Snowdrop

You need to be registered - then you can your favourite DJs and other things, like interviews with Gareth! :wub:

They've added the bit with Gareth as a stand alone thing to listen to. <object width="512" height="138"><param name="movie" value="http://www.bbc.co.uk/emp/external/player.swf"></param><param'>http://www.bbc.co.uk/emp/external/player.swf"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><param name="FlashVars" value="config_settings_showUpdatedInFooter=true&config_settings_showPopoutCta=false&config_settings_showPopoutButton=false&config_plugin_autoResumePlugin_recentlyPlayed=false&config_settings_suppressRelatedLinks=true&config_settings_skin=black&config=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Ebbc%2Eco%2Euk%2Femp%2Fiplayer%2Fconfig%2Exml&playlist=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Ebbc%2Eco%2Euk%2Fiplayer%2Fplaylist%2Fp00pj5jk&config_settings_displayMode=audio&config_settings_showFooter=true&"></param><embed src="http://www.bbc.co.uk/emp/external/player.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="512" height="138" FlashVars="config_settings_showUpdatedInFooter=true&config_settings_showPopoutCta=false&config_settings_showPopoutButton=false&config_plugin_autoResumePlugin_recentlyPlayed=false&config_settings_suppressRelatedLinks=true&config_settings_skin=black&config=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Ebbc%2Eco%2Euk%2Femp%2Fiplayer%2Fconfig%2Exml&playlist=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Ebbc%2Eco%2Euk%2Fiplayer%2Fplaylist%2Fp00pj5jk&config_settings_displayMode=audio&config_settings_showFooter=true&"></embed></object> There is a photo of Gareth with Aled on the front page of the Radio 1 website www.bbc.co.uk/radio1 with a link to the interview. You can "love" it - the BBC's attempt at a Facebook style "like", without actually being Facebook.

Great photo - and you can listen again now. http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/b01cbphr

Seems to be starting now. Aled diligently reading from the card.

I think the phone number is really for phoning in with problems. You can listen online on this link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/

I'd like to apologise now if some of the GPG tweets are a bit overly regimental - I programmed them into Hootsuite yesterday in an attempt to be all organised, so they'd automatically post as reminders etc.

Brilliant - it won't hurt if a few of us reply to Aled so he knows it's appreciated. He's on @ahj, and the Radio 1 twitter is @BBCR1

I thought we might as well have a proper thread on this, rather than having it hidden within the thread for tomorrow's documentary. Gareth is on The Surgery on Radio 1 from 9pm tonight, talking about stammering and the documentary. There's more on the show on the Radio 1 website, which includes a link to listen online: http://www.bbc.co.uk...urgery/profile/ The show is hosted by Aled, who is normally one of the producers of the Breakfast show, who tweeted about it here: https://twitter.com/...383544507342848 There is a Facebook page for the show too: http://www.facebook.com/radio1surgery

The Irish McGuire programme have added the clip to their YouTube channel.

If Gareth didn't want our opinions, he doesn't need to tell us what he's doing. I wish he'd give sunbeds and the fake tan a rest. It's not just for health reasons. I just think it looks stupid, and I'd quite like to see some nice photos of him where he's got a vaguely natural skin tone. I understand the desire for a "nice tan", but nature knows best. When you deviate too far from what nature gave you, it will look stupid on you.

Well done on contacting them directly Maria. It always seems a bit random who gets verified, but I think it's definitley a case of "don't ask, don't get".

How lovely to read and well done on finding that.

I'd need to give it some thought as to how to explain it. It seems blatently obvious to me that the way they've done it isn't going to work. It would be one of those emails where you don't know where to start. It is sort-of nice that they say "get in touch with suggestions", but we all gave suggestions when the website was first proposed, and I think they should be providing the content. I can go directly to YouTube if I want to watch random grainy videos of Gareth.

I think the official videos should be separate from live performances, which should be separate from interviews etc. It's right the videos are on there, or else it's like they've forgotten Gareth has had a very successful chart career (which a lot of people already do), but a lot of people aren't going to sit through all of the videos they've already seen on the off-chance there is something new later on. I imagine if people go to the "video" page and see a still from one of Gareth's official videos, they'll assume that's all there is - not without some text to explain it. A couple of extra embedded widgets would be a much more user friendly way to do it. I also think that it would be best for them to upload good quality versions of Gareth's videos to his own YouTube channel, then use them to make sure they are available in all countries etc.

LOL Doris - you have summed up what I was trying to say in far fewer words! If anyone is struggling to watch the videos through the website, it is essentially this YouTube playlist embedded. If you go to the playlist itself, you can see the list, which only illuminates the baffling video selection. They aren't even in a meaningful order.

