“Carrying on”…

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JOHN HANNAM Helen Worth Looking back on well over thirty years of interviewing famous people, from Hollywood legends, to an ex-Prime Minister, British sporting heroes like Bobby Moore and Roger Bannister, singing idols who have conquered the world and TV legends, including Frankie Howerd and Benny Hill, I still wonder just how I have done it. Back in the 60s I was so embarrassed at meeting new people, was too shy to eat in restaurants and my confidence levels had hit the deck. Sometimes I sat in a darkened room, on my own, just to get away from everything. My first interview was certainly not a hint of what was to come. It was in 1972 at the Winter Gardens, Ventnor, and the Bachelors, then one of the most famous singing acts in Britain, sensed just how naïve an interviewer I was and gave me a rough ride. I cringe at the thought of it. I still have the tape but would only play it publicly for a sizeable sum for my current charities. Years later I met up again with the Irish singing group and was more than ready for them. I even managed to twist their arm for a free voice-over. Patience is essential for any interviewer. I once waited five hours for a five minute interview with Joe Loss and, more recently, took a ten hour round trip to Cardiff to interview the delightful Nigel Havers. When I got to the New Theatre, for our in-between shows interview, I heard the stage door keeper announce that Mr. Haver's taxi was waiting. He had forgotten our interview and was nipping back to his hotel. He did take pity on me and I got around ten minutes - and he got a larger taxi fare than expected. I was due to meet Jeremy Irons at London's Langham Hotel. I arrived an hour early, had set up all my equipment in a room donated by the hotel. I sat in an extremely comfortable chair with my eyes peeled on the door. Jeremy was coming into the city on his motorbike and 14 John Hannam Reveals “Patience is essential for any inter viewer. I once waited five hours for a five minute inter view with Joe Loss.” would see me, as well as going to his dentist. I sat for over three hours and never saw him enter the hotel. My mobile was flat, so I was marooned. I went out for a quick breather and, apparently, at that precise time, Jeremy's office had rung the hotel and I was being paged. In the end, unaware of this, I went back to Waterloo and got the train back to Portsmouth. When I arrived home I found that Jeremy had been delayed and would be able to do it later in the day. There were at least four messages on my 'phone. In the end I went back a couple of weeks later and met Jeremy backstage at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. I saw him captivate a theatre full of students at a workshop and was so proud he's an Islander. When I went to the home of the late Sir Edward Heath in Salisbury his housekeeper suggested it would be fine to set up my equipment in the entrance hall. A few minutes later she returned to say Sir Edward would now like to record it in the library. I set up again and then had another visit from his housekeeper. Sir Edward had finally decided to take me into the garden for our thirty minute chat. I had no extension lead and his garden seemed longer than a football pitch. They readily supplied a lead. There was no time to worry just how this shy East Cowes boy was actually sat in the wonderful garden of a former Prime Minister. I was dying for a cup of tea or coffee but the offer never came. I hate being late for interviews. I was due to meet Angela Rippon at a Holland Park hotel. I was in good time and halfway on the tube run from Waterloo. Then all passengers were asked to leave the train and station due to a signal failure. There I was in the middle of London and not a taxi in sight. I rang the hotel to pass on my apologies to Angela. In the end I was nearly 30 minutes later. Would she have waited? Angela, who had not got my message, was completely relaxed. She added: "Everyone's late in London; it's just
Bruce Forsyth one of those things." I've been so lucky and have enjoyed visits to the homes of many famous people and in the cases of Bruce Forsyth, Amanda Redman, Dame Vera Lynn, the late Sir John Mills and Virginia McKenna they were quite wonderful and so very hospitable. Michael Winner was a little different. He kept me waiting for nearly an hour, was very gruff when we met and complained because I had a double mike stand for a more relaxed interview. "Why can't you have one mike like everyone else - and hurry up, I haven't got all day," bellowed Michael. In the end I set up both mikes and hoped for the best. When the recording began he was a perfect guest until he threatened to throw me out unless I brought the interview to a close, as he had someone waiting to see him. I just about made it. I think Michael just plays along with his grumpy image. I've recently read his book and had a hard job to put it down. Lonnie Donegan, one of my lifelong music heroes, gave me a real rough ride. If I had not gone to London to pre-record the interview to promote his forthcoming Island gig, I would have walked out. We had a nice pot of tea and he was so charming. That all changed when the interview started. He disagreed with everything I brought up and disputed facts that I knew were right. He took hold of my interview card with a few bullet points and notes and threw it across the room. I had to stop and start the interview several times and he was ruder than anyone I had ever encountered before. As I left his flat he asked if I could sort out some JOHN HANNAM hotel accommodation for his Island visit. I never hold grudges and so I agreed to sort him out a nice hotel, off the beaten track. In hindsight, I should have booked him in to a real dump, to get my own back. Actually, I arranged for him to stay at the highly acclaimed Swainston Manor Hotel. I was so embarrassed to find out he did not turn up and went to a Shanklin hotel instead. Sadly, he has since passed away. I have a never-give-up policy and it took fully 18 years to finally get an interview with American singing legend Gene Pitney. When he Liz Dawn 15
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“Carrying on”…

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