Natalie Holt - the Britain's Got Talent egg-throwing idiot

So the vile creature who chucked eggs during the finals of Britain’s Got Talent is now a hot topic of discussion.

After selfishly sabotaging classical singers Richard and Adam Johnson’s deciding performance she is now hogging the front pages.

Despite being insistent she didn’t do it as a tacky publicity stunt, Natalie Holt is now scuttling, tongue wagging, to the national press.

For anyone in the dark, she is the one who was so put out at having been over-looked at her own audition previously that she decided to ruin someone else's.

On Saturday's Britain’s Got Talent live final she burst onto stage and, grinning like a simpleton, started hurling eggs at Simon Cowell.

This grubby and attention seeking act of self-publicicty raised a few laughs in living rooms around the country I am sure, although it was this idiotic woman who was ultimately left with egg on her face. 

And she had a lucky escape, throwing missiles at people I would have thought may be considered assault. Fortunately for her Mr Cowell, whatever you think of him, has graciously brushed off the incident - literally.

Richard and Adam did not win the contest though thankfully they did not seem too put off by Holt's nasty and self-centered act of aggression.

And the final victors, through virtue of their stunning performance, were shadow dance act Attraction.

The fact that you, Miss Holt, had absolutely no regard for the two young people trying to make the best of an opportunity of a lifetime is not really the issue.

That you felt it was your right, for whatever reason, to physically attack and threaten someone by throwing eggs at them, does not really interest me.

The arrogant smirk as you maliciously hijacked someone’s precious chance to change their lives is what I would expect from people like you.

Someone with no more talent or appeal than a cheap streaker who tries to snatch attention at a football match by running across the pitch naked.

No, the thing that irritates me is how you have now slithered back out of the woodwork to push your seedy story.

As if anyone cares - out of interest who is that you think gives tuppence?

Madam, I have news for you, after this week nobody will remember who you are and more importantly nobody will care.

Make the most of your 15 minutes as you are about to slip back into the obscurity your lack of real talent gave you such privilege to.

Barbra Streisand blasts the roof off the O2 - at least while she was on

“The lady herself has decreed absolutely no photos” - the warning from the staff at the O2 as we took our seats for the opening night of Barbra Streisand’s European tour which kicked off in London.

“Don’t be tempted, she even has spies planted in the audience to confiscate phones from anyone who is seen even using one to take a picture.”

A bit harsh, but this is Barbra Streisand, Babs, the 71-year-old legend of tinsel town who at an age most are putting the microphone down and the slippers on can belt out a tune with a gusto few can rival.

I would not say I am a devoted fan, but like many I love her music and when the opportunity arose to see her perform her 93rd concert of her 50-year career arose, I jumped at it.

Just 93 though? I thought it was more, apparently not, but there was that 27-year gap in her performing career before she re-emerged in a frenzy of excitement in 1994 for a sell-out concert at London’s Wembley Stadium.

Just seeing the mighty Streisand in the flesh was undoubtedly to some worth the £500 ticket price alone.

And I, like many who had never had the privilege before, was more than a little star struck when she appeared on stage, black-suited and dripping in diamantes (I think they were diamantes but this was Barbra Streisand, they may have been real).

However despite the standing ovation at the show’s opening, by the end many were left a little cold. Not through any lack of her unmatched singing talent, but at the sparse time she spent in the spotlight.

After rising onto the stage she launched into ‘On a Clear Day You Can See Forever’ - from the 1970 film - delivered with the backing of the 60-piece orchestra set in the pits at either side.

We were then treated to the vintage Nice and Easy (made a hit by Sinatra in 1960) and Rogers & Hart's 1940 Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered.

The audience was hooked and it showed, cheers of “We love you Barbra” did not fall on deaf ears, “what was that? Why thank you darlin’” she replied.

However after the fanfare start the show cooled off pretty quickly.

To me it was a treat just to sit and take it all in, and lap up every second of real-flesh Barbra viewing. Not everyone agreed however.

Before long we were introduced to sister Rozzi who after singing a duet with her ‘that’s-who-we-came here-to see-love’ sister, launched into her own set with Barbra nowhere to be seen.

Nice, but could you get back on please Babs, after all some have parted with a fortnight’s salary for tonight.

No such luck, we were then treated to a solo performance by jazz trumpeter Chris Botti, again pleasant but still no sign of the star.

