For years and years, I have studiously avoided being on the TV. I know some people would relish the opportunity but me, no. When I was a youngster, I wrote to Jimmy Savile and now, am mighty glad I never got anywhere near that particular television studio! My wish was to skate with Katarina Witt – that never happened and to be honest, I was never destined for greatness on the blades.
There have been a few opportunities in the past during my musical ‘career’ and during research projects in the past, but I have always maintained that I have “a great face for radio”. Today, that appears to have been altered. The filming for Family Finders was actually done several months ago. It has been ‘in the can’ and just waiting to be aired. Me being me, I declared early on in proceedings that I would not be watching the show live, despite various friends inviting me over to their homes to watch it with them. Eek – thanks but really, no! I envisaged having to hide behind the sofa (and still may do) and cringe at various ‘bad camera angles’ etc. Comments from friends and family have been fabulous but what I really honestly had not expected was that the telephone in the office would be ringing all day long! My wish (but nothing connected to Jimmy this time) is that in a short while, I may become an octopus and therefore can have five or so conversations all at the same time, with different people, about completely different projects. That sure would have helped today!
Several comments have really touched me. One potential client from Oxfordshire wrote “I saw Kirsty Gray on the program Family Finders today and found it touching and Kirsty wonderful!” Our conversation later in the day on the telephone was quite comical as, when I called her, I asked to speak to XXX and she knew instantly that it was me calling her, having heard my voice on the show in the morning. The stories I have heard and the future work it will bring to FWL is truly exciting and indeed, overwhelming. Those who know me well will know that I am not stunned or speechless very often. Nick and Debs story was totally unexpected when we began researching and Family Finders gave them a great opportunity to tell the world their story. Never in a million years did I expect to be on screen as much, nor did I imagine that the show would generate new business for us.
Thank you Ricochet for giving our story a platform – BBC1, who’d have thought it?
