What a Bobby Dazzler!
Four Oxford students will be the envy of their friends next week, appearing beside TV's very own Lovejoy, David Dickinson, on cult antiques show Bargain Hunt.
The show is set to be broadcast on BBC1 next Wednesday even-ing.
Tova Holmes and Megan Smith from St Hugh's and Andrew Walker and Richard Day from Mansfield spent several days filming their starring appearance in Oxford last term. All four are rowers for their colleges.
Andrew Walker told The OxStu that David Dickinson was "a complete legend" and that "it was great fun making the programme".
Richard Day admitted that when they had turned up to the initial interview to see who would be on the programme they were "absolutely steaming," having taken liberal advantage of the free alcohol available. He told The OxStu that he reckoned "someone in the BBC must have a sense of humour if we made it on."
Both Walker and Day said that "the girls were great fun," and were a bit disappointed to have to admit that rather than finding the "bobby dazzler" of their dreams they actually "lost quite a lot of money".
The heavy schedule began to wear the obviously underworked students out by the end of the day, as an early start was needed to pack in a whole day of bargain hunting. Despite this both participants said: "It was great fun and the whole team were really great."
Walker said that the main challenge of being on TV was "trying not to appear a twat" and is now slightly reticent as he admitted that his "friends tend to take the piss" when he goes down the pub.
However he was still keen to encourage everyone to buy Dickinson's autobiography, David Dickinson: What a Bobby Dazzler, which is currently 137,274th in the amazon.co.uk sales rank.
Dickinson, the grandson of an Armenian silk trader, shot to fame as the daytime host of Bargain Hunt, revolutionising daytime TV on the BBC.
The programme achieved the highest viewing figures for BBC daytime television, netting around two million viewers every day.
It picked up the National Television Award for most popular daytime show in 2002, just two years after the first series aired in Spring 2000.
Dickinson, a daytime TV icon, has purchased his entire wardrobe from suitmaker Chris Nicolaou for the past 40 years.
Utilising his numerous catchphrases, from "cheap as chips" to "what a bobby dazzler" to the always pensive "we don't know," Dickinson has managed to capture the imagination of bored housewives, students and the unemployed for the past four years.
In 2002, BBC1 controller Lorraine Hegnessey made what all Oxford students must regard as the most measured and sensible decision since the repeal of the Corn Laws to move Dickinson to a prime time spot.
With gavel in hand and hairspray for the coiffure he hasn't changed since 1969 utilised, Dickinson burst onto prime time, once netting eight million viewers for a BBC Children in Need special.
Catch Tova, Megan, Richard and Andrew, along with the legend himself, next Wednesday at 7pm. As The Duke himself would have it: don't you dare be late!
13th May 2004