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Must-see telly moments – on BBC iPlayer now

2016-06-07T15:13:44+00:00

From fantastic CGI to a very real fear of mushrooms...

“It’s as if you’re sat on a hedgehog”

See real stories of life with cancer, The Big C & Me, BBC One

Forget Ferraris – it’s all about real horsepower

Can Rory get up to speed? Top Gear: Extra Gear, BBC Three

This PC’s weirdest shoplifting story

Find out more about life on the beat in South Wales, Police 24/7, BBC One Wales

See this super-cute baby spider monkey learning to climb

Inside Guatemala’s busy rescue centre – Natural World, BBC Two

Whatever you do, don’t put mushrooms in Pete’s food…

It’s man vs vegetables as Pete tries to slim down, Lose Weight for Love, BBC One

And finally… if you thought your school was tough, imagine sitting by this guy in class

How ‘Orc School’ turned actors into CGI characters, Warcraft: The Future of CGI, BBC Radio 1

And if you want to see what comedian Miles Jupp picks out on BBC iPlayer this week you can watch Frank Skinner On Demand With...

All episodes are available to watch until Wednesday, 15 June. Find more information about individual episode expiry dates on BBC iPlayer.

Matt Edmondson: 'I'd marry Lord Sugar for the money'

2015-10-07T13:15:27+00:00

As 18 brand new candidates iron their sharpest suits and prepare their most cliched lines, The Apprentice superfan and BBC Radio 1 DJ, Matt Edmondson shares everything he loves about the nail-biting show.

What do you think would happen if you asked Lord Sugar to play Plank All Over Me with you on Radio 1?

I think I would be quickly and rapidly removed from his presence! In the unlikely event that he was up for it, I would relish the opportunity. Could he last the full three minutes? I’m not sure - although I don’t think I’d want to be the person to tell him that he hadn’t made it in to the hall of fame.

Which past Apprentice contestant would you hire as a motivational speaker and why?

Raef Bjayou, the posh, floppy-haired chap from series four. I’ve met him a few times and he is the most charming man imaginable. I’m pretty sure that he would be excellent at motivational speeches, in a sort of Hugh Grant, foppish way. He did once famously say: “The spoken word is my tool”.

Unsurprisingly, public speaking is one of Raef's current pastimes

What tips would you give to new advisor, Claude Littner?

Just to be himself, and by that I mean be a ruthlessly hard man to please. He’s always been my favourite contributor to the interview stages, as he takes no nonsense and can spot a liar a mile away. He has an excellent eye for detail, and I think that will come in handy when separating fact from fiction in the boardroom.

If you could set the candidates any challenge, what would it be and why?

I’d quite like a challenge where they have to put on an entertainment night at a holiday park or something similar, just to see if they have any hidden talents!

Name one person – in any walk of life – that you’d love to say: ‘You’re fired!’ to. Why?

I’d love to be able to say it to the lady at the cupcake stand near Radio 1, as I am forever tempted to swing by and pick up another delicious treat. If she wasn’t there, the temptation would be removed!

Snog, marry or avoid: Karren, Alan and Claude?

Snog Karren, marry Alan for the money and avoid Claude. Surely it’s the logical choice?

Karren, Alan and Claude are looking for 'a complete all-rounder'

What’s your favourite-ever contestant catchphrase from past series?

I like Ricky Martin’s “I am the reflection of perfection”, simply because it’s a great rhyme. I can see it being printed on a T-shirt. Also, Susan Ma seriously asking: “Are the French very fond of their children?” still amuses me.

Which candidate from past series would you most like to challenge to a rap battle and why?

It’s got to be Michael Sophocles, if only because he’d be delighted to be back under the spotlight! I think his rap game would be as good as his The Apprentice game.

Which new series candidate has already caught your attention and why?

I’m slightly obsessed with Joseph this year. I watched his audition tape and he is certainly a character. I can’t wait to see more of him as the series progresses!

Why do you love the show so much?

I love getting to know all of the candidates, and I love seeing their huge egos clash on the most basic of tasks. I get really in to it.

