How Strictly's Toyah Wilcox broke lockdown boredom with kitchen videos
Toyah Wilcox might be a complete curveball for some generations of the Strictly Come Dancing viewership this year, but she and her husband Robert Fripp (guitar legend, and founder of the rock band King Crimson) just happened to be absolute YouTube superstars throughout the UK's coronavirus lockdown.
A post-punk musical legend, the 66-year-old's most famous hits were Thunder in the Mountains and I Want to Be Free, but Wilcox flipped the script when we were all stuck indoors, emerging with an ongoing series of bizarre yet endearing homemade clips.
The original of which featured her and a masked-up Fripp holding a pair of plush unicorns while doing a Bolero. "Happy lockdown lunch everybody!" she shouted at the camera, and thus commencing an unexpected new level of fame.
Commenting on the video, one YouTuber wrote: "What a fabulous contribution to keeping spirits up during lockdown. I'm lucky - live in New Zealand - but still appreciate these wonderful videos! Thank you - you gorgeous people! X".
"Thank god for people like you two, you really cheer me up in these miserable times" and "You both are great, thank you for giving us great laughs!" read another two messages.
The couple, who tied the knot in 1986, continued to please their online fanbase by uploading a dance routine in their kitchen — this time to Chubby Checker song Let's Twist Again.
Not ones to be dampened by the closure of all restaurants/bars/pubs/concert halls back then, Toyah and Robert made sure to suit up accordingly for the occasion. Five stars for effort.
Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers classic Rock Around the Clock got its own rendition soon after that, while towards the end of June 2020 they mixed things up with a typically innovative response to fan queries.
"Welcome to Toyah and Robert's Father's Day lunch," said Robert, guitar in hand. "A lot of people from around the world have commented and asked questions; 'What's in Toyah's red handbag?' and Toyah says, 'The same as any tiny woman at a King Crimson show... it's their mosh pit survival kit!'"
Cue some serious strumming from the 78-year-old as his wife bounced up and down, faux-boxing in the background with black gloves on. Toyah then produced two champagne glasses from her aforementioned bag before signing off with a smile.
A month later, the musicians then launched their Agony Aunts videos, keen to address "burning questions with answers set to redirect the trajectory of your lives".
One viewer raved in the comment box: "BRILLIANT, BRILLIANT, BRILLIANT! how good is this... you need a TV deal, please keep doing it", while a second echoed this sentiment with: "We love you guys.... I hope you won't stop doing this when isolation is over."
Fear not Toyah and Robert lovers, because their YouTube material is alive and kicking in a lockdown-free 2024. Just two days ago they gave subscribers a special cover of Britney Spears track Toxic and it's already been watched over 54,000 times, thanks to Toyah's 214k subscribers.
They also run a series titled 'Toyah and Robert's Upbeat Moments', which includes a recent decompression from their wonderful Glastonbury Festival experience.
Strictly Come Dancing 2024 starts on Saturday 14 September on BBC One and iPlayer.
