Tuning in…
Tuning in…
Castaway
1 appearance
Actor and comedian; first woman with her own TV sketch show in UK and US; first non-American female comedian to make it big in America.
On the island
Eight records
The keepsakes
In conversation
Presenter asks
5:01Why do you always look for the sadness in people?
I had this wonderful um lady that worked at a bank, the Midland Bank, when I was a young girl and and she spoke like that. She was okay and she was marvellous, you know. She lived with her mother and she drove a moped. And she had, you know, one of those you don't have to be mad to work here, but it helps, you know, one of those people. And she just killed me and she's brave and she gets on with life. And uh I like I like the bravery. Those sort of people ins inspire me.
Presenter asks
6:40Would you feel comfortable taking on such a broad spectrum of roles today?
No, probably not. It wouldn't be the right sort of atmosphere for it, no. I think, you know, the late eighties, it was just what you could do, what you w what you were doing then, you know, it's and uh It would be different now.
Presenter asks
10:04What do you remember about that time [when your father died]?
Um well, he had had an operation and then he came home and he was reading me a story and he's he s became unwell. Then an ambulance came and um I think I knew That he'd passed away, but my family dealt with it in a way then, which you just wouldn't deal with a child with grief now. It was sort of, they said for a while till they settled matters and things, oh, he's on holiday, and um I didn't go to the funeral, and I think you would now. And then it was very much, you know, you go to new school, you just get a new uniform, you get a new doll, and you carry on, and nobody talked about it. And you know, not to blame my family, but grief was dealt with differently then. It was difficult and um but of course I talked to my mother about it eventually, but it was just such a shock for her. It was very difficult for her. She was in her thirties, she was very young. Um and I, you know, as you get older you realise how really hard it is was for her.
The book
The luxury
Well, I'm going to steal from one of your past guests here. Gilly Cooper loves animals. Like me, I love dogs so much. I cannot not have a dog in my life. So she said she would take nuts with her to the island so she could tame the monkeys to be her friend. And I just thought that was so brilliant. That would be make things complete for me to have an animal friend on the island.
Presenter asks
23:18Tell us about falling in love with Alan over a train journey.
Yeah, it was like one of those sort of like, you know Rom-coms where you don't like somebody. He was very rude to me. I did a television show for him and he was very rude to me and kept sort of insulting me and just being really offhand. And I remember one night after we'd done this shoot on something, I met him on a train station and it was just you know, Birmingham to London. And I saw him and I went, I don't want to travel with you. You're not a very nice person. You're very rude. And I didn't like how you spoke to everybody yesterday. He went, Oh, shut up. I'll buy you breakfast. And breakfast was like nine pounds then on British Rel and and that just that hour, literally in ten minutes, whatever it was, from Birmingham to London, he just charmed the pants off me and, you know, we were married three months later. And for thirty years? For thirty years. I liked to laugh. He made me laugh. And my life began when I met Alan McEwen.
Presenter asks
26:07Did you have any idea that The Simpsons would have such a massive impact?
I breastfed the yellow people. No, I remember Matt Groening, who was a genius, came in and was awfully shy, you know, and he showed us these drawings. I remember seeing the first picture of of Marge with the blue hair. Of course Julie Kafner, who was on the show, did the voice from Marge. And um, you know, and Dan Castelonetta, who was on the show too, he he did Homer. I remember the first recordings. They'd go upstairs to the booth and do these voices. And I didn't do it'cause I was always so busy doing other stuff, but I'm so very proud of you launching The Simpsons. It was an extraordinary thing.
Presenter asks
28:03Why was it the right time to come back to the UK after Alan's death?
There was more dignity to being a widow in London. Alan has given me the two incredible children. Mabel, who has now given me an incredible grandson, Elijah, and is about to have another one, and my son, Johnny. They were both born in America, but Mabel loves living here. She's very British, and she's my powerhouse. She just kept me going. And just walking around and talking to people, and you don't do that in LA. You're up a hill and you know in your car all the time and the connection with people was crucial at that time. So it was the company. You said more dignity to be in a widow in London because of that, because you could be among people. Yeah, just going down the market and talking to people. It's just, you know, it's a better environment if you're on your own than it's very lonely in Los Angeles. And of course, they were full of memories of Alan and him dying. And I wanted to Shake it off a little.
“I've never done stand up to told a joke to save my life.”
“No, don't regret anything. Don't apologise for anything, really. It's pointless, you know. More onward.”
“I said I'm Tracy Ullman, I'm not blonde, I don't have big breasts, I will not wear a bikini, I don't want to be the butt of sexual jokes, I don't want to be a sexy traffic warden, I want to do equal stuff with the guys, and uh I wanted to write as well and get into improvising and doing that sort of stuff.”
“He just charmed the pants off me and, you know, we were married three months later. And for thirty years? For thirty years. I liked to laugh. He made me laugh. And my life began when I met Alan McEwen.”
“There was more dignity to being a widow in London.”