TOYAH ON
BBC RADIO 2
SOUNDS OF THE 80'S
WITH GARY DAVIES
19.7.2025

“Good Morning Universe” plays

GARY: Taken from the “Four More From Toyah” EP, “Good Morning Universe” and good evening, Toyah!

TOYAH: Hello, Gary. How are you?

GARY: I'm fine. I'm so happy to have you on the show!

TOYAH: It's so lovely to be here. We're normally in a theatre somewhere

GARY: I know because you came on tour with us for a few of our “Sounds Of The 80'shows

TOYAH: I loved it

GARY: You were amazing

TOYAH: Oh, thank you so much. The audiences were amazing too

GARY: Yeah, they're a lot of fun, weren't they?

TOYAH: A lot of fun! Big singers!

GARY: Yes, like you! Not so big in stature, but -

TOYAH: I'm shrinking fast -

GARY: You can still belt it out

TOYAH: Definitely. I love singing and I've got a good two years of shows booked. That singing ain't gonna stop

GARY: Fantastic! We'll talk more about that in a little while. 45 years of making music and performing (Toyah laughs) and you look incredible


TOYAH: Well, thank you. So do you! You silver fox

GARY: (laughs) I was waiting for it! I still have my silver fox jingle that you did a couple of years ago (Toyah laughs) when I chatted to you when I was doing the Breakfast Show

Your big break was actually in acting, wasn't it? Mid to late 70s. You went from an extra to a starring role at the National Theatre in quite a short space of time. How did that come about?

TOYAH: It was immediate. I was spotted on the streets of Birmingham because I had green and yellow hair about 1975

GARY: Of course you did!

TOYAH: And two brothers - one a director, one a writer, tracked me down to play a girl who breaks into The Top Of The Pop studios to sing at midnight. It was just me, and ironically, Phil Daniels, who we went on to do “Quadrophenia” together - the movie - and Noel Edmunds playing himself. And this showed on TV. It was October 1976 and the next day I was invited to join the National Theatre

I was invited by Kate Nelligan and the German superstar Maximilian Schell. I ascended and ascended. I went into the most extraordinary jobs. I made “Jubilee” with Derek Jarman. I made “The Corn Is Green” starring opposite Katharine Hepburn and I did “Quartermass” with Sir John Mills. It just didn't stop. I managed to form the band at the same time -

GARY: All because of your hair?

TOYAH: All because of my hair and the fact that I just had pre-punk attitude. I was very independent. Made my own clothes. I stood out like a sore thumb but people were fascinated and I just took off. I remember when I arrived at the National Theatre everybody wanted to talk to me because they wanted to know why I was the way I was

Why did I have this strange hair?Why was I making my own clothes? Why did I just happily travel around on my own, not needing anybody in my life. I just had so much opinion and attitude about everything. It was a glorious time

GARY: What came first? Was it the acting or the music?

TOYAH: The acting came first, but ironically I was singing. So it was a play called “Glitter” on BBC Two. I had to write two songs to sing on this TV play and the band that helped me do it were called Bilbo Baggins

GARY: Oh, really?

TOYAH: Yes! They were lovely. I fell in love with all of them. And then life imitates art, I suddenly end up being a singer in real life

GARY: Which we'll talk about more in a mo. We've asked you to choose some of your favorite songs

TOYAH: There's a lot

GARY: I know, and we've got a lot to play tonight, The first one we're going to play is a band you're currently touring with, the Human League

TOYAH: Yes! On Wednesday I played Brighton Beach (below) with Human League and Mark Almond. I love them. I've loved them from the very beginning  


GARY: And why this particular song? “Love Action” 

TOYAH: Because it's very typically 80s. Their sound evolved from the 70s into the 80s. The two girls joined and very much gave them their identity for that period. It just swings. It's beautiful

Human League “Love Action” plays

GARY: Toyah is choosing the music this hour. If you don't like it don't blame me. Blame her (they both laugh)

TOYAH: Thank you!

GARY: There's nobody who's not going to love that Human League “Love Action”

TOYAH: I've loved Human League since the beginning

GARY: Me too

TOYAH: They were so groundbreaking when Martyn Ware was around - who I now work with, with Heaven 17. But I just remember in that very beginning we were doing similar circuits like the Nashville, which was a wonderful gig on the Gloucester Road. David Bowie would turn up to see them

It was the coolest audience all there to see the Human League. They have this fantastic history of just attracting great audiences and really magical people who were so fascinated in what they were writing

GARY: When you think of Toyah outside of your film and music people always associate you with your out there outfits, your hair, your makeup. Where did you get this, I guess, a rebellious sense of style?

