you have any words of wisdom?
37:12Don't say don't do it
37:14Encouraging words of wisdom
37:16Um, maybe just get yourself a really good therapist
37:22Yeah, good therapy because you'll have a lot to talk about
37:26Okay
37:30Those were not the encouraging words of wisdom
37:32I hope for but wise. Yeah
37:36And you must say you're going on tour, right? You're going to yeah
37:39Yes, taking Polari on the road little intimate shows around UK in Europe end of March April. Yeah, and is this again?
37:46Is it now? I'm confused because is this your first solo tour or did you do a solo years and years tour?
37:51I did do a 30 years and years tour, but this is my first tour under my own name. So you've done a solo tour. Yeah, kind of yeah
37:57So wait when you did a solo tour with your band
38:04Did you just not speak to them?
38:08It was it was it was more that it started as a band and then it the band split up right by carried on as years and years
38:15With the name with the name. Okay. Just thinking. Yeah, but he told people they weren't there. Yeah, it wasn't like people
38:21Oh, yeah, that's way. I wanted to see years and years
38:24Well, they went to the island where that his show takes place
38:29One gig in samarie done
38:33They love them
38:35Well, you're ollie alexander now and thank you very much for that performance. Thank you. Good luck with the album. Good luck for the tour
38:40ollie alexander everybody
38:42I'm afraid so please say. Thank you the rest of my guests don gilay
39:03Join me next week with singer lola young pop icon cindy lawper captain america anthony mackie
39:09Oscar nominee stirling k brown and the stars of the new bridget jones film leo woodall and renee zellberger
39:16I'll see you then