Happy Birthday: Christopher John Tarrant (born 10 October 1946) is an English retired broadcaster, television personality, radio DJ, and comedian. He is best known for presenting the ITV children's television show Tiswas from 1974 to 1981 and the game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? from its inception in 1998 until 2014.

Tarrant's career began in 1972 when he was hired by the television broadcaster ATV. He presented ATV Today, a current affairs programme serving the Midlands area of England, until 1982. Tarrant rose to prominence after becoming a co-host on Tiswas, the children's television show broadcast on Saturday mornings from 1974 to 1981. Tarrant was a member of the Four Bucketeers group, whose single "Bucket of Water Song" reached No. 26 in the UK Singles Chart in 1980. In January 1982, along with Bob Carolgees, John Gorman, Randolph Sutherland and Lenny Henry, Tarrant launched a late-night show, O.T.T. ("Over the Top"), thought of as an "adult" version of Tiswas, which despite being short-lived, was popular among adults. His co-host Sally James presented the concurrent and final series of Tiswas alone.

Tarrant was a Capital Radio host from 1984 to 2004, presenting the early-morning show Capital Breakfast. The show was highly popular, increasing Capital Radio's audience share in London. Tarrant presented the ITV game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? from 1998 to 2014, while also providing audio recordings for some console games, and a tabletop game made by Tiger Electronics based on the show. He recorded a total of 592 episodes across 30 series, in which five contestants won the top cash prize of £1 million. In 2012, Tarrant began a travel documentary series, Chris Tarrant: Extreme Railways, with locations including the Congo-Ocean Railway, the Ghan across Australia and the Konkan Railway in India.

Tarrant's other television credits include Tarrant on TV, a programme that shows clips featuring a number of unusual television programmes from around the world, and Tarrant Lets the Kids Loose, a programme which gives three- to six-year-olds the chance to fulfil their greatest ambitions in the adult world. He also hosted several other game shows, including It's Not What You Know and The Colour of Money, The Main Event 1993. Tarrant was appointed an OBE in 2004 for his charity work, in particular his campaigning on behalf of disadvantaged children. In 2006, he was ranked number 38 in ITV's poll of TV's 50 Greatest Stars. Tarrant announced his retirement in December 2024, after 52 years in television.

[Tiswas was a BIG part of my late teens and was one of the things that got me out of bed on a Saturday morning. Absolute anarchic FUN.]

This year's Flu shot.... Done! An early one this year and a different system too. Not the usual conveyer belt approach but instead I 'registered' with reception and then was called after about 2-3 minutes. Walked to the room with the nurse, had my shot (after confirming my ID), asked about the COVID shot I'd heard about and was told that I was "too young". COVID shots are only for the over-75's and those with compromised immune systems. Out and popped to my local supermarket for a few things and back in the house before my actual appointment time. EXCELLENT! 

Just Finished Reading: Femme Fatale by Guy de Maupassant [56pp] 

This booklet contained four tales by the father of the modern short story. The longest (titled) concerned the struggle of an unsure young man, the son of a senator, who is struggling to cope with his relationship with his girlfriend. Although he's obsessed with her he also, at times, really doesn't like her very much especially when she has a mind of her own. The final straw comes when she insists on spending the evening in the company of some lesbian friends that he disapproves of. I thought this was very well written (and VERY French!) and very modern in its portrayal of various sexualities (again this was 19th century FRANCE so...). Strong characterisation and plotting, very 'cinematic' without being melodramatic. Nicely done. 

The other solid story – despite being pretty predictable from the start – was Hautot & Son where a farmer's son finds out from his father as he's dying that he has been having a relationship with a woman in a nearby town since his wife died. After getting over the shock the son decides to hand over an inheritance only to discover he has a half-brother. Again, this was very nicely done with pathos and humanity. It was a very obvious plot but no less readable or enjoyable because of that. 

The other two stories, Cockcrow and Laid to Rest were much shorter and although well written didn't have the same impact/punch as the larger tales. Overall though I enjoyed the introduction to this author (which I had only heard of previously) and will be looking for something more substantial from him in the future. 

Translated from the French by Sian Miles  

Just Finished Reading: The Forever War – America's Unending Conflict With Itself by Nick Bryant (FP: 2024) [326pp] 

The one word that kept coming up time and again during Trump's first Presidency was "unprecedented". If I had a penny for every time I heard it mentioned, well, I'd have a LOT of pennies. To be honest the only other President that came to mind in comparison was Nixon but only in part – the 'enemies list' and the dodgy political manoeuvres - and I thought that American journalists presumably knew more about American political history than I did, so... unprecedented it was. Except that they were, according to the author (who is a BBC journalist) simply wrong. 

Since its mythologised Founding, America has had its fair share of racist Presidents, imperial Presidents and countless corrupt politicians of all shades and levels. It's also had its fair share of incompetence – including staggering incompetence – along with concentration camps, sex scandals, blatant nepotism, military adventures (manufactured or otherwise), policy being influenced by super-rich oligarchs, restrictions of the Press and Free Speech, fear mongering about the 'Left' and the "Communist threat" to bring out the vote and, naturally, voter suppression and other devious anti-democratic activity. All of this isn't just a recent phenomenon though. You'll find elements of all of this, sometimes on its own and sometimes in various combinations from the very start. So... unprecedented? Not so much it seems. 

As usual I'll be open about my ignorance of much of American history. I've read a number of books on the subject (though I need to read a few good general histories to get a decent foundation before I focus in on separate events, topics or people) but nowhere near enough to even have a rough understanding of things. This quite fascinating book has given me a LOT of pointers, and I fully intend to chase some rabbits down their holes in the forthcoming year or two. I have been toying with looking at the Dark Side of American History for a while now and I think this will be a good foundational text to work up from. I knew, or knew of, some of the events/people the author referenced but only really at a superficial level. It looks like if I dig just a little deeper, a little further into the facade and beyond the propaganda created image the world is familiar with it looks like I'm going to find something quite interesting. I'm looking forward to the quest! 

This was definitely a very different slant and a very different look at American political history which, as is often the case, needed a well-informed outsider to identify some of the strangeness and the faults in the system that insiders take for granted as just 'the way we do things here'. A definite recommended read for anyone who wonders why the USA is the way it is and why things seem (and are) so messed up right now.