To a generation of teenagers, the 1980s punk pop star Toyah Willcox was an inspiration with brightly dyed hair and dramatic make up.
The singer and actor joins RTÉ Arena to discuss her new album Posh Pop, out in July and her hit YouTube series Toyah and Robert’s Sunday Lunch.
• Listen to this great interview at the RTE website.
Toyah plays the role of Haroldia The Herald in Martin Kiszko’s fifteen-part audio/radio drama King Frank & The Knights Of The Ecoquest for Fun Kids Radio. See Martin’s tweet about this (including a photo of him and Toyah) here, and Toyah’s by clicking below.
Great Lives: BBC Radio 4 Extra: Thursday 12th November: 6.30pm
Great Lives: BBC Radio 4 Extra: Friday 13th November: 0.30am
Great Lives: BBC Radio 4 Extra: Saturday 14th November: 7.30am/5.30pm
Great Lives: BBC Radio 4 Extra: Sunday 15th November: 5.30am
Toyah Willcox on Katharine Hepburn. (Series 37, Episode 9). Singer Toyah Willcox chooses the actress and Hollywood legend, Katherine Hepburn. With Matthew Parris. From 2015.
Dubbed an ‘oddity’ and ‘box office poison’, she liked to goad the press and public with her eccentric behaviour and unconventional love life. Her career in Hollywood spanned six decades, during which she starred alongside other Hollywood greats, including James Stewart, Cary Grant, Humphrey Bogart and Spencer Tracy.
The four time Oscar award winning actress Katharine Hepburn is this week’s Great Life. She is championed by singer and actress Toyah Willcox – who met and worked with her. The expert is Dr Mark Glancy – Reader in Film History, at Queen Mary, University of London. The presenter is Matthew Parris. Producer: Perminder Khatkar. First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2015.
Grant Stott’s Vinyl Collective: BBC Radio Scotland:
Friday 9th October: 6pm
National Album Day. Featuring tracks from some of your favourite 80s albums. Now in its third year, National Album Day 2020 takes place on Saturday 10th October.
Toyah Willcox is one of this year’s ambassadors and chooses her favourite vinyl record, Grant counts down the best-selling albums of the whole decade and also plays some of John Lennon’s biggest hits of the 1980s on what would have been his 80th birthday.
The Big Vinyl Show: BBC Radio Kent:
Sunday 4th October: 8pm
Mark Punter plays the greatest hits from the 1960s, 70s and 80s, ALL on vinyl. Starting tonight the big vinyl show on BBC Essex can also be heard on BBC Radio Kent. Welcome all! Looking ahead to National Album Day UK on Saturday with one of its ambassadors, the great Toyah. See you at 8pm.
Toyah guested on BBC Radio London’s David & Carrie Grant show yesterday morning. The show was guest hosted by Jumoke Fashola.
Singer Toyah Willcox looks ahead to an 80s drive-in music experience which aims to help raise money for Help Musicians and celebrating the re-opening of Alexandra Palace with Chief Executive Louise Stewart.
• Listen online to the show, for the next four weeks, at BBC Sounds.
Ramblings: Joyful Highlights Part 4 – Singers & Writers is now available to download, from the BBC website or as an Apple Podcast.
Clare Balding recalls her favourite walks with a colourful variety of writers and singers including Bill Bryson, Toyah Willcox, folk duo Ninebarrow, and the choral group Werca’s Folk.
Clare has been walking on air since 1999, and for this lockdown series of highlights has been digging into the archives to retrieve some of her most memorable moments: Today she gets dressed with Bill Bryson, takes a lift across a small puddle with Toyah, discovers that Dorothy Wordsworth avoided marriage so she could continue walking, and hears from author Emma Mitchell about exactly why our mood is lifted when we spend time in nature.
Clare Balding is currently recalling her favourite walks from her long-running BBC Radio 4 series Ramblings. Episode Four of the retrospective collection airs next Thursday, 4th June and includes Toyah, who guested on Ramblings back in February 2013.
