Breakfastballs

Bags o’ fun on 6 Music Breakfast this morning, two weeks into my two-and-a-half-week Christmas and New Year stint while Shaun Keaveny sits around being a new dad: Mat Ricardo, gentleman juggler, came in to do some live juggling on the radio. (It was my stupid idea.) We did some talking as well, of course, but through the magic of he and I still conversing while he balanced a tray on his face and removed a tablecloth from under a cup and saucer, it was, I believe, Sony Award-winning audio entertainment. Here are the pictures anyway, taken by producer Phil. It’s been a blast doing Shaun’s show these past couple of weeks. It’s amazing how quickly your body can adjust to getting up at 5am and going to bed at 9pm. I’ll be honest, I wouldn’t want to do it every day, and I take my hat off to those who do. If you want to see Mat doing his signature trick – uniquely, putting the tablecloth back on the table without knocking anything off – you should go forthwith to this clip on YouTube of a Dutch TV show he did a couple of years ago. It may blow your mind; watch it to the end.

For details of Mat’s work, and his forthcoming gigs, go here.

Oh, and here is picture, taken by Mark, of me and the inner sleeve of Menswear’s 1995 album Nuisance. (Shaun, and Matt, will be back on Monday. I will be asleep.)