Chat show host Trisha Goddard became one of the nation’s most admired television presenters when she first hit screens to present her self-titled chat show on ITV in 1998.
Setting the world to rights with her engaging and sometimes controversial topics, Trisha captivated viewers while trying her best to help those in need who may have problems with their relationships.
Following the format of American productions like Maury and The Jerry Springer Show, the programme quickly became a hit among Brits who were keen to see guests hang their dirty laundry in public.
After an internal dispute with ITV, Trisha moved her programme over to Channel 5 in 2004 and renamed it Trisha Goddard before the programme ended in 2010.
Although there was plenty of drama on-screen, there was also quite a lot going on behind the scenes that many are unaware of.
Daily Star has taken a look at the backstage secrets from the show.
Free cigarettes for guests on the show
(Image: ITV)
During the 1990s and early 2000s, smoking indoors was legal and common throughout the UK.
A number of Trisha’s guests who appeared on the show smoked, so the programme would provide them with free packs of cigarettes to keep them calm and happy before they went on set.
Talking to the Mirror about the show, an insider previously said that guests would have an order once they arrived in the studios and a production runner would head to the shops to pick up whatever they requested.
The insider explained: “The guests would all be given free cigarettes to keep them happy.
“Smoking indoors was legal at the time and they would all be puffing away in their dressing rooms.
“Someone would be dispatched early doors to take a cigarette order from them all, then a runner would go to the corner shop and buy packets of fags to take back to the studio for the guests.”
Wild parties
(Image: ITV)
According to another insider who previously worked on the show, wild parties and nights out took place frequently too.
Although the production was filmed at Anglia House, there was a pub within the studio complex and the production company often put money behind the bar for the staff to enjoy on a Friday nights.
On one occasion, a previous staff member described a Christmas party as “one of the most debauched nights I’ve ever witnessed”.
Although the festive party was hosted in a care home, a number of staff members took advantage of the freeze booze on offer.
Luckily due to the venue being filled with ramps and grab rails, staff managed to use these to prevent them from falling over.
Loose Women connection
(Image: ITV)
Back in the day, Trisha’s programme was filmed at the same studio as Loose Women, which was another Anglia Television production.
Due to this, both television productions often shared a crew and production team who would work on both daytime shows.
Because both programmes were filmed on the same days, a quick turnaround was needed after Loose Women came off air to get ready to start filming The Trisha Show.
Guests prohibited from meeting Trisha before show
(Image: Daily Record)
According to a programme insider, guests who would appear on the popular daytime show were not allowed to bump into or speak to Trisha before they went on set.
All guests were allocated their own dressing room backstage, after they were transported to the studios in Norwich.
To ensure the show is suspenseful and impactful, guests would be kept apart from whoever they were due to confront on the show and the producers would visit them all individually.
But while they were in their dressing rooms, there was a rule that they were not allowed under any circumstance to accidentally bump into host Trisha.
The programme insider also told The Mirror that production runners would stand outside their doors every time Trisha moved around the studio – and they’d have to hold the door handles to make sure guests didn’t wander into the corridor at the wrong time while the host was also present.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
