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Off the Telly: Seven of your favourite TV crushes

Off the Telly: Seven of your favourite TV crushes

Most people have a collection of TV crushes. Sometimes it’s people you just find really good-looking or it could be people you think are immensely cool. Sometimes it’s something you can’t really explain. Perhaps you still hold a candle for a favourite Blue Peter presenter. Or maybe TV cooks get you a bit hot under the collar. Maybe you dream of hopping into the TARDIS with your favourite Doctor Who.

In a bonus episode of the Off the Telly podcast, national treasures Natalie Cassidy and Joanna Page offer their listeners a safe space to discuss their crushes. No object of affection is embarrassing here. The hosts hear from some of their listeners about their favourites. And of course they had to open up about their own too. Do you share any of these famous crushes? Or do you have your own special person to confess?

Here are seven of the Off the Telly listeners favourites…

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What are we watching? Natalie Cassidy and Joanna Page chat all things telly.

Gary Lineker

Natalie kicks things off by proudly admitting she has a thing for the ex-England footballer and current Match Of The Day presenter. “I’m going back to the 90s,” she says, “when I was a young girl. He was my first TV crush.” And while she says it’s the tiny shorts-era Gary that kicked off the fixation, she still finds something very attractive now, because of what a pro he is. “He’s so good at his job – and was back then – and there’s something very attractive about someone who’s really good at their job.”

Gary Lineker

Claudia Winkleman

Does anyone not love Claudia Winkleman? Natalie certainly declares herself “in love” with the Strictly and Traitors presenter. Listener J-Lo (not that one) from Cheltenham says he has a “long list of TV crushes, but the very first one… and I will watch her do anything… is Claudia Winkleman. She’s got everything. She’s stunningly attractive. She’s funny. She’s got charisma. She’s got charm. She’s got oodles of talent. She’s just hilarious.” Joanna says she loves Claudia because “you could imagine being her friend and that she’d be kind to you.” Fair to say that’s a 10 from our Off The Telly judging panel.

Aidan Turner, Nigella Lawson and Jack Ryder

Jack Ryder

Natalie has some personal knowledge of the crush revealed by listener Elisia: Jack Ryder, aka Jamie Mitchell from EastEnders. Elisia says, “I was eight when he first came into the square and until the moment he left, which broke my heart, I absolutely loved him.” Jack arrived in Albert Square in 1998 and was an instant hit. The episode where Jamie Mitchell died got 24 million viewers. Natalie happily confirms Jack is a lovely man – “We were like brother and sister” – and they’re still in touch. She vividly recalls witnessing his fame firsthand. “I remember going to Bluewater (shopping centre) with him on a Saturday and he was swarmed,” she says. “We had to go with security out the back of Bluewater. It was mad.”

Aidan Turner

Listener Lindsay says she’s watched the TV series Poldark five times, chiefly for its lead Aidan Turner, a man famous for both being a very good actor and not being shy about going shirtless. Lindsay insists her crush is “not just because he takes his top off – probably once every series, which is not a lot – but oh my god. Oh my god.” And that’s all she has to say on the matter. Turner’s shirtless moment in the first series of Poldark caused such a stir that it wound up on the front page of newspapers. Not many people can claim that.

Nigella Lawson

There is something very appealing about someone who knows how to cook, or indeed do anything with great competence (see Natalie swooning over Gary Lineker’s professionalism). A listener gives her vote to “the most lovely, gorgeous, delicious Nigella Lawson.” Joanna says she absolutely sees the appeal and especially enjoys the moments at the end of many Nigella episodes where she sneaks down to the fridge in her dressing gown. Natalie remembers the time Nigella called a microwave a “meek-row-wah-vay”. “Not many people can make a microwave sounds sexy,” she says.

Danny Dyer

Larry Lamb

Heather from Derby casts her vote for someone close to Joanna’s heart. “My long-term crush is Larry Lamb,” she says of the actor who plays Joanna’s father-in-law Mick in Gavin and Stacey. “Can’t tell you why, but he’s just absolutely adorable.” Joanna happily waxes lyrical about her co-star. “He’s so handsome,” she says. “And so caring and kind, but there’s a real twinkle in his eye… My mum had and still has a crush on Larry Lamb.” And it seems she’s got plenty of company.

Danny Dyer

And we’ll give the last word to Joanna. She had the good fortune to marry her TV crush, the actor James Thornton, but her husband aside, she has a thing for EastEnders actor Danny Dyer. “I’ve had a crush for years,” she’s said on a previous episode. “I think it’s because he’s so male.” She remembers meeting him at an awards ceremony and getting the giggles. “He’s like a caveman! I could imagine him killing a buffalo and throwing it over his shoulder.” We suspect she’s spent a lot of time thinking about this one and we should draw a veil there.

You can listen to the full 'TV Crushes' episode of Off The Telly now on 91热爆 Sounds.

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