Ramblings With Clare Balding: BBC Radio 4
Thursday 4th June: 3pm/Saturday 6th June: 6.07am
Joyful Highlights Part 4: Singers & Writers. Clare Balding recalls her favourite walks with a colourful variety of writers and singers including Bill Bryson, Toyah Willcox, folk duo Ninebarrow, and the choral group Werca’s Folk.
Clare has been walking on air since 1999, and for this lockdown series of highlights 
has been digging into the archives to retrieve some of her most memorable moments: Today she gets dressed with Bill Bryson, takes a lift across a small puddle with Toyah, discovers that Dorothy Wordsworth avoided marriage so she could continue walking, and hears from author Emma Mitchell about exactly why our mood is lifted when we spend time in nature.
Marking 20 years as presenter of the programme, Clare Balding digs into archives of Ramblings to share the best moments from her favourite walks. Producer: Karen Gregor.
• Listen to Ramblings – Joyful Highlights online at the BBC Radio 4 website. Click below to browse our Ramblings News Archive. (Photo © Toyah Willcox)
Last night’s debut episode of the new BBC Radio 2 Jools Holland show, with Toyah as his first guest, is now available to listen to online.
A new series where Jools and a guest explore the Later… archive, picking out some favourite moments and discussing some of their favourite artists along the way. Kicking it off is singer, songwriter & actress Toyah, who picks the likes of Bryan Ferry, & Muse, as well as discussing her work and career.
• Listen to the show online at BBC Sounds. It’s available for the next four weeks. (Photo © BBC)
In the first of a new series, Jools Holland opens the vault of his TV series Later… to rummage through three decades-worth of classic archive performances.
Tonight he revisits the very first episode of the show to play the Neville Brothers and to tease out the history of New Orleans music.
Formed in 1977 in New Orleans, The Neville Brothers’ eponymous debut album was released just a year later on Capitol Records. Composed of brothers Aaron, Art, Charles, Cyril and Ivan Neville, the band became a key fixture in the New Orleans music scene, going on to win a Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental Performance in 1990 for their song Healing Chant.
Also in this first episode Jools is joined by singer, actor and writer Toyah Willcox , who’ll be picking her own favourite Later… performances – including Muse, David Bowie and Bryan Ferry – and discussing her career with Jools. Willcox is a four-times Brit Award nominated singer-songwriter, actor and producer.
In a career spanning more than 40 years, she has released over 20 albums and achieved eight Top 40 singles, including I Want to Be Free and Thunder In The Mountains. In 2001 she was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Central England in recognition of her achievements in performing arts, media and broadcasting.
Ep 1/6 | Saturday 16 May | 8.00pm-9.00pm | BBC Radio 2: Presenter: Jools Holland | Producer: Mark Hagen for the BBC
Jools Holland: BBC Radio 2: Saturday 16th May: 8pm
Toyah is Jools’ guest! Join Jools Holland for the first in a new series where he and a guest explore the Later… archive, picking out some favourite moments and discussing some of their favourite artists along the way. Kicking it off is singer, songwriter & actress Toyah, who picks the likes of Bryan Ferry, & Muse, as well as discussing her work and career.
“Later…with Jools Holland” is the UK’s favourite music TV programme, with an archive that stretches back 25 years full of amazing performances by legendary artists. This series – and its companion shows on BBC2 – is the first to properly explore this remarkable heritage, bringing back to BBC airwaves a treasure trove of musical delights!
Toyah was interviewed on BBC Radio Scotland’s The Friday Afternoon Show on, yes, Friday.
Golden Girls is set to come back on our screens next week, so we reminisce about this classic 80’s comedy with Rachel McCormack. As part of BBC Radio Scotland’s Make A Difference campaign, we hear what support is available to Scotland’s children and young people thanks to those at Young Scot.
Nicola chats with 80’s icon Toyah Willcox all about that infamous Top of the Pop performance and how she became the voice of childhood for millions of kids.
We know how tricky life is just now for some, perhaps none more so than those currently battling or living with cancer. One woman who understands more than most is STV’s Entertainment Reporter, Laura Boyd who has been living with leukaemia. She joins us to tell us about her new initiative – Beat It Choir. And Nicola brings you another in depth On The Record conversation, this week featuring Gary Clark on Mary’s Prayer.
