Radio DJ's Buntathon Success

Listeners of a BBC Essex show have displayed huge generosity in creating over a mile of bunting flags.

Host Dave Monk was initially inspired to put together 100m of bunting for a special Olympic torch event in a borough of South Essex.

The ‘Bunathon’ campaign soon accelerated and just 3 days after asking listeners for help, Dave already had his 100m, so decided to stretch it to a mile.

The radio presenter has been overwhelmed and said: “It had brought out the best in people. There is a strong spirit of togetherness.”

With help from groups, individuals and even some residential homes, the collective effort has now producer over 3000 flags. The actual length is still to be measured.

On 25^th May, a group of listeners joined Dave and his radio team to sew the flags together, including Mary from Burnham, a former professional machinist who has produced hundreds of flags. Another lady wished to dedicate her contribution to her late mother who taught her to sew.

Dave said “It was so nice. It sums up the feeling behind it all.”

The future of the bunting is still a little hazy, but will spend its time travelling around the county for charity events. Dave said: “The Scouts are interested. I’d like it to raise as much as possible for charities.”

Dave Monk's radio show can be heard on BBC Essex, weekdays between 9am and 12pm.

Dave Monk

Jessie J jumps into the record books

One of Essex's finest stars has this week become a historic figure of British music.

Following the release of her album 'Who You Are' last February, Jessie J has been topping the charts with singles from the album. Jessie's second single, Price Tag, as well as one of her most recent singles from the album, Domino, both reached the #1 position. Her latest single, 'Laserlight' featuring French DJ David Guetta, released from the Platinum Edition of the album, is now Jessie's 6th single to secure a top ten position.

The position of having 6 top ten singles from one album in the UK chart is one that has only been held by the elite: Take That, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and Michael Jackson. As the first UK female to achieve such a feat, Jessie J is moving one step closer to becoming one of the UK's greatest musical success stories.

Jessica Cornish, as she may be known, has progressed a long way from her Essex childhood. Having held the #1 spot in 19 countries world-wide, totalling a staggering 11 million single sales, it is certain that the UK public aren't the only ones going crazy for this songstress. Her album has also sold over 2.5 million copies worldwide, with over 1 million in the UK.

Jessie J

Jessie's success stretches much further than many would expect. Having starred in Andrew Lloyd Webber's West-End production of Whistle Down The Wind as a child, before graduating from the BRITs school in the same class as Adele and Leona Lewis, Jessie has always been surrounded by success, which she has been to keen to share with others. Having written songs for US stars Chris Brown and Miley Cyrus, including Miley's hit single 'Party in the USA', it is clear that she has been keen to pass on her talent and success.

Her desire to continue finding new talent has become more public in recent weeks after beginning her coaching role on BBC's new talent show The Voice. The format, which has been very successful across the world, has now reached the UK and has been proving popular in the weekly ratings. Sitting alongside Will.I.Am, Tom Jones and Irish rock-band The Script's Danny O'Donoghue, Jessie J holds her own as the only female judge. This Saturday will be the first of the live shows, as Jessie J continues to mentor and coach a group of artists she selected in the blind auditions. Having whittled her acts down to five in this weekend's battle rounds, Jessie is left with a range of talent, style and ages with her performers Becky, Cassius, Ruth, Toni and Vince.

Having begun work on a second album, I cannot imagine that the typical myth of a 'difficult second album' will be a term placed against Jessie J's name. Making Essex proud, we can expect and hope that Jessie's success can only continue to grow and strive.

Essex superstar spinning on The Voice

Brand new hit BBC One show, The Voice, whereby the four coaches sit with their back facing the performers, is proving to be a huge success.

After much popularity in the US, the UK version with coaches Will.I.Am, Tom Jones, The Script's Danny O'Donoghue and Essex's very own Jessie J, has been topping viewer ratings for the past three Saturday nights.

The Voice judges: Jessie J, Danny O'Donoghue, Will.I.Am and Tom Jones

If one of the four coaches wish to mentor the artist that they are listening to, they must hit the button in front of them to spin their chair around. If more than one coach turns around, they must fight it out with one another to make themselves seem more desirable and appealing to the performer, who will then select the coach they wish to work with. With just 10 places in their category, the coaches must be certain when listening to the artists that they wish to turn around and potentially work with them.

With just three weeks in to the brand new BBC show, Jessie has filled up 8 of her 10 available coaching places. With 18 number one singles across the world, two million album sales and a staggering 16 million single sales, Romford's Jessica Cornish definitely knows a thing or two about the music industry.

