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BBC Radio 4 "Talk Show" Not What It Seems
May 15, 2006 at 5:44 AM (PT)
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BBC RADIO 4 listeners were appalled by a talk show that launched MAY 2 for a one month weekly late night run with a host and guests espousing outrageous opinions, but the network now admits that the show was a PHIL HENDRIE-like hoax with a fake host and callers.
"DOWN THE LINE," hosted by "GREG BELLAMY," was really a talk show parody by "THE FAST SHOW" writer/performers PAUL WHITEHOUSE and CHARLIE HIGSON, "BELLAMY" was actor RHYS THOMAS, and the "callers" were played by popular TV comedians HARRY ENFIELD (known in the U.S. as the voice of the TRAVELOCITY "Roaming Gnome" and BURGER KING's "DR. ANGUS"), "THE FAST SHOW"'s SIMON DAY, and CATHERINE TATE.
But the producers aren't letting the revelations stop the show, issuing a "statement" from "BELLAMY" telling listeners "After the disturbing revelation that many of the calls to the first 'DOWN THE LINE' show were hoaxes, it has now been brought to my attention that I am supposedly the figment of some lame comedian's imagination. This is of course completely untrue. I am, and remain, GARY BELLAMY, winner of 3 prestigious MOLSON awards and one TRAVIS BICKLE award for broadcast journalism."

