In his 1995 autobiography "Take It Like A Man", Boy George wrote about his appearance on this episode:
"When I appeared on Wogan to redeem myself with the nation, I had to drink half a bottle of wine I was shaking so much. I was sitting there talking about my recovery while straining not to scream. My biggest tear was coming across like a pathetic little victim or a preaching hypocrite. I didn't see why I should apologize (sic) when I was the one suffering. All the tripe in the newspapers, like ''I've been really awful" and "I'm sorry if I've let down my fans," was fiction. Like I told Dylan Jones from i-D magazine, "I'm not ashamed of taking drugs. Everybody expects me to say oh I've had the worst year of my life, but that's not true. I'm having the worst time now coming off heroin."
"When I appeared on Wogan to redeem myself with the nation, I had to drink half a bottle of wine I was shaking so much. I was sitting there talking about my recovery while straining not to scream. My biggest tear was coming across like a pathetic little victim or a preaching hypocrite. I didn't see why I should apologize (sic) when I was the one suffering. All the tripe in the newspapers, like ''I've been really awful" and "I'm sorry if I've let down my fans," was fiction. Like I told Dylan Jones from i-D magazine, "I'm not ashamed of taking drugs. Everybody expects me to say oh I've had the worst year of my life, but that's not true. I'm having the worst time now coming off heroin."
Newreader Jan Leeming was mugged around 8:40pm on the 15th February 1987 after disturbing three intruders. They sprayed her with ammonia and stole her handbag, causing her to be treated in hospital. In 2013 Leeming wrote about the incident on her personal website:
"I was just trying to sort out a lot of old paperwork and came across the Police Summons received for me to appear in court with regard to my mugging within the TV Centre in 1987. That in itself was interesting because the four young men kept changing their plea. Finally when they put in a plea of guilty, my husband and I were allowed to leave the country and take our holiday which had been on hold, When we returned we learned that at the last minute, and after we had gone abroad, they changed the plea again to one of Not Guilty and that led to a Court Case lasting over 2 days.
The names of the four who carried out the attack were listed on the document. I typed one of the names onto the Internet and was absolutely shocked to read that despite being jailed for 5 years in 1987 for over 50 burglaries and my mugging, this young thug and two others tortured and murdered a man in 2004 whilst high on drink and drugs. I think the young man only served half his 5 year sentence.
The three were jailed 'for life'. However in our country 'life' doesn't mean 'life' and my mugger will be eligible for parole in 2019. By then he will be just short of the age of his 52 year old victim. If released, he could enjoy several decades of life - that life he denied a middle aged man. Where is the justice in all of this. I despair.
I believe and always have done in Capital Punishment for Crimes of Terrorism and Premeditated Murder. The do-gooders always cry out that there could be 'miscarriages of justice' - tell that to the victims of murderers who have been released and murdered again. Many years ago, I was told by a very senior police officer that out of 80 murderers who had been released, half had gone on to murder again. I have never forgotten his words."
"I was just trying to sort out a lot of old paperwork and came across the Police Summons received for me to appear in court with regard to my mugging within the TV Centre in 1987. That in itself was interesting because the four young men kept changing their plea. Finally when they put in a plea of guilty, my husband and I were allowed to leave the country and take our holiday which had been on hold, When we returned we learned that at the last minute, and after we had gone abroad, they changed the plea again to one of Not Guilty and that led to a Court Case lasting over 2 days.
The names of the four who carried out the attack were listed on the document. I typed one of the names onto the Internet and was absolutely shocked to read that despite being jailed for 5 years in 1987 for over 50 burglaries and my mugging, this young thug and two others tortured and murdered a man in 2004 whilst high on drink and drugs. I think the young man only served half his 5 year sentence.
The three were jailed 'for life'. However in our country 'life' doesn't mean 'life' and my mugger will be eligible for parole in 2019. By then he will be just short of the age of his 52 year old victim. If released, he could enjoy several decades of life - that life he denied a middle aged man. Where is the justice in all of this. I despair.
I believe and always have done in Capital Punishment for Crimes of Terrorism and Premeditated Murder. The do-gooders always cry out that there could be 'miscarriages of justice' - tell that to the victims of murderers who have been released and murdered again. Many years ago, I was told by a very senior police officer that out of 80 murderers who had been released, half had gone on to murder again. I have never forgotten his words."