Although some might believe she is quite a newcomer to the music scene, Jessie has been writing her own music for many years, as well as writing chart-topping songs for the likes of Miley Cyrus and Alicia Keys. When it comes to fighting for the acts that she wishes to work with, Jessie certainly throws all of this success and experience into her case to prove to the artists that she can help them to be just as successful.

One of the acts that was unfortunately passed by in the audition process was Essex's Shansel Huseyin. All four judges teased at the prospect of pushing their button for the 16-year-old operatic singer, who, unbeknown to the judges, had discovered her singing talent whilst imitating a Katherine Jenkins performance! Shansel, who reached the Grand Finals of Essex's Got Talent, has had no vocal training, yet managed to spark the attention of the four The Voice coaches.

Essex's Got Talent: Shansel Huseyin

It has been rumoured, since Shansel's audition was shown two weeks ago, that Will.I.Am has offered her a record label. Whilst nothing has been confirmed, it is certain that Essex holds a bundle of talent and shows like The Voice and The X Factor are a prime example of how people of all ages from the county are achieving such massive success.

Chelmsford granted city status

In her Diamond Jubilee year, the Queen has granted Chelmsford as a city. Along with Perth in Scotland and St Asaph in North Wales, Her Royal Majesty granted three cities on three corners of the country a new city status in order to help mark the celebration of her 60th year as our monarch.

As the county town of Essex and with a population stretching to around 160,000, many people would say that this news has been a long time coming. Most importantly due to the cathedral, which is often a defining aspect of a city, many people have argued the case of Chelmsford's city status for quite some time.

Chelmsford Cathedral

After 24 towns across the UK placed a bid to win a competition to be officially granted as a city, Chelmsford fought off some strong competitors, including Middlesbrough, Bolton and even Reading, the bookies favourite due to being the largest town in the country. With just 18/1 odds, the outlook did not seem particularly promising, so the news came as a shock to the council and to those who helped to place the bid.

Chelmsford even beat Colchester and Southend to claim the title, becoming the first ever city in Essex. It seems only just that the county town should become a city before any others.

With so many assets that would be expected from a city, it only seems about time that Chelmsford should be upgraded from a town to a city. Anglia Ruskin University has, in recent years, been expanded using a £81 million investment and is one of the largest universities in Eastern England.

Chelmsford also boasts multiple top-class high schools, each varying greatly in specialities; these include Moulsham High School specialising in Humanities, Boswells School in Performing Arts, Great Baddow High School in Sport, as well as the two grammar schools, Chelmsford County High School and King Edward Grammar School, which are within the top schools in the country.

The former town also provides various superb amenities that you would expect from a fantastic city.

With a fantastic high street and two shopping precincts, The Meadows and High Chelmer, Chelmsford is packed full of retail opportunities. With John Lewis on its way for 2013, Chelmsford will be complete with virtually every popular high street store that the country is offered.

Chelmsford's Broomfield Hospital is the largest in Essex and with a substantial re-development in recent years, various new facilities have been added. The St Andrew's Centre within the hospital is worldly renowned for its specialist work for people suffering with burns and a cleft lip or palate.

Substantial development: Broomfield Hospital's new building

The sporting successes within Chelmsford have been awaited this news for quite some time, with Chelmsford's football club being called Chelmsford City! Chelmsford is also home to Essex County Cricket Ground, as well as ice hockey team Chelmsford Chieftans. It will also welcome the Olympic Torch as part of the Olympic Festival celebrations in July.

Chelmsford receives media attention through the V Festival, held in Hylands Park, every year. With some of the UK's and the world's biggest musical artists coming to Chelmsford every year, it seems only right that the likes of Eminem and Rihanna, who performed at the festival in 2011, should be welcomed into the City of Chelmsford, as opposed to the town.

Crowds pack out at the annual V Festival in Hylands Park

Having been specifically chosen by the Queen to be one of the three places representing her within her Diamond Jubilee year, Chelmsford should hopefully receive the appropriate positive publicity that it deserves, as a place packed full to the brim of exceptional facilities and figures. The news should attract business and investment into what is a bustling and successful city of the UK.

Why should there be doubts for hiring the Essex 'working class twang'?

Reports have said that around 70% of business leaders in a recent poll would have 'serious doubts' about hiring someone who spoke with an Essex 'working class accent', but people based in Scottish and Home counties have an accent that promotes 'hard work and success'. I'm sad to say that I'm not totally shocked by this news, but I still completely disagree with these opinions.

