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Michael Ball and Alfie Boe, Anthony Joshua, Jason Derulo and Stereophonics

Wake up to a star-studded breakfast with Zoe Ball! Stereophonics are this morning's house band plus we chat to Anthony Joshua, Jason Derulo and Alfie Boe and Michael Ball.

Wake up to a star-studded breakfast with Zoe Ball!

Stereophonics treat us all to live music from their new album, Kind, and play their No.1 classic Dakota and cover Slade's Merry Xmas Everybody. The best duo in town Alfie Boe and Michael Ball tell us about their latest album Back Together and their upcoming UK tour, plus chat about the third Ball & Boe: A Very Merry Christmas'. The star of the highly-anticipated Cats remake Jason Derulo also drops by, and Heavyweight Champion of the World Anthony Joshua puts us through our paces.

Along with Tina Daheley on news, Richie Anderson on travel and Mike Williams on sport, Zoe and the team have the best start to your morning. With celeb guests, quizzes, headlines, tunes chosen by listeners, and more music that you can shake a glitterball at!

There's also weather with Matt Taylor, a daily Pause For Thought from Dr Jim Harris, as Zoe entertains the nation with fun for the family!

2 hours, 59 minutes

Last on

Fri 13 Dec 2019 06:30

Music Played

  • Prince

    1999

    • 4Ever.
    • Warner Bros.
  • Sam Smith

    I Feel Love

    • (CD Single).
    • Capitol Records.
  • The Four Seasons

    The Night

    • Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons - Ve.
    • Polygram Tv.
    • 9.
  • Donna Summer

    This Time I Know It's For Real

    • Best Of Donna Summer.
    • Warner Bros..
  • Anastacia

    I'm Outta Love

    • (CD Single).
    • Epic/Daylight.
  • The Trammps

    Disco Inferno

    • NOW Boogie Nights - Disco Classics (Various Artists).
    • Now.
  • Sigala

    We Got Love (feat. Ella Henderson)

    • (CD Single).
    • Ministry Of Sound Recordings.
  • Pretenders

    2000 Miles

    • The Best Christmas Album In The World.
    • Virgin.
  • Fleet Foxes

    White Winter Hymnal

    • Fleet Foxes.
    • Bella Union.
    • 1.
  • Bruno Mars

    Just The Way You Are

    • Now That's What I Call Music 77 (Various Artists).
    • Now.
  • John Lennon, Yoko Ono & Plastic Ono Band

    Happy Xmas (War Is Over) (feat. The Harlem Community Choir)

    • GIMME SOME TRUTH. (Deluxe).
    • EMI.
  • Sigma

    You And Me As One (feat. Jack Savoretti)

    • (CD Single).
    • 3Beat.
  • Avicii

    Wake Me Up

    • Now That's What I Call Music! 86 (Various Artists).
    • Now.
    • 1.
  • Bob Dylan

    Here Comes Santa Claus

    • Christmas In The Heart.
    • Columbia.
    • 1.
  • Tanita Tikaram

    Good Tradition

    • The Best Of Tanita Tikaram.
    • East West Records.
  • Darlene Love

    Christmas (Baby Please Come Â鶹ԼÅÄ)

    • A Christmas Gift For You (Phil Spect.
    • Phil Spector Int.
  • Jason Derulo

    Want To Want Me

    • (CD Single).
    • Warner Bros.
  • Bastille

    Can't Fight This Feeling (feat. London Contemporary Orchestra)

    • (CD Single).
    • Virgin.
  • Taylor Swift

    Beautiful Ghosts

    • Cats O.S.T..
    • Polydor.
  • James Blunt

    The Truth

    • Once Upon A Mind.
    • Atlantic.
  • The Darkness

    Christmas Time (Don't Let The Bells End)

    • (CD Single).
    • Atlantic.

Pause For Thought

Pause For Thought

From Dr Jim Harris, Art Historian:

Last year at my house, my partner Susie was away at the exact moment in December when we normally get the tree.

Now there are those who would regard this as a golden opportunity to take back control of Christmas - choose, install and decorate the tree; no discussion, no arguments, no compromises.

I, on the other hand, was wracked by my customary, paralysing indecision.
What if I chose the wrong tree? What if it wasn’t tall enough or bushy enough?

What if my sparse-but-classy, ribbon-based decorative scheme met with disapproval?
The problem with Christmas is that there are too many choices.


None of them are earth shattering - choosing the wrong tree; giving the wrong present; going to the wrong party - but everyone here knows the way that little choices nag at you.  Which song to open with?  Which catsuit to wear? Which name to go first: Ball/Boe; Boe/Ball?  Which belt to wear when you’ve just got three shiny new ones?


The trouble with all these choices is that when we’ve made a poor decision, small or large, whether it’s a gift we’ve given, a career path we’ve taken, a relationship we’ve spoiled, we begin to lose confidence in our capacity to choose.  We feel lost.
Christians believe, though, that there is no wrong choice that can’t somehow be redeemed.  In the Bible, the prophet Isaiah speaks to a people who made a catastrophic series of choices, promising that God would provide a road for them on which ‘no traveller, not even fools, shall go astray’.

And for a fool like me, stumbling from one dubious decision to another, constantly stubbing my toe, that’s a comforting thought indeed.

Last year’s tree, in the end, was frankly too short and faintly disappointing.  But to my surprise and delight it didn’t matter, because Susie was happy I’d just done it.  Even with a stumpy tree the house was Christmassy.

The thing is, one choice, good or bad, is never the end of the journey. We swallow our folly, get back on the road and then, as the gentlemen from Cardiff once wisely put it, we have a nice day.

Broadcast

  • Fri 13 Dec 2019 06:30