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Diary

Penny Smith

Wednesday, 2nd July 2008

Penny Smith gives a rundown of her week

Wednesday morning my co-host is Jonathan Swain. The Stapes is off doing another corporate. It’s a surprisingly smooth morning. There are days when links don’t happen, phone interviews don’t connect, guests don’t turn up — but today is not one of them. Have a good sleep, then take the Tube to Mile End to see Radiohead at Victoria Park. Leave before the end. It’s a bit samey and they haven’t played my favourite wolf song. And I need to get home to sleep.

On Thursday, John has a rant about a sports item. I don’t get involved because I don’t care. In the evening, I go to see Relocated at the Royal Court. It’s ‘a sinister mystery’ and there are some horrible images which I know will give me nightmares. Sleep poorly and get so badly tangled up in my pyjamas that I still have a button mark on my face by the time I go to make-up on Friday. On the Newshour, I’ve written a link for John to read in the throw to Andrea, who’s at Glastonbury. He misreads it and asks her if they’re going to be ‘happy campers or saggy campers?’ I stay on to do GMTV Today with Ben Shephard. We’ve all been working together for so long, it’s like swapping a slipper for a comfort shoe. Interview Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan down the line from Greece. They’re good fun, and afterwards I get a text from one of our showbiz team saying well done — always nice. Fiona Phillips texts me to say she’s at the airport ‘armed with the book’. Phone Clare Nasir for the weekend weather. ‘Hmmm. Possibly a dress. But I’d recommend a trouser tonight. And a bonnet on Sunday.’

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