The cruise when the King of the Jungle reverted to the King of the Jingle

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The month of June has been a good one for Ocean Village and we’ve seen the summer climes catch up with us in Mediterranean waters at last. It’s also been a good one with a great line-up of entertainment, but for me the highlight was the cruise starting on the 3rd of June through until the 10th when an Ocean Village favourite and a personal favourite of mine cruised with us, celebrity and ever popular DJ and King of the Jungle, Tony Blackburn.

As Tony boarded Ocean Village in Heraklion, he actually thought he was coming to Palma and was surprised when he landed at an airport that he found hard to pronounce, a passenger approached him and said, “you look just like Tony Blackburn, are you one of the tribute acts?”. “Yes”, replied Tony, “I am. I’m appearing as myself!”

We did indeed have a star studded line up of tribute acts from Jayne Middleton as Annie Lennox, Steve Larkins as Freddie Mercury and Kelly O’Brien as Dolly Parton. All are favourites of mine but, on this cruise the star and gentleman of the week must go to our very own, all-original, Tony.

Hosting an excellent, electrifying evening of music in our nightclub Bayside, Tony was back spinning the discs and nostalgia ruled the waves. On another evening he hosted a pop music quiz in Connexions and I have never ever seen Connexions so packed for a quiz. The banter flowed and off the cuff jokes and anecdotes spun as fast as his discs did the previous evening. Sailing from Piraeus the Marquee filled for an, “Up Close and Personal with Tony Blackburn” and Tony amused all with replies to questions posed from the chair occupied by Events Team hostess Donna Randles.

During his exchange with Donna, Tony talked about his time as a DJ with the famous pirate radio station Radio Caroline, his times with Radio 1 and how he rehearsed his opening words for the first broadcast, and his selection for the first record ever played on Radio 1, The Move with “Flowers in the Rain”.

Tony then updated us on his moves to date and of course the “Jungle” was not to be missed out and he gave an incredible insight into the filming and his life in the Jungle. How he had collected wood for the fire and, because he had collected so much at one point, the producers decided to remove most of it one night! As the crowd chuckled away he then explained that he’d been upset at the loss as he’d had an affinity for the logs he had collected and, when he subsequently found some of them again down by the stream he instantly recognised them and he felt it was like being reunited with old friends.

Our last night of the cruise, departing from Santorini, Tony was back behind the microphone as host on our very own Ocean Village Radio. OV Radio is transmitted into all passenger cabins on channel three and of course live in the Village Square where an audience had gathered to watch the idol of many, perform in his inimitable style.

Thank-you Tony for bringing us so much warmth and charm and for sharing your personal experiences of your life with us here on Ocean Village.

Michael Lobban, Hotel Director