Let's Talk (but not about Jacko)
Last night I did a bit of double jobbing, filling in for a colleague on leave by helping out the production team on "Let's Talk". It's a programme which I've never worked on before so it was interesting to sit in the gallery driving the discussion rather than sitting at home as a viewer.
We covered the damage done to Northern Ireland's reputation after the departure of the intimidated Roma familes, whether the new Commons Speaker could tackle the expenses crisis, and if Ian Paisley is too old to stand again as an MP.
On the panel, Ian Paisley Junior told us his dad was "messing with my head" over his possible candidacy at the age of 83. You got a sense that Ian Snr. might simply be keeping his cards close to his chest. Questioned about Iris Robinson's claim (which the Fees Office never approved and the DUP said had been made "in error") for a £300 fountain pen, Ian Jnr. said that anyone who wasn't embarrassed by something like that would have something wrong with them.
Kate Hoey, Alex Maskey, the Equality Commission's Evelyn Collins and the "Apprentice" contestant Ben Clarke weighed in with their views on the topics already mentioned plus whether they would work for free to save their job and if there is a quick fix for the "grunting" problem at Wimbledon. Ben made it clear that he was more interested in looking at Maria Sharapova than listening to whatever noises she makes when she serves.
I don't think I'm giving away too many state secrets if I reveal that the programme is usually recorded about two hours before it goes out on air. Then when it is transmitted people text and phone in their comments. The staff monitoring these incoming messages were puzzled, as the programme neared its end, that an increasing number of viewers were asking what had happened to Michael Jackson. As these comments weren't deemed relevant to the debates on screen they weren't passed on to the edit suite where we were approving messages for transmission. And concentrating on the texts, I didn't think to peruse the news wires. So it was that the programme team were just as shocked as everyone else when "Let's Talk" finished and the London newsroom took over for a newsflash.
This weekend it's my turn to head off on leave, but never fear Inside Politics will be on air as usual on Sunday just after the one o'clock news. Our guest is due to be the Deputy First Minister, Martin McGuinness.
Oh, and the presenter? Here's a clue - who do you think the Deputy Speaker was thinking of on Tuesday before he called one of the Sinn Fein Foyle MLAs to speak in a debate on the full time police reserve?
Here's another clue, from the Official Report. "Mr Deputy Speaker: I call Ms Martina Purd -- Anderson. Ms Anderson. [Laughter.]"
I'm 
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