TRIBUTE TO BLUE TULIP ROSE READ

Back in 1996 Channel 4 had a 'Fame Factor' themed season which explored the darker side of fame and included the transmission of a documentary by Jaine Green few viewers have ever been able to forget called "I'm Your Number One Fan". The film featured an array of unusual individuals with mild to aggressive stalker-ish tendencies - from a mother and daughter who adore Cliff Richard to a Princess Diana stalker who had the completely mad idea (this being pre-Paris 97) that The Queen was plotting to kill Diana - but the most fascinating of all these characters is the now infamous Blue Tulip Rose Read.

Blue Tulip Rose Read's original name was Carol Ballard. She changed it legally after a chance encounter with DJs Ed Stewart (who's breath STINKS) and Mike Read (who has BEAUTIFUL BREATH). From then on Blue Tulip Rose knew she had met the only man for her. One playful grope of Mikes "tenders" bum later and they were married.

The documentary filmed the ICONIC Blue Tulip in all her bleach blonde crew cut glory as she typed up letters to Mike Read (while naked), had t-shirts printed proclaiming to be his wife and travelling to the Classic FM offices, in her luxurious blue trackie top and shorts combo, to deliver love letters to her husband. The whole film is available on youtube with our feisty fashionista appearing in Parts 1 & 2, however I would recommend watching the whole thing as its absolutely brilliant.

Blue Tulip and her tinted glasses became an instant cult star. So much so that The League Of Gentlemen comedy series used direct quotes from Blue Tulip Rose in newspaper signs for the Royston Vasey Chronicle.  Blue Tulip would one day be featured in her own local press too.

After that, Blue Tulip Rose left the adoring gaze of her public for over a decade before returning to our screens, recharged and remoulded as Blue Tulip Edelweiss Warby, and ready to rock while auditioning for 2008's Britain's Got Talent showcasing her 'doggy singing', which had previously been debuted all those years ago in the Channel 4 documentary. She even managed to make a reference to Simon Cowell's previous incarnation as 'Wonderdog'.  Simon looked nervous - could Blue Tulip be out to impress a new man?

In a WORLD EXCLUSIVE interview with local paper Welwyn Hatfield Times - which at the time was accompanied by videos (sadly now lost forever it is feared) of her renowned doggy singing and, showing she's no one-trick pony, for the first time ever "moggy singing" such classics as Memories - Blue remained upbeat: 

"It was a really good day and I enjoyed singing in front of the audience. I never really got the chance to show how good I was, but I did meet Ant and Dec who were absolutely lovely. It was my dogs Cindy and Benjy who gave me the idea to sing. Cindy said to me one day, 'Mum I think you should sing like a dog' so I did. At first I wasn't very good but I have got a lot better. What I do is so much different to what is already out there and I would love a record company to give me a deal." 

Blue Tulip Rose Read Edelweiss Warby lived in Welwyn Garden City at the time of her X Factor audition and according to a friend of mine she's still living there and can be spotted every now and then still singing doggy style ;)

YOU CAN PACK THAT IN AS SOON AS YOU LIKE!

Comments - and any confirmed sightings of Blue Tulip - are always welcome ;)