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First Love

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Famous faces embark on a journey into their past

 
 
 
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  • Sue Perkins

    First Love

    Encouraged by her mother, comedian and broadcaster Sue Perkins started playing the piano aged 8 only to give it up when she was humiliatingly upstaged in her school assembly

  • Sue Perkins

    First Love

    30 years later, Sue is facing her nemesis!

  • Sue Perkins

    First Love

    Mentored by international virtuoso Paul Lewis, she’ll be performing Beethoven’s Pathetique Sonata in front of 500 discerning classical music fans at The Cheltenham International Music Festival

  • Stephen Mangan

    First Love

    Actor and folk fan Stephen Mangan started playing the acoustic guitar at University, but soon his career and growing family took over. As he approaches 40, Stephen is getting his guitar out of storage to reclaim part of his old self.

  • Stephen Mangan

    First Love

    He meets folk singer songwriter Kate Rusby along the way for some helpful performance tips.

  • Stephen Mangan

    First Love

    Under the eye of award winning Martin Simpson, Stephen retrains to play Sandy Denny’s iconic “Who Knows Where the Time Goes” alongside his guitar hero, Grammy nominated Richard Thompson, in front of 8,000 people at the Cambridge Folk Festival.

  • Carl Cox

    First Love

    Legendary DJ Carl Cox’s love/hate relationship with the piano started aged 8 when his mum made him take lessons. Carl couldn’t equate boring scales with the soulful piano playing of his idol Stevie Wonder, and gave it up. It's all coming screaming back to him here...

  • Carl Cox

    First Love

    As a result, despite being one of the world’s top DJs, Carl can’t read music and relies on computers to compose tracks. Frustrated he can’t play his musical thoughts onto an instrument, Carl is ready to face the piano again at the age of nearly 50.

  • Carl Cox

    First Love

    Guided by Mercury Prize nominee Gwilym Simcock, Carl’s learning Stevie Wonder’s “I Wish” for his first ever live performance alongside the Brand New Heavies at Ibiza’s Café Mambo.

  • Alastair Campbell

    First Love

    At the age of 7, Alastair Campbell started learning the bagpipes taught by his Scottish father who was keen for his son to stay connected to the culture of his Highland roots. We imagine his facial expression was rather similar to this one...

  • Alastair Campbell

    First Love

    Teenage Alastair played competitively and as a student even lucratively busked across Europe, but once his career in journalism and then politics took off, there were other priorities. Now with more time in his life, Alastair is dusting off his box of pipes.

  • Alastair Campbell

    First Love

    Retrained by one of Scotland’s leading young pipers Finlay MacDonald, Alastair will be playing in front of 2,000 Scottish music fans in Glasgow on St Andrews Day.

  • Alastair Campbell

    First Love

    In a candid and revealing film, Alastair returns to his dad’s Scottish island for the first time in 20 years, building up to the performance honouring his heritage, and more poignantly, his father’s memory.

  • Lenny Henry

    First Love

    Lenny Henry kicks off the series by taking on the challenge to sing some his favourite soul songs live at the Jazz Cafe in London

  • Lenny Henry

    First Love

    Taking some time to visit places where it all began and remembering what first inspired his love for soul music

  • Lenny Henry and Pete Tong

    First Love

    Seeking some musical advice from DJ friend, Pete Tong

  • Lenny Henry and tutor

    First Love

    Some intense vocal training makes sure Lenny hits all the right notes come the night of the performance

  • Lenny Henry and backing singers

    First Love

    Getting your very own band to practise with isn't so bad but it's time to start rehearsing some legendary soul songs

  • Lenny Henry

    First Love

    Performing some of the most well-known soul songs with a live band and in front of the public but does it all go to plan?

  • Meera Syal

    First Love

    Meera Syal recounts her love for jazz music and singing. So to relive her first love she takes on the challenge to sing and perform live at the legendary Soho jazz club 'Ronnie Scott's'

  • Meera syal and father

    First Love

    Meera Syal talks to her parents about where her love for jazz music and singing might have started

  • Meera Syal and tutors

    First Love

    Pointing the way to success; Meera Syal pays close attention to the advice and tuition she gets in the lead up to the big night

  • Meera Syal

    First Love

    Have all rehearsals and advice paid off? Meera Syal performs at the infamous Ronnie Scott's jazz club

  • Janet Street-Porter

    First Love

    Janet Street-Porter tackles the recorder and performing in front of the public, does she hit all the right notes?

  • Janet Street-Porter

    First Love

    Visiting her old school where playing the recorder didn't seem quite so intimidating as it does now

  • Janet Street-Porter and tutor

    First Love

    Getting back to grips with the recorder after not playing the instrument since primary school is a challenge in itself

  • Janet Street-Porter and group

    First Love

    Rehearsing with the recorder alongside classically trained musicians, not a usual day in the life of Janet Street-Porter

  • Janet Street-Porter and group

    First Love

    Finally performing with a group of classical musicians after weeks of practising and rehearsing

  • Mark Radcliffe

    First Love

    Successful DJ Mark Radcliffe had always played the drums and dreamt of making it as a professional musican but where did things change?