• Listen to the show online at BBC Sounds for the next four weeks.
The Lee Mack Show: BBC Radio 4 Extra:
Saturday 2nd May: 10pm
Toyah Willcox. Series 1, episode 6. Comedy sketches and music, with regulars Angela McHale and Steve Brown and guest Toyah Willcox. First aired in 2005.
(This show includes Toyah performing a stonkingly good version of Sweet Child O’ Mine).
Toyah was interviewed on Bernie Keith’s BBC Radio Northampton show yesterday. Talking the Toyah Solo box set, the new colour vinyl albums, Hazel O’Connor, her music collection, the Electric Ladies tour and much more.
• Toyah’s interview begins around 2hr 37m into the show and is available for the next four weeks at BBC Sounds. Read a full transcript of this interview here. (Thanks Min)
Toyah guested on Tammy Gooding’s show on BBC Radio Hereford & Worcester on Tuesday afternoon.
Chatting about Hazel O’Connor, touring, Electric Ladies, future releases for 2020, making movies (including, soon to released, To Be Someone which has many of the Quadrophenia cast in but is “not Quadrophenia Two“), Kate Bush and more.
“We smuggled Kate Bush in to Pershore!”
Pershore’s punk rock legend Toyah Willcox catches up with our Tammy Gooding, talking the joys of living a secret life in Worcestershire and the moments that made her music what it is.
• Toyah’s interview has been made available as a seperate clip at the BBC website. Listen here.
Toyah will be a guest on Jools Holland’s upcoming BBC Radio 2 series in April.
Toyah will be talking about her new box set Toyah Solo and selecting some of her favourite music act’s performances from the Later with Jools archive. Broadcast details coming soon.
• Further info at Toyah’s Official Instagram.
Toyah guested on Alex Dyke’s Wall of Sound on BBC Radio Solent yesterday, talking about the Electric Ladies Of The 80s Tour, Toyah Solo, career longevity and more. It’s A Mystery and Thunder In The Mountains were also played at either end of the chat.
Toyah Willcox: Alex chats to Toyah about her upcoming show in Wimborne
• Toyah’s interview begins around 39m into the show and is available for the next four weeks at BBC Sounds.
Toyah guested on Adam Tomlinson and Anna Wallace’s BBC Radio York show late last month (22nd January), talking about her career, punk, autism, playing an Acoustic, Up Close & Personal gig at Selby Town Hall (21st February, Sold Out), making movies, being ridiculously busy all year and much more.
Special guest Toyah (22/01/2020) Toyah talks to Adam ahead of her performance at Selby Town Hall.
• Toyah’s interview begins around 2hr 14m into the show and is divided into a couple of segments. The show is available for just the next 7 days at BBC Sounds.
Toyah guested on Su Davies show on BBC Radio Wiltshire on Saturday (8th February), talking the Electric Ladies Of The 80s tour, Hazel O’Connor (“How well do you know Hazel, Toyah Willcox…?“), the Eighties, big hair and much more. There were also plays of I Want To Be Free and It’s A Mystery.
Toyah – Sue’s joined by singer and presenter Toyah Willcox ahead of her visit to Wiltshire.
• Toyah’s interview begins around 1hr 14m into the show and is divided into two segments. The show is available to listen to for the next 23 days at BBC Sounds.
A previously unheard section of Richard Green’s interview with Toyah, which was originally broadcast in June 2019, aired on Saturday on Richard’s BBC Radio Devon show. There was also plays of It’s A Mystery and Dance In The Hurricane.
Toyah talks In The Court Of The Crimson Queen, the two Toyahs, In Extremis and more.
• Listen at BBC Sounds for the next four weeks. The interview and songs begin just a few minutes into the show.
Christmas Eve 2012, Toyah guested on Marlow FM’s Musical Milestones on The Eclectic Light Show. She discussed her life and career and chose six songs along the way. As this aired on Christmas Eve and the station didn’t have a Listen Again function I recorded it and uploaded to Dreamscape a low quality mp3 of the 30-minute special. Click below to listen/download.
