Review: All Together Now at MediaCity

It’s not every day you have the chance to do the YMCA and the Conga with Ginger Spice, aka Geri Halliwell (now Horner), never mind being in the audience for a filming of a new BBC TV show.

All Together Now is hosted by comedian Rob Beckett. For lovers of The Voice, the contestants similarly walk out to a panel of judges but with a twist, there’s 100 of them. The singers perform and each judge stands in front of their red button. If they like what they see, the judges press the button to join in singing and dancing.

The panel of judges are made up of all personalities and egos who aren’t afraid of their own voices or opinions. They are led by every 90’s singers dream judge, Geri Halliwell (who is the tiniest human I’ve ever seen). All the judges have some connection in the music industry, whether they are West End performers (including an original Billy Elliott), a drag act or a singer from Russia, they all have the experience and knowledge to make someone’s dream come true.

The more judges who sing and dance along, the greater the contestants score. There are three places to battle for on each show and yes, the contenders can knock each other off their positions. The final two sing for their lives in the ultimate sing off to reach the final for an indulgent cash prize.

On a blissfully cold Monday evening, I made my way to Dock10 studios with not the simplest idea of what to expect. MediaCity has been one of my go to places for the past year. The creative environment of not just TV but exhibitions, fine dining or even a stroll. It’s something that soothes my soul. I knew I was in for a treat one way or another.

Oh, what an exquisite surprise it was. From the moment warm up extraordinaire Karl Lucas took care of a bewildering audience to the final sing song and dance, my face genuinely ached from smiling and laughing every second.

There is no comparison between watching a TV show in your comfy clothes ploughing through tubes of Pringles to being there in the moment.

Rob Beckett is a pure delight and his hosting is one of a kind. From the usual ‘yes, I have large teeth’ story to the tales of Christmas with his girlfriend’s family, the audience were bellowing with laughter and screams. Not to mention, he sure knows how to nail the improvisation skill. He focuses on making a fool out of himself with the slightest error and in a moment, I thought ‘it’s okay to be yourself even when filming for a nationwide TV show’.

I have to say, being able to witness some of the new and upcoming talent with my own star gazing eyes was a pleasure. So much so that one judge described a contestant as ‘taking him to night church and back’.

All Together Now airs over six Saturday nights in January on BBC.