For many, the start of the festive season is marked by the Christmas Lights Switch On, an event which happens all over the towns and cities of the UK, and which increasingly is considered invalid without the presence of a celebrity to flick the switch, however tenuous the credibility of the celebrity may be. ZT decided to take a look at the offerings from this years illumination season and offers you a roundup of the whos and wheres…
Ex-X Factor contestants were a major theme of this year’s ‘celebrity’ offerings, despite having already been kicked off a show designed to make them celebrities before they got the chance to actually get there. This year’s rejects popped up across the country: Kitty Brucknell and her eyebrows lit up Stevenage, Sami Brooks was in Rhyl, The Risk in Rochdale and Wigan, 2 Shoes in Romford and Diva Fever in Fyfe and Peterborough. Both Kings Lyn and Bracknell showcased Johnny from this year’s X Factor, which ZT would argue was one of the more successful bookings of the lot and certainly enriches the phrase ‘camp as Christmas’. Getting an actual X factor winner is therefore a coup to be prized, and was achieved by Cheshire Oaks (who boasted Alexandra Burke AND Joe McElderry) and Bristol Cribbs (Olly Murs). Last year’s winner Matt ‘credibility’ Cardle appeared at Stoke on Trent, Leeds and Sheffield Meadowhall, despite worries that his previous claims of authenticity would prevent him from taking part in such an obvious PR display.
Cardle also appeared again at Regent Street as part of a line up with Kelly Clarkson and Bill Nighy, who ZT assume to have been asked in a mark of respect for his acting talent and contribution to the British film industry, rather than just because he happens to have a Christmas film out. Elsewhere in London the poor man’s Girls Aloud, The Saturdays, appeared at Oxford Street but were somewhat eclipsed by teen sensation Justin Bieber who courageously overcame issues surrounding potential paternity lawsuits to turn on both Westfield shopping centre sets of lights on the same day in a wristband-only event. ZT salutes his dedication to both the festive season and album sales. Sadly, other areas of London failed to reach the same dizzy heights, offering Lisa Snowdon at Marylebone and ‘acclaimed vocal group Voxcetera’ at Brent Cross. Voxcetera are a new one to us, too.
Moving North, Manchester boasted ginger popstrel and ZT favourite Nicola Roberts, along with Tinchy Stryder, who also appeared at both Blackpool and Sheffield. ZT could comment that the amount of duplications of ‘guests’ this year demonstrates just how much the Christmas Tradition has become a PR exercise for anyone who has a book/cd/film/tour to promote but that wouldn’t be very festive of us. Liverpool’s own Rebecca Ferguson returned home to switch on the lights at Liverpool One. The Christmas spirit somewhat fell by the wayside in Derby, but the theft of their Christmas Lights didn’t deter Joe McElderry and Gareth Gates from turning up. Unfortunately.
Children’s characters also seemed popular this year, with Peppa Pig in Blackburn and the double whammy of Postman Pat and Fireman Sam in Belfast. ZT would applaud these attempts at side stepping the PR machine and reminding us that Christmas is All About The Children, but it does appear that all three characters were appearing in shows in said cities at the time. Sometimes, ZT wonders if anything is sacred anymore. The town of Crewe in Cheshire boasted ‘Boomer the Firework Safety Fox’ (presumably short of bookings whilst they still had the costume on hire between 5th November and New Year’s eve) and intrigued, ZT researched this previously unheardof character. Boomer turned out to be the invention of local company Blitz Fireworks, who called out for submissions of character ideas on their twitter account. ZT recommends this feed to those who enjoyed the Shippams Paste twitter feed. It will also appeal to anyone who likes their firework safety advice in a-rhythmic rhyming couplets.
However, possibly the best booking in the whole of the UK came from Leytonstone in East London. They boasted Aisleyne Horgan-Wallace, a runner up in the 2006 series of Big Brother. ZT will leave commenting on this matter to a user on the digital spy forums, who simply stated that: ‘Leytonstone knows itself’.
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