With the increase in popularity of the county, Essex finds itself in the media and in the press much more now than it may have done 5-10 years ago. With TV shows like TOWIE, a stereotypical image of Essex girls, and also the boys to some extent, has been portrayed but my opinion is that this image is not entirely true.

Yes, some people in Essex enjoy a spray tan or a session in a sun-bed.
Yes, some people in Essex will have hair extensions, fake eye lashes and fake nails.
And yes, some people in Essex do speak with this typical accent that you hear from the likes of Amy Childs and Sam Faiers.

But - you could find this anywhere! Take a look at Geordie Shore, Desperate Scousewives etc; all of these programmes feature the extreme characters of the region who fully portray the stereotypical image that adheres to the entertainment needs of the public. But take a look further into Newcastle and I'm sure they're not all like the characters from the hit MTV show. Similarly, in Essex, if you branch out, you can find some really beautiful areas that highlight the opposite side of the county that the public never get to see.

It must be remembered, that in TOWIE, a show well known for fitting into the 'dram-ality' genre, many of the scenes are set up for entertainment purposes. Whilst the characters are real people whose lives are fully documented in the show, many of the things we see would not happen in real life it wasn't for the producers asking certain questions and placing them in certain situations. (This isn't to say that the show isn't an entertaining and a hugely interesting watch on a Sunday and Wednesday evening.)

If somebody asked you, what do you think of when you think of Essex, you're likely to answer with the orange tans and hair extensions that you witness in TOWIE. It is debatable whether anybody would consider the top-class education available in Essex. Colchester County High School, King Edwards Grammar School and Chelmsford County High School are three of the country's best schools, with the highest attainment on the League Tables. The latter two, based in Chelmsford, have become so popular that they've had to enforce a tighter catchment area, as so many people across the wider areas of Essex and into London have been applying for places and attending the schools.

So why is it that businesses are feeling reluctant to hire people from Essex? With the best education available across the whole country, businesses should be recognising the intelligence that Essex holds and should be revelling in the talent available to them.

If you take a look at the huge successes that have come out of Essex, it is clear that the county boasts an enormous amount of talent that shows the large capability of people from Essex, that is not being fully understood by these companies:

Olly Murs, Pixie Lott and Jessie J are three of the biggest names in pop in 2012 and continue to progress in the music industry with #1 singles and albums.

Jeff Brazier, Denise van Outen and of course Dermot O'Leary are three of the country's most successful TV presenters, with Dermot even presenting the E! Coverage of the BAFTAs last night, broadcast around the world. You can't be much more successful in the industry than that.

Everybody knows Jamie Oliver, one of the country's most recognised and best-loved chefs, as well as being  Britain's second biggest selling author.

And Essex is even progressing across the pond. Russell Brand and Nick Frost, both Essex boys, have starred in hugely successful films, both in the UK and the USA.

If these names don't promote the hard-work and success previously mentioned from the Scottish and Home counties, I don't know what does.

Everybody in Essex should embrace their accent and be proud of their Essex origin, as it seems clear, success can come from the county, despite the views held by some companies and journalists.

Essex Stars Hit The Desert!

Last month, nine of the country's biggest celebrities gathered together to take part in a Comic Relief fundraising adventure. In previous years, we have seen David Walliams swim the channel, Christine Bleakley jet-ski across the channel, Helen Skelton row the Amazon and who could forget Gary Barlow, Chris Moyles, Fearne Cotton, Cheryl Cole and other celebrities climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in 2009. A new year brings a new challenge, and 2011 was the year of the desert trek...

On 21st February, the BT Red Nose Day Desert Trekkers arrived in Kenya to start their mission. Scott Mills, Craig David, Peter White, Lorraine Kelly, Ronni Ancona, Nadia Sawalha, as well as Essex's own Olly Murs, Kara Tointon and Dermot O'Leary have all now returned safe and sound after what was probably one of the hardest week's of their lives.

After five very long days in the scorching sun and heat, the nine celebrities were obviously extremely exhausted but also very proud of the gruelling exhibition that they had completed. Our very own Olly Murs said that he 'wasn't prepared' for the extreme heat that the celebrities had to face, saying that it was a much harder task than he had expected.

From interviews on the radio, it seems as if the group of 9 got on very well with one another, with no reports of arguments just yet! To find out more, tune into BBC1 tonight at 9pm to see the group as they trekked across the desert in Kenya.

Also, be sure to tune into the Red Nose Day show on BBC1 tomorrow from 7pm to find out the total that the group managed to raise. All the money that they have fundraised will go towards aiding blindness across Africa.

