Derek gets buzz from TV quiz

Stafford music legend Derek Holt, founder member of Climax Blues Band is appearing on hit TV show Never Mind the Buzzcocks this month.

Derek will be star of the show on February 24, when he will appear in the infamous 'line-up', as the celebrity panels play spot the star.

During filming - which took place in January - a panel of celebrities including Phill Jupitus, Bill Bailey, Mel C and Bonnie Tyler were asked to identify Derek from a line-up of lookalikes after watching footage of the band's Top of The Pops appearance in 1976, when they performed 'Couldn't Get It Right'.Derek said: "I was first approached by a friend of a friend, who was looking for people to appear in the line-ups in November, but at first I said no - I know how much they get ridiculed.

"Then they approached me again in January and asked if I would do the last show of the series - telling me how much they loved the song, so I thought, why not?

"I asked my friend Terry Coughlin if he wanted to come down to London with me - and he asked if he could be part of line up. The BBC agreed so he joined me.

"Everything happened very quickly, the conversation on the telephone took place on the Friday and I was down to film the following Wednesday.

"It was really interesting to be in the inner sanctum of the BBC - there was a lot of star -spotting going on. I bumped into Gene Simmons formerly of Kiss, who remembered the shows we did in Chicago together back in 1974.

"It was also a big coincidence that Bonnie Tyler was on the panel as she was on the same Top of the Pops as the Climax Blues Band back in 1976."

Derek said that he really enjoyed filming despite his initial fears and said controversial new host Simon Amstell is a 'lovely bloke'.

He said it was a great day out and after filming he and Terry even had time for a bit of star-spotting. He said: "There were celebrities everywhere we looked - we saw Terry Wogan, Paul O'Grady, who was filming his show there, and even Richard and Judy.

l Derek appears on Never Mind the Buzzcocks on Saturday, February 24 at 11.10pm.