Botti was shortly joined by a violinist, can’t remember her name and if I’m honest I wasn’t really paying attention, and I was not alone - the audience began to file up the steps to the bar.

In my box my colleagues started milling in the room behind catching up with gossip at tables.

She’s back! - finally, but what's this? we are shown a video highlighting the singing talents of her son Jason Gould - it was back to the bar for many.

Jason then joins mum for a duet, at least we get to hear Barbra though, that is who we came to see after all.

But it’s not long before she is off again, Jason eagerly takes the stage with three - yes three - of his own songs as mum sits in the dimmed background, the spotlight firmly on son.

“She’s not on much is she?” -  the guy sitting next to me.

Two hours after the start Babs managed to rescue the situation even if she was joined once again by both sister and son for Leonard Bernstein's Let The Garden Grow.

There followed a finale of Some Other Time from On The Town and to rapturous applause she took her bows and exited from the back.

There were a few disappointed faces and the general feel was she did not spend enough time on stage.

However, that said, it was a good show - I didn’t come away feeling like I had the time of my life - but it was a good show.

It was an opportunity of a lifetime to see Barbra Streisand in the flesh, and there is no doubt her voice leaves modern singer wannabes in the shadow of her greatness.

To hear Barbra Streisand sing The Way We Were live is something I shall never forget.

But I think the general consensus was more Babs, less unknown family please.

Oh and I have a confession - I took a picture, but it was before the show so I’m hoping it doesn't count!

A huge thanks to eBay for their hospitality.

• Barbra Streisand plays the 02 on 3 June, then Amsterdam, Cologne and Berlin

I join forces with Michael Fish for a look at the weather

Another weather-related entry for you today, well actually this is a bit of a plug.

I have joined forces with weather great Michael Fish MBE for a monthly column/ chatty bit in the Daily Express.

Many thanks to our sponsor Netweather.tv

The first outing is in today’s paper (p7) which coincidentally marks the official beginning of summer - June 1.

It’s a bit of a fun lookback on the month just gone and and outlook on the next couple of weeks with myself and the legend.

Well worth a read, and of course there is all the weather latest in there too.

And if you cast your eye slightly to the right of this blog entry you will find your June weather update video.

Plug over - and watch out every first/ last Saturday of the month for the next instalment.

The future of the high street

For anyone who missed it, I was back on BBC Radio London this morning his time discussing the collapse of the British high street.

Standing in for Vanessa was the lovely Jeni Barnett, with whom I have a good old tussle about the problems faced by the floundering town centre.

A bit of background, experts predict 60,000 high street shops - around one in five - will close in the next five years.

People are getting fed up of the lack of parking, poor choice and high costs and turning more and more to online shopping.

The result - our high streets are becoming ghost towns.

Here's the interview - as always, you'll have to nudge in to around the two-hour mark to hear it.

My date with The Smiler - Alton Towers' new thrill ride

I remember going to a village fair with a friend and his daughter and seeing the look of delight on her face at the fairground rides.

Her dad suffered with a bad back so he passed on taking her on the tea-cups, merry-go-rounds and bumper cars and the onus fell onto me.

It was a moment I had been dreading because I had to make a rather embarrassing  confession - I was absolutely terrified.

Even the little rides which chug round full of ten year olds all beaming with delight - they leave me rigid with fear.

I have no idea why but I suspect it is a control thing, a bit like people who are scared of flying say it because they are not in charge of the cockpit.

For as long as I can remember I have avoided “thrill” rides like the plague.

So it was with just a little trepidation I accepted the challenge to ride what could quite possibly be the most terrifying roller coaster in the world.

The Smiler opens at Alton Parks, Staffordshire, on Thursday (May 23) and those that have already experienced its 14 giant coils and 53mph speeds verify it is not for the faint-hearted.

It has earned a place in the record books for having the most loops in the world and promises those ‘brave’ enough to climb aboard  an “extreme” and “heart-stopping” experience.

Just to look at it is enough to set the pulse racing -  a chaotic and tortuous tangle of twists and loops which rise and fall out of the ground like a giant writhing centipede.

It didn’t help that on the day of my visit the “cosmetic” parts of the ride had not been completed so the compound was a frenzy of workmen looking like they were still checking the nuts and bolts.