To sponsor the trekkers, please go to:
http://bit.ly/feM7LH

V Festival Rumours Have Begun!

One of the biggest music festivals in the country, organised by Virgin, always attracts thousands of music-fans to Chelmsford every summer. This year will be no different, with competition for tickets set to be fierce if the current rumoured acts are to be correct!

V Festival, which will take place at Hylands Park over the 20th & 21st of August, never fails to pull in some big name artists. 2010 saw Kings of Leon and Kasabian headline the festival on the main stage, with The Prodigy, David Guetta, Calvin Harris, Scouting For Girls, Florence & The Machine and the Stereophonics being just a few of the other artists who packed in large crowds over the weekend!

This year is set to be bigger and better than ever, especially if the current rumours are true. Sheffield rock band, Arctic Monkeys, were one of the first names that spread across the internet in relation to the event. Having never played at the festival, Essex fans of the band will be excited to hear that they may play at Hylands Park in the summer. Coldplay have also been rumoured to play.

One of the biggest and most exciting rumours spreading over the internet is that US Superstars Eminem and Rihanna may both play sets, including performing together. Their song 'Love The Way You Lie' was the biggest selling song of 2010 in the UK, so there is no doubt that they would attract huge crowds to watch their sets. 

No acts have been confirmed yet but the list of rumours are set to grow and expand until the official line-up is announced in the Spring. Keep checking back to the Essex In The Media blog for more rumours and line-up news.

Kara lifts the Glitterball!

Eastenders actress, Kara Tointon, lifted the Strictly Come Dancing glitterball last night after winning the show with dance partner, Artem Chigvintsev. Having consistently received the top scores each week with the judges, the actress from Leigh-On-Sea was a deserving winner of the hit BBC1 show.

After dazzling the judges and the audience with her rumba from the previous week, Kara received an almost-perfect score of 39 out of 40 from the judges, with Craig Revell Horwood failing to give the pair a score of 10 due to 'an illegal lift'. The other judges and professional dancers failed to see an illegal lift but Mr Nasty still failed to give the couple the perfect score that they deserved.

Despite this, Kara and Artem reached the final two and waltzed their way to the glitterball trophy! The waltz was the only dance that this loved-up duo had failed to perform but managed to amaze the audience, who responded with yet another standing ovation.

Following weeks of training with one another, Kara and Artem had developed a very close relationship, with Artem announcing in a previous week that he would wait until the show was finished to ask Kara out on a date. He felt that it would be too 'complicated' for the pair to be in a relationship whilst still dancing on the show. The pair shared a loving kiss at the end of the show, with their fellow contestants and the audience responding with a cheer!

Congratulations to Kara and Artem!

X Factor Final Weekend!

Matt Cardle has been crowned the winner of the X Factor 2010!

After reaching the final on Saturday, despite being ill for a fortnight, Matt sung his heart out to reach Sunday's show. His steamy performance with Rihanna amazed the nation as all of Essex watched on to see Matt's dream of performing with Rihanna come true!

Alongside One Direction and Rebecca Ferguson, Matt joined the Take That boys with a performance of Never Forget. As the phone lines were frozen, everybody in Essex sat on the edge of their seats willing Matt to reach the final two. One Direction were surpringly knocked out with Matt and Rebecca going on to sing their winner's singles.

Matt then went on to absolutely smash 'When We Collide', previously performed by Scottish rockers, 'Biffy Clyro'. There was then no surprise that our Essex boy Matt Cardle was announced as the winner of the hit show!

It has now been revealed that Matt had the highest number of votes EVERY week throughout the series, with one exception of Week One where Matt came second behind Ireland's Mary Byrne. In the final of the series, Matt had 44.61% of the vote and was the deserved winner of the X Factor!

Congrats Matt!

Jungle Stacey!

Another former X Factor contestant is on the blog this week, but this time it's third-place Stacey Solomon, also from 2009. Stacey is currently on our screens in hit ITV show 'I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here', and it looks as if she could sweep the title of Queen of the Jungle!

Stacey has been in the jungle since the start of the competition on the 14th November, and has taken part in many trials. Last night saw Stacey battle out with Olympic athlete, Linford Christie, to see which camp would win a night of luxury. Stacey, and 'Camp Sheila', were victorious, with Stacey and fellow campmate Jenni Eclair spending an evening of luxury in a seperate area of the jungle. The pair were given beds and a minibar, filled with alcohol and sweets!

Stacey has continued showing her funny, loving and heart-warming character to the nation and we can all see again why we all fell in love with her this time last year!

Come on Stacey! Do it for us Essex Girls!