The TV presenter and host of Leonardo: The Official Podcast on her love of Bullseye and Dallas – and what happened when Victoria Beckham came to CBBC
Growing up, I would always try to finish my dinner in time to get my weekly dose of Dallas with my grandma. I would dread being given liver because I couldn’t eat it, and I’d be crushed if I had to miss the drama and the cliffhangers. I just loved that JR was so bad, and the way my grandma would talk about it as if it were real life. She would be talking to the characters and telling them off – a proper Caribbean woman getting into it. We would also watch World of Sport Wrestling on a Saturday, with the likes of Giant Haystacks and Big Daddy. My gran would be going “Get him on the ropes!” I once interviewed a female wrestler from that era who said it was just like being in panto.
Event TV was really important to me growing up, whether that was Top of the Pops, Bullseye or Play Your Cards Right. During lockdown with my family, we’ve had a similar experience with shows like Strictly and The Masked
Singer – the shiny floor programmes you watch at the weekend with a takeaway. With Strictly, I still wonder how they dance in those shoes. But I want to see glitter and glam, and to enjoy TV – that’s what it’s there for. You want to put it on and be entertained.