The Late, Late Breakfast Show (AGNETHA)

Filmed: Saturday 1 October 1983

Location: BBC Television Centre, Wood Lane, Shepherds Bush, London, England

Broadcast: Saturday 1 October 1983, LIVE, 17:15-18:00, BBC1, UK

Release status: Unreleased

Duration: approx. 6 minutes

Shown in: UK

Additional information

The Late, Late Breakfast Show was a BBC television light-entertainment show broadcast live on Saturday evenings from 4 September 1982 to 8 November 1986 and hosted by ex-Radio1 DJ and Multi-Coloured Swap Shop host Noel Edmonds in his first evening slot (hence the title of the programme as he had previously only presented breakfast or morning shows either on radio or TV).

Agnetha had previously appeared on this programme twice in late 1982 with ABBA.

A weekly section on the show was handing out Golden Egg Awards - an award given to celebrities by host Noel Edmonds who had been caught out in some set-up or who had made goofs on screen. Hence it was appropriate for Agnetha to receive the award for the out-takes from rehearsals Raskenstam (where her and Gunnar Hellström kept giggling when their 'baby' was actually teddy bear) before performing Can't Shake Loose in the studio.

Her appearance on the show as a personal disaster as she fell backstage just as she was being announced but as this was LIVE TV, she had to carry on and appeared to take it as a joke - along with Noel and the audience. But although you can't tell from her appearance, she was hurt both physically and emotionally. To make matters worse, this part of the promotional trip that she made by coach  (to avoid flying) across northern Europe which ended up with her being thrown head-first out of the coach en route back home in southern Sweden.

Agnetha remembered the incident on The Late, Late Breakfast Show all too well as she recalled it in her 1996 book As I Am saying,"When the floor manager missed my cue I stressed out going up the stairs and got there too soon. Quickly I took a step back so as not to be seen. But there was nothing there! I fell backwards headlong into a hole in the specially-built stairs. I lay there, unable to get up while I listened to the live announcement".

Click here for a TV listing from Leidse Courant - 1 October 1983, p.11  Note that as a French publication, the programme time is listed in CET. The time in the UK would be one hour earlier. 

 

Agnetha falling on the stairs whan she entered

Thanks to Petr Mlejnek, Jozsef and Jun Seo.
YouTube link c/o Iris Werner

 

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