

Former children's TV presenter Johnny Ball has revealed that some of the other presenters on 'Play School' were stoned on set.



Speaking about the show's golden era in the 60s and 70s for a documentary on the BBC's Television Centre, he said that cannabis use was commonplace:





[ Related story: Police find 20 cannabis farms 'every day']





“There was Rick Jones, Lionel Morton and myself. They got stoned on the biggest joint you’ve ever seen - in the studio.



“We were in silhouette as the three shepherds with our crooks. Lionel purposely held his crook so the crook didn’t show. They were absolutely stoned out of their minds.”



73-year-old Johnny, father of TV star Zoe Ball, added that he didn't partake himself, laughing that 'I couldn't work with it, I really couldn't'.



Rick Jones also fronted the show 'Fingerbobs', while Lionel Morton presented 'Play Away'.



Sir David Attenborough also chimes in about the brazen use of drugs in the building in the documentary, saying that he would tell people: “Look, please, don’t smoke that stuff openly so we can all smell it. Just be sensible.”



It's also revealed that people would often use dressing rooms for sex.



Ex-'Doctor Who' actress Katy Manning said: “People were bonking all over the BBC. Everybody was doing it on the premises.”



'Tales of Television Centre' is on BBC Four on 17 May. [The Sun]



Also in today's press



Food critic Michael Winner has called celebrity TV chefs 'a joke'. “We’ll have celebrity plumbers soon and celebrity road sweepers,” he said. “I mean, they’re the most ridiculous - should shut up and stay in the kitchen. None of them say anything intelligent. How the chef has been made a celebrity I do not know.” [Daily Mail]



The third series of 'Sherlock' is in doubt because of the busy schedules of the stars and writers. “It's getting harder and harder to do another season, not just because Benedict (Cumberbatch) and Martin (Freeman) are getting such high profiles, but Steven (Moffat) and Mark (Gatiss) are busy and in demand,” said Rebecca Eaton, an executive at PBS who broadcast the show in the US. [Metro]



will.i.am has been criticised for leaving his singers on 'The Voice' and jetting off around the world for other business, while Tom Jones holds five rehearsals a week for his group. An insider said that 'he isn’t interested in tutoring the singers on their performances. He just wants to have a chat and be done with it'. [The Mirror]





























































