Am I Bovvered?

Thanks to the Phonybrit community, I can share this nice radio interview Catherine Tate did on the BBC Women's Hour. Now, that's something I'm not likely to have found on my own.

Most Americans didn't know who Tate was when she suddenly appeared on Doctor Who, first on a Christmas special, and then as his regular companion. I admit I had never seen her work, but I had heard of her catchphrase, "Am I bothered?" (Catchphrases seem even more important on the British Isles, maybe because it's so easy for some bit of pop culture to run wild in a short amount of time.) The phrase comes from her famous character, Lauren, who seems like someone Ali G had a one-night stand with. (Don't tell "his Julie.")

What Doctor Who fans on this side of the pond weren't likely to know is that in addition to Donna Noble and Lauren, Tate is a cast of thousands in one person -- plus, I hear she's an hilarious standup comedian.

Now it makes sense: Those lingering shots in that first Doctor Who show, the startling music when she first appeared. This lady was already pretty famous. It would be the same thing if you didn't know who Whoppi Goldberg was and she suddenly appeared on Star Trek: Next Generation. You'd be like, "They're spending an awful lot of time with that bit character, the bartender."

In the UK, Tate is almost as well-known for the tour-de-force performance she put in with the then-current PM for Comic Relief. Just one viewing will show you how mad her comedy is. (BTW, the actor she mentions at the end was on EastEnders. I had to look it up.)