Matt Edmondson hosts The Apprentice: Meet the Candidates, available to watch on BBC iPlayer until 8am on Thursday, 5 November.

The Apprentice, series 11 starts on Wednesday, 14 October at 9pm on BBC One. Each episode will be available in BBC iPlayer for 30 days after broadcast on TV.

Comments made by writers on the BBC TV blog are their own opinions and not necessarily those of the BBC.

Five reasons why we love British films so much

2015-05-13T14:08:01+00:00

Movies. Everyone has a favourite, everyone has a moment they love, either because it makes them laugh or cry or just feel something.

Now, to celebrate 25 years of BBC Films, a selection of brilliant British films are being shown on TV, and I’ve picked my favourites which feel particularly special to me. I think the films are inspiring, and showcase everything that gives British cinema its trademark uniqueness:

1 The British way with feelings

I think what makes British films exceptional is their ability to interweave pathos alongside comedy, so in Billy Elliot – one of my favourite films, we could have had quite a depressing portrayal of the miners’ strike but instead we get an uplifting movie about a boy learning ballet against all the odds.

Every scene in Billy Elliot is quotable, but the one which still makes me grin like a loon is when he's sitting down with friend Debbie who says, "If you want, I'll show you me fanny." Billy's reaction? "Nah, I'm all right."

2 Unexceptional-looking heroes

I've never been a fan of Alan Partridge, in fact I've actively avoided 'him' and when I sat down to watch Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa, the opening credits rolled with a North Norfolk Digital logo and everyone sniggered. I rolled my eyes. Ninety minutes of in-jokes? No thanks.

Ninety minutes later, I was so happy to be wrong, it had everything I'd come to expect from a British comedy: an unexceptional-looking hero, inappropriate jokes and a hefty amount of self-deprecation.

3 They make me laugh more than any other comedies

But it's not just confined to the funny men. Look at Made in Dagenham, such a brilliant, feel good film. It's rousing in a way that only British films seem to be. It's a film that, when I have all my girls round, I stick on so we can all cheer when Sally Hawkins makes a stand (literally, she stands on the table to make her very valid argument for equal pay) or when Miranda Richardson screams abuse at her incompetent lackeys.

It's films like these, where the history of it should be common knowledge, that make me feel so incredibly proud of the filmmakers who bother to tell these stories.

4 Me and my mum can find a favourite we both love

When An Education came out, not only did it star the amazing Carey Mulligan in one of her earliest film roles as Jenny, the schoolgirl with big ambitions, but it was set in the 60s when my mum was also a schoolgirl, also smoking Sobranie cigarettes and speaking in French because she thought it sounded cool.

Basically, the film resonated with her. And after years of hearing stories about her childhood, I could actually picture it without the stereotype of the Swinging Sixties getting in the way, making it one of our staples to watch together.

5 They get you crying and that can only be good

If anyone has ever listened to my reviews on BBC Radio 1, they will know that I cry at anything, whether it's tragic, inspiring or hilarious (I've even been known to cry during a love scene - Kate Winslet really IS that good). Looking through the list of films being shown as part of BBC Films’ celebration across BBC Two, BBC Four and BBC iPlayer, there are barely any I haven't cried in.

But that's the power of cinema. Watching a brilliant woman's mind disintegrate (Iris); seeing a blind man welcome back the love of his life (Jane Eyre); learning the eventual fates of a group of hopeful Oxbridge-bound young men (The History Boys): these are all moments which have stayed with me because of the tears shed during viewing.

I'm thinking about streaming all of my favourites via BBC iPlayer, getting the popcorn in (because contrary to popular belief, as a film critic, I don't actually eat all that much of it) and creating my own film night.

Which films would you include?

Rhianna Dhillon is a film critic for BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 1Xtra.

A celebration of 25 years of BBC Films starts on Saturday, 16 May on BBC Two. See the full list of upcoming BBC Films being shown on TV on the BBC Films website.

Some films will also be available to watch and download in BBC iPlayer for seven days after broadcast on TV. See what films are currently available in the Films section of BBC iPlayer.

Comments made by writers on the BBC TV blog are their own opinions and not necessarily those of the BBC.