TOYAH: I started making my own clothes when I was 12, and that was financial necessity. I'm a Birmingham girl, and I love Birmingham, and you could always buy patterns and the odd bit of material in the shops back then. I taught myself to make clothes

I had no money. My parents had no money and I couldn't go into a shop and buy anything. So I made my own stuff. I was always cutting corners. I never put lining in, I never finished off properly. It started to have its own look, these kind of slightly shredded clothes I became known for

But then I became a hair model. This was accidental. My mother took me to a department store in Birmingham to have my hair cut by a star hair cutter, and he loved my hair so much he started to dye it. So by the time I was 14 I had highly colored hair and I was getting banned from school. My mother was despairing. She would talk to the Samaritans regularly about my behavior (Gary laughs)

I travelled the whole of the UK modeling for a really famous hair company and I wasn't even 16. I'd made my own clothes. I was with my glorious hair cutter, Derek Goddard who's now my neighbor and I've known him all this time


GARY: Is he still cutting your hair?

TOYAH: He cuts and dyes my hair occasionally for movies and stuff like that. We had so much fun because we were in a department store at the end of the day and the hairdressers was on the top floor. They'd lock the shop up. Well, we'd run amok

I can remember running through the bedding department, jumping on every bed, and the security people could never catch us because we knew the department store so well. We were a rebellious bunch of kids who've gone on to have pretty fantastic careers

GARY: We've asked some of our listeners to ask you whatever they want to ask you

TOYAH: (laughs) Yay!

GARY: And we had a message in just here and it says, “Love you, Toyah. I love the fact that I grew up with you as a teenager with your amazing music but also adore the fact that you appeared in The Archers "

TOYAH: Yes!

GARY: “Which I also grew up with and still listen to. How and why did you choose to participate with the storyline?”

TOYAH: I was so flattered to be asked to do it because The Archers, I mean, it's iconic. It's been there all my life. I believe it's been all my life. I'm 67. They contacted me a couple of years ago and they said they had this storyline about a fête (an outdoor festival) There's a guest star that comes to open the fête and would I do it? Without a shadow of doubt I said yes

I live 34 miles away from The Archers studio and in the early noughties I was a star on the soap Silver Street, which was made next door to The Archers. So it's like going home for me. I loved it. I was working with these iconic actresses and honestly I just had to behave normally because I was so excited

GARY: “Evening Gary, really enjoying tonight's show. Can you ask Toyah what she considers the high point of her career to be? For such a talented artist and actress there must be many. However, may I suggest it was perhaps when she won a heat of Celebrity Mastermind”

TOYAH: (laughs) Oh, yeah!

GARY: That's from Alistair, Helen and cockapoo Luther

TOYAH: Thank you cockapoo and thank you Alistair and Helen. I do agree. Mastermind was incredible because - I'll tell you a secret. That day I was coming down with flu and I managed to get through the show without losing it. My subject matter was Boadicea

I was so lucky. I just really got it right. Now the thing about Boadicea is there's only 160 pages to study on her life because no one knows anything about her. If I'd chosen Nelson or chocolate, I would have had centuries of paper to read


GARY: Smart!

TOYAH: I was smart

GARY: Very smart! Your next track, one of my favorite bands too, Talk Talk

TOYAH: It's just so cool. Everybody when I was starting in music - so I was already having hits by this time - I was doing “Anthem”, “Love Is The Law, “The Changeling”. Everybody in the studio would talk about Talk Talk. They'd talk about how the voice complemented the music and the music complemented the voice, the production. How cool their presentation was. They were the ultimate cool 

Talk Talk “It's My Life” plays

GARY: Sounds Of The 80's on BBC Radio two with Toyah, who is our special guest this hour of the show and is choosing the music. I just love Mark Hollis' voice

TOYAH: It's beautiful, isn't it?

GARY: And they were such an underrated band

TOYAH: Do you think?!

