Popstar to Opera Star Blog Week 2
This week’s programme proved beyond a doubt that Popstar to Operastar is a million miles away from being pop tart to opera fart.
The opera has really come alive, it’s sexy, vibrant and really relevant whilst the popstars are all showing themselves to be extraordinarily dedicated and tremendously respectful for so noble an art form.
The atmosphere in the critics box this week was energetic to say the least with Rolando Villazon getting passionate and heated in the sense of his favourites. I loved the fact that the global prince of opera, the David Beckham of the classical music world, loves being compared to Rowan Atkinson. Sections of the press have had a field day suggesting that you never see Rolando and Mr Bean in the same room and it just goes to show that the world’s most famous opera singer has no snooty or snoby side to him which I think demonstrates how much fun the whole Popstar to Operastar concept is.
Katherine sparkled like an extraordinarily glamorous Welsh daffodil but I was extremely disappointed to find that despite her avid, energetic commitment last week that she failed to find the time to bake brownies for the critics box. Meat and I sat there in unsatisfied mouth-watering hunger because Dame Jenkins had mislaid her oven glove, still there’s hope for next week when perhaps Meat Loaf and I might get to experience her drop scones.
As an aside my operatic flirtation with Ms Jenkin’s mum is (I’m sure you’ll all be pleased to hear) going very well despite the fact I’m also conducting a bit of an intrigue with Danny from McFly’s mother who sits on the other side of the critics box - well you have to find something to do during the interminable down time of television.
The best news of the week? One of those delightful tiny little fairy girls from the Saturdays has just had her bedroom redecorated with some of my wallpaper. She showed me a picture of the refurbishment on her iPhone. What a thrill!
Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen
Listen to Laurence on the Sunday Spa on Classic FM from 9-11am
Watch backstage footage and see the pictures from Friday's show here >