This is very exciting - long overdue, lol, but good to have it up and running. I like the overall look. It's simple, but stylish. Hopefully simple enough that Gareth and his team can keep it updated regularly without having to go back to an instruction manual! I like that the main page isn't too cluttered and has widgets to pull together the main stuff, and to direct people to twitter and Facebook etc. There is a specific page for Gareth's biography, but that's quite long and you have to do a lot of reading to find out what Gareth is doing these days. It might be a good idea to have a summary of what Gareth is doing now (in just one or two sentences) above the "Latest Headlines" I'm assuming there are plans for more photos, as it seems a bit much to have links to Photos in the top bit and a specific widget - for just four images that all scroll across the page by the time you've got as far as clicking on any other links! I'm looking forward to that, and hopefully a couple of photos with Gareth smiling? It is a little bit confusing the difference between "events" and "media". I would have thought it would be good to have Gareth's tv appearances in "events" - either that or rename it "performances" or something if they just intend that to be for when Gareth is singing. It also looks as if they have been adding content for a while, which may explain why the list of dates for Hair is the out of date version that was floating around ages ago. It's a shame they've not managed to get that correct in time for the launch. I'm also disappointed at the lack of attention towards Gareth's music. At first glance I thought they must be merging it all into "Videos", but apparently not. I don't know what they are trying to achieve with the "videos" section, but all they've done is made a poorly thought out playlist that does Gareth no favours at all. It's wrong on so many levels and it worries me that Gareth and his manager think it's good for him. None of Gareth's offficial music videos included - but a couple of unreleased demos turned into fan videos from YEARS ago are apparently what Gareth and his management think the world should see! Given the choice of a video of Gareth singing "His Eye is on the Sparrow" at the Royal Albert Hall, recorded by professional camera and sound men, or in Pizza Express, with their logo in the background and kitchen noises in the background, recorded by an excited fan - and they've gone for the fan version. I loved watching the fan version - and have done many times (thanks June), and it's the sort of thing that is fantastic for fans to share on a forum, or add to their personal playlists, but not for something like this. It's just so cheap looking. Even doing it the lazy way and not hosting any videos directly, and relying on playlists, they should have broken it down into themes. One for Gareth's official videos, one for Live Performances, one for musical theatrical stuff, and one for interviews etc. But for all they have done, they'd have been as well giving the link to the YouTube home page and suggesting we enter the search term "Gareth Gates". I'll stop here. I don't want to offend anyone. Rest assured, I'm not criticising any individual YouTube clips - more how they are being used, and why so much good stuff has been neglected.

I'm looking forward to it!

I watched last night's show (between Dancing on Ice) and there wasn't anything new from Gareth, and no actual interview bit. But they did give him a couple of name checks earlyish in the show when they were talking about how Darius made something of a fool of himself on Popstars, but then turned it around to become a very respectable third behind Gareth Gates and Will Young. They also talked quite a bit about the series and how it created three of the most commercially successful artists in the history of the talent show in Gareth, Will and Darius - and while Darius didn't get his triple platinum album, he did get a number one single! There was also a couple of brief clips towards the end when they were summing up the series and were showing a string of the iconic moments, which included Gareth introducing himself, and then later Will winning and then Gareth giving his very cute, generous clapping.

Actually, there was a very brief bit with Gareth in the second episode. They were all talking about Simon, and amongst the many people saying something about him, Gareth did too. I can't remember what he said though! Going from twitter, it looks like Gareth made an appearance last night too, although I've not watched it yet, so I don't know if it's anything we've not seen before. They seem to show the same stuff again and again.

Brilliant photos, and thanks for your additional, and detailed report Doris. What both you and Val are saying about Gareth being a stand-out reflects a lot of what I picked up on twitter and elsewhere, so you aren't just being biased. Brenda was getting a lot of praise too. In fact, I saw one twitter conversation where the man didn't much like the show, and thought some of the performers were dreadful, including one he was expecting to like, but conceded Gareth was really good. mongst other things, he said that Gareth stole the show, not that there was much to steal, but congratulations to Gareth on his tuning! His biog described him as some kind of musician, so he knows in tune and out of tune when he hears it. Joking aside, I do think that it's the accumulation of these little comments where people admit Gareth "wasn't half bad", or amongst the better performers, or simply listed as one of the talented performers the West End benefits from, that are the foundations to Gareth having a long and credible career in musical theatre if he wants to stick with it. It's making it OK to rate Gareth, and for the sceptics to take the gushing reviews seriously, and not dismiss them as deluded fans. How lovely then that some people who are taken seriously are giving glowing feedback.

That is an interesting article. He has always been quite sniffy when it comes to people like Gareth (I don't think it has ever been anything to do with him directly), and he has chosenn to talk about the benefits of working your way through the ranks, but he plainly couldn't deny that Gareth, along with Brenda, and Lauren were genuinely good and an asset to the show and to the word of theatre. That's the power of concerts like Sunday evening's ones. He talks about the value of longevity, and that's what Gareth is setting himself up for in theatre. It's been a few years since he first did the Stiles & Drewe concert, and he's taken on a variety of roles, proving himself to be prepared to get stuck in and not be starry about it. People notice that - eventually. It may also have helped that just about everyone else has listed Gareth as one of their highlights, and that Russel Grant was there to provide an example of bad celebrity casting, just to prove the reviewers haven't gone soft!

Lovely reports, thank you. John Caird was one of the original directors of Les Miserables (and many more), and I think he was involved in the new 25th production too, so he probably knows Gareth well already. It's possible Shonberg got a mention during his introduction. It's good to hear that he and Gareth get on so well.