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Original poster

Was you ever in the audience at top of the pops?

30 replies

todayshappening · 09/02/2024 20:07

Just watching on bbc4 and was wondering if any mumsnetters have been in the audience. They all look so enthusiastic and happy. Also so refreshing to see no phones and people just enjoying themselves and being carefree. Miss those days so bad 🤦🏻‍♀️ sounding like my parents now but times were so much better then.

OP posts:
MargaretThursday · 09/02/2024 20:47

I knew someone who had a couple of times. They said there were only about 20 of them there, but they were moved around and encouraged to be "enthusiastic" so it looked like many more. So each song was filmed several times with the 20 of them in a different place to make it look like the place was heaving. 🤣

AnonyLonnymouse · 09/02/2024 20:54

I can’t get sentimental about this given the heavy involvement of Jimmy Savile in TOTP.

IgglePiggledidawiggle · 09/02/2024 21:05

Yes.

grafittiartist · 09/02/2024 21:06

Great 2 programs tonight- loved them!
Sorry- not the question you asked!

Thewolvesarerunningagain · 09/02/2024 21:08

AnonyLonnymouse · 09/02/2024 20:54

I can’t get sentimental about this given the heavy involvement of Jimmy Savile in TOTP.

This, with bells on!

Gall10 · 09/02/2024 21:12

I was once on mastermind….in the audience!

relaxandenjoyed · 09/02/2024 21:26

@todayshappening no, I wasn't, though I did see Bros play at my local 14-18 disco when they were promoting their first single.

By the way, it's "Were you ..." rather than "Was you ..." if you don't want people to cringe at your grammar.

DG1749 · 09/02/2024 21:30

Yes several times. I wouldn't say twenty people but probably only 40 or 50 - they shepherded you from stage to stage for each segment.

Original poster
todayshappening · 09/02/2024 21:31

MargaretThursday · 09/02/2024 20:47

I knew someone who had a couple of times. They said there were only about 20 of them there, but they were moved around and encouraged to be "enthusiastic" so it looked like many more. So each song was filmed several times with the 20 of them in a different place to make it look like the place was heaving. 🤣

Edited

Oh that's rubbish lol

OP posts:
Original poster
todayshappening · 09/02/2024 21:31

AnonyLonnymouse · 09/02/2024 20:54

I can’t get sentimental about this given the heavy involvement of Jimmy Savile in TOTP.

Yeah it's very much tainted it for me. Thankfully they don't show him in episodes anymore 🤮

OP posts:
FortunataTagnips · 09/02/2024 21:31

Yes, several times. The audience was very small and there were big
cameras whooshing everywhere, penning you in so it looked like a crowd.
You had to do lots of whooping and cheering.

Original poster
todayshappening · 09/02/2024 21:33

relaxandenjoyed · 09/02/2024 21:26

@todayshappening no, I wasn't, though I did see Bros play at my local 14-18 disco when they were promoting their first single.

By the way, it's "Were you ..." rather than "Was you ..." if you don't want people to cringe at your grammar.

Let them cringe away.

OP posts:
Original poster
todayshappening · 09/02/2024 21:33

DG1749 · 09/02/2024 21:30

Yes several times. I wouldn't say twenty people but probably only 40 or 50 - they shepherded you from stage to stage for each segment.

Have you ever spotted yourself on tv?

OP posts:
Original poster
todayshappening · 09/02/2024 21:34

FortunataTagnips · 09/02/2024 21:31

Yes, several times. The audience was very small and there were big
cameras whooshing everywhere, penning you in so it looked like a crowd.
You had to do lots of whooping and cheering.

It did look very staged. Did you ever get chance to engage with the singers?

OP posts:
Dontjudgeme101 · 09/02/2024 21:36

I didn’t, but my sister was. She loved it.

eurochick · 09/02/2024 21:37

My ex boyfriend was on TOPT back in the day. I was living abroad at the time and missed it!

scrivette · 09/02/2024 21:39

I went on in the late 90's, I was surprised at how small the studio was and the acts were on tiny stages and we were moved around to surround each stage and told when to cheer etc.

You didn't know who was going to be on before you got there but it was really good fun. I did manage to spot myself on tv but only a couple of glimpses.

DG1749 · 09/02/2024 21:39

todayshappening · 09/02/2024 21:33

Have you ever spotted yourself on tv?

Show quote history

I think at the time, I could spot the back of my head or the side of my face but I do often find myself watching them nowadays wondering if it might have been one of the episodes I was in. I only remember Kylie Minogue but that doesn't pin it down much, year-wise!

Rollercoaster1920 · 09/02/2024 21:41

Have they edited out the dodgy shots where the camera man would soon in on a teenager's boobs?

Despite the dodgy elements to TOTPs I do miss it, it was a real cultural focus point to find out who was number 1 that week. Pre internet days!

Beamur · 09/02/2024 21:41

One of my friends was..

theresnolimits · 09/02/2024 21:44

Yes, twice in the 70s. My dad knew the producer. My friends saw me on TV

However Dad’s friend told me not to go backstage whatever happened. They all knew what was going on.

I was 13.

Original poster
todayshappening · 09/02/2024 21:44

scrivette · 09/02/2024 21:39

I went on in the late 90's, I was surprised at how small the studio was and the acts were on tiny stages and we were moved around to surround each stage and told when to cheer etc.

You didn't know who was going to be on before you got there but it was really good fun. I did manage to spot myself on tv but only a couple of glimpses.

I was always jealous of the people in the crowd in the 90s, the clothes were so cool and it all looked like so much fun.

OP posts:
Original poster
todayshappening · 09/02/2024 21:47

Rollercoaster1920 · 09/02/2024 21:41

Have they edited out the dodgy shots where the camera man would soon in on a teenager's boobs?

Despite the dodgy elements to TOTPs I do miss it, it was a real cultural focus point to find out who was number 1 that week. Pre internet days!

Probably, I haven't seen any. I miss it so much it was the highlight of my week. Seeing what new music was out and going to buy the single from Woolworths. The excited to see what was number one each week.

OP posts:
iwannacoolrider · 09/02/2024 21:47

I've been in the audience a few times, I saw..
Gary Barlow, Peter Andre, 911, Mark Owen, Bon Jovi. This was all between mid to late 90s. It's a really small studio and they ask you to dance along and look enthusiastic., I was there when the Uk won Eurovision with Love shine a light, we were all given little union jacks and was asked to wave them about while it was performed.
I spent an insane amount of my school life bunking off and waiting outside of the BBC.. Eastenders is filmed there and I really fancied Paul Nichols, they'd be loads of girls hanging around and the security would sometimes ask you to fill up the audience for Top of the Pops.
I watched a documentary recently on Saville and the BBC said this would never happen today (they were talking about the 90s I think) and how it would be impossible for underage girls to get in to there studios.. not true at all, it was blatantly obvious we were all underage, nothing ever happened but it's pretty shocking to look back on knowing what we all now know.

AnnaMagnani · 09/02/2024 21:49

My mum was in the early days.

She said she loved the music but as a young woman it was a meat market and if you weren't streetwise a lot of exploitation was happening.

Jimmy Savile was no surprise to her.