  • Mark Radcliffe

    First Love

    Visiting an old house where hitting pots and pans started off a love for playing the drums

  • Mark Radcliffe and tutor

    First Love

    Refreshing the memory and learning some new tricks and techniques from the professionals in time for the big performance

  • Mark Radcliffe and Rufus Wainwright

    First Love

    See if Mark Radcliffe holds his nerve playing the drums alongside Rufus Wainwright in his First Love performance

  • Katie Derham

    First Love

    A full-time job, kids and everything else that life throws at you; Katie Derham decides it's time to root out her old violin and see if she can still play like she used to

  • Katie Derham and group

    First Love

    Hoping to impress; after weeks of practising from old school books, Katie Derham performs a classical piece in public with the help of some professionally trained musicians

We know celebrities for the art that has made them famous, be it acting, comedy, drama or broadcasting.

In First Love, we reveal how top British stars started out with very different career dreams and take them back to their musical roots, discovering what drove their passion and how they ended up taking a different path.

Guided by a mentor, the celebrities retrain, building to a live performance at a prestigious musical venue in front of a paying audience.

But do they fall in love again? Or do they realise they may not have had the talent to succeed professionally after all in their first love? And do they have the commitment and nerve to pull off a live performance?

Season 2

Alastair Campbell, Shaun Ryder, Sue Perkins, Carl Cox, Stephen Mangan and Sophie Winkleman rediscover the passion they once had for music 

Episode 1 - Sue Perkins
The comedian and broadcaster gave up the piano when she was humiliatingly upstaged in her school assembly. She’ll be facing her fears in front of 500 discerning classical music fans.

Sue Perkins

Watch: Sue Perkins talks about her fear of playing the piano


Episode 2 - Stephen Mangan
The actor and folk fan started playing the acoustic guitar at University, but in rekindling his passion, the music starts to take on a very personal meaning and Stephen realises he and his old self are two very different people.

Stephen Mangan

Watch: Stephen Mangan opens up about his love for guitar playing


Episode 3 - Carl Cox
Legendary DJ Carl Cox’s love/hate relationship with the piano started aged 8 when his mum made him take lessons - is he ready to face the piano again at the age of nearly 50?

Episode 4 - Shaun Ryder
Ex-Happy Mondays singer Shaun Ryder fell in love with the saxophone listening to his grandparents’ Glen Miller records, but with a troubled background, music lessons weren’t part of Shaun’s youth. Now he wants to make his childhood dream come true.

Episode 5 - Alastair Campbell
Alastair Campbell was taught the bagpipes by his Scottish father who was keen for his son to stay connected to the culture of his Highland roots. Alastair returns to his dad’s Scottish island for the first time in 20 years to rekindle his love.

Episode 6 - Sophie Winkleman
This star of “Peep Show” was introduced to opera by her father, but at University it fell by the wayside in favour of comedy acting. As she takes a step back into her past, Sophie remembers that music was also her refuge.


Season 1
Lenny Henry, Meera Syal, Katie Derham, Mark Radcliffe, and Janet Street-Porter revisit their first musical love
Lenny Henry

 Watch: Lenny Henry starts singing lesssons >>


Lenny Henry returns to his soul roots in an emotional journey that leads him to the London Jazz Cafe.

Meera Syal

 Watch: Meera Syal remembers falling in love with jazz >>


Award-winning actor, comedienne and writer Meera Syal attempts to rediscover her roots as a jazz singer before giving a live performance at a world-famous jazz club.

Katie Derham

 Watch: Katie Derham reconnects with her emotions >>


Television presenter Katie Derham's journey into her musical past stirs up some painful memories, giving new significance to her professional chamber recital at Kings Place.
  
Mark Radcliffe

 Watch: Mark Radcliffe describes his unusual first drumkit >>


DJ and wannabe drummer Mark Radcliffe picks up his sticks four decades after his childhood dreams of rock stardom faded, as he prepares for a performance at the Manchester Apollo.

Janet Street-Porter

 Watch: Janet Street-Porter meets her mentor Pamela Thorby >>
 

Journalist and broadcaster Janet Street Porter revisits the torment of primary school music lessons as she prepares for a performance on her recorder at Handel House.

Arts Mail

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Latest comments

Mark Crossley

Mon 9 August 2010, 09:10

Could you please tell me the band and the song that do the music for the advert to “First Love” - it includes the lyrics “when I return”. Thanks for your help

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terry

Mon 9 August 2010, 22:30

The song is when i return by the feeling

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george t

Wed 25 August 2010, 21:36

what was the piece katie derham played?

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Gillian

Wed 25 January 2012, 16:34

Sue Perkins took me right back to my teenage years when I also did piano up to Grade VIII and experienced the horrors of competitions when nerves seemed to give my fingers a will of their own!  She also reminded me that performance can be fulfilling and if not for those nightmare experiences I would never have had the many pleasures music has given and continues to give in my life.  Thanks Sue. Keep practising!

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Sat 4 February 2012, 5:29