But with a pounding heart that I accepted the offer to ride it, I believe that to conquer fear you must face it full-on, maybe it might once and for all help me bury my phobia.

Before buckling myself in I spoke to psychologist Sandra Wheatley to find out why I am so scared and get some tips to allay my fears.

She told me my anxiety was not irrational, after all it is reasonable to be scared of being thrown around and dropped from great heights at racing-car speeds as The Smiler promises its riders (PIC CREDIT: Peter Corns for the Daily Express).

She said: “You may have perfectly rational fears of heights or that you might fall off, all sorts of things are probably going through your head of what could possibly go wrong.

“But you can look at the facts. Roller coasters run around 22 times a day for 362 days of the year carrying thousands of people who have a good time.

“Remember how likely it is that something will go wrong, and focus on that it is really not going to happen.

“However, you should not feel under pressure to do something you are really scared of, and if you are terrified, for God’s sake don’t do it.”

It was all going very well up until that point, however I followed another piece of Sandra’s advice to speak to one of the ride’s designers.

John Wardley, Smiler ride consultant, told me I was being “very brave” to step aboard a ride designed to “mess with your head”.

However he assured me the chance of anything going wrong were next to zero and that he is in the business of “entertaining not terrifying”.

He said: “You are in more danger on the journey up to Alton Towers than you will be on the ride.

“It will leave you a bit spaced out, and you probably won’t want to go on it again, but remember we are here to make sure people have fun.This is one of the most sophisticated pieces of roller-coaster technology that was ever built.”

The £18 million Smiler took more than eight months to build and takes passengers on a 165-second (2 minutes 45 seconds) mind-bending journey.

At a size equivalent to 10 football pitches it dominates its spot at Alton Towers.

It entering the Guiness book of records for the most number of roller-coaster loops in the world it beating10-loop rivals the Colossus, in Thorpe Park, Surrey, and the ‘10 Inversion’ in Chime Long Paradise Park, China.

So with my heart in my mouth I strapped myself in, crossed my fingers and hoped for the best.

The most terrifying part of these rides is waiting while hearing the screams and gasps of those that are already on board, but I was spared this ordeal as The Smiler is not yet open to the public so there were no queues.

Strapped in and ready to go, after checking my harness several times, I gritted my teeth and remembered I just had to get through the next two and a bit minutes.

The gates opened and before I could catch my breath I was hurtling into the a yawning chasm with my eyes clenched shut my hands gripping the harness.

I understand why this ride promises to leave you “marmalised” because over the next 165 seconds I don’t think I spent more than a second in any one upright position.

It has all the usual roller coaster thrills of vertical climbs, sheer drops twists and turns but The Smiler seems to cram them all in to spaces of a few seconds before repeating them over and over again.

With my head spinning it gently came to a stop, and as I opened my eyes expecting to see the platform where I boarded, I was greeted by a huge grinning face and a sign saying “half way”.

Another sheer vertical climb before the second half of the ride and the The Smiler sent me tumbling through another set of coils, twists and turns.

There are also a few hidden treats along the way including scary children-chanting sound effects and water sprays.

These, I was assured, were to mess with my mind a little bit more.

The second half seemed to be a bit more intense as if the first bit served just as a warm up.

There is no doubt the ride’s immense speed and seemingly never-ending drops and inversions will leave riders feeling a bit shaken up to say the least.

I am no expert but would vouch that anyone who pays to go on it will certainly feel they’ve had their money’s worth.

So the verdict - I enjoyed it. I was terrified but it was fun and I am slightly pleased at braving The Smiler to conquer a near lifelong phobia.

It was an exhilarating experience, so much so that after the first run I opted to go round again.

The Smiler promises a unique experience in roller coaster rides, and as I staggered to the exit I had to agree.

Alton Towers spokesman Katherine Duckworth said “This is by far the most exciting roller coaster for Alton Towers Resort to date.”

Smiler facts

The track is 1,170 metres - equivalent to 78 double decker buses lined up.

The highest drop is 30 metres -  comparable to 17 black cabs stacked up.

The maximum speed is around 53 miles an hour.

The ride time is 165 seconds

It tool 3,000 hours of manual labour to build

Some 5,000 cubes of concrete were used

It cost  £18 million

Each car carries 16 passengers with two cars on the go at any one time

Minimum rider height is 1.4m