GARY: I think so, yes! I think they should have had a lot bigger success than they did

TOYAH: I'd be in the studio with Steve Lilywhite, a worldwide producer, going on “how would Talk Talk do this”

GARY: Yeah, I think musicians adored them but in terms of commercial success they should have been so much bigger

TOYAH: Well, maybe it's like Scott Walker. That voice lived beyond his selling career and he became a massive auditorium filler. Talk Talk might be the same that people will want to see the legendary Talk Talk

GARY: You got signed to Safari records in 1979. Was that a doddle getting signed? Was everybody chasing you?

TOYAH: No! I was probably the only remaining unsigned artist in the world in 1979. Whenever I played - and the pub circuit was very healthy then - 2000 kids would turn up and shut the town down. It was getting to a point where the industry could not ignore me. Safari asked me to do a showcase at a time when I was making “Quadrophenia” with Phil Daniels, Leslie Ash and Sting

I remember saying to Sting, “I've got to go to London during the lunch hour and I've got to do a showcase”. He was so kind and he told me what to do. "Stay calm, focus on the music, focus on tuning". I went to London, did the showcase, got the deal, and I came back to filming “Quadrophenia” in Brighton. I said, Sting “I've got a deal!” and he gave me this huge hug. He was so happy for me!


GARY: Was it hard for labels, I guess, to take your music seriously because you were such a well known actress?

TOYAH: It was a problem, funnily enough. But also the lisp - and the lisp was very prominent - robably more prominent than now. But everyone loves my character and my individuality and my drive. I was very original in how I wrote. I didn't write to a commercial audience

I wrote about fantasy and strange scenarios and people found it quite exotic and punky. But they didn't quite get me as an actress and a singer. Back then people just didn't do that

GARY: It was like two different jobs

TOYAH: It was two different jobs and the acting fraternity did not want you to be a singer and vice versa. But I just fought and stood my ground. Within a couple of years, and I think you came to see this, I was starring in “Trafford Tanzi” at The Mermaid (theatre), which was a smash critical hit for me

It was acting and singing. After that I ended up making a film with Sir Laurence Olivier. So I did manage to go right in at the top and stay up there for quite a long time on the acting  

GARY: I remember. I mean you're still huge but back then you were a big, big star

TOYAH: It was groundbreaking for me,yes

GARY: Chas Cook says, “can you ask Toyah can she remember coming to Dumfries” -

TOYAH: Yes, I can (giggles)

GARY: “In the late 80's to open a Toyah makeup shop

TOYAH: Yes! (Gary laughs) I loved the Toyah makeup! I have people come up to me even today saying they own it. Someone somewhere is selling this vintage makeup online. I loved it! I went to Dumfries and they gave me a crystal vase with two rabbits on that's in my front window where I live now. I have such happy memories of this makeup

GARY: Aww. “We usually catch up on BBC Sounds but tonight we are listening live because we both love Toyah. So please say hi to my wife, Carol, long term Toyah fan" 

TOYAH: Hello, Carol

GARY: “Tell her I love her so much. From Graham, long term Toyah fan and two pups Poppy and Fern

TOYAH: Aww. Hello Graham!

GARY: I think we'd better play your first single chart hit, shall we?

TOYAH: Yes, please!

GARY: Lead track from the “Four From Toyah” EP, here is “It's A Mystery”

“It's A Mystery” plays

GARY: Toyah's first hit “It's A Mystery”. How did you feel back then when this became really successful?


TOYAH: Oh, I was so happy because it proved to my mum and dad I was really a singer. I obviously had done the National Theatre. I'd made two movies with Derek Jarman and Katharine Hepburn but suddenly I charted with this song and it was still at the height of my punk/new wave fame. The song came from left of field. It was a demo by a friend of mine called Keith Hale of Blood Donor. It was a 28 minute track  

GARY: Really?!

TOYAH: Yeah and we turned it into a single and it took off. It was immediate! On the first week it completely sold out of its first print run. We had to hire men in white vans to go around record shops buying broken vinyl to get to the factories to reprint it to get it back in the shops for the Saturday to get that chart placing. And we did it. We got that very precious Top 30 entry and by the Thursday I was on Top Of The Pops and I've never looked back

GARY: Amazing. Toyah is with us till the end of the show. We're playing some of her favorite songs and another of her faves from Billy Idol coming up next

Billy Idol “Mony Mony” plays

GARY: Billy Idol, “Mony Mony”, one of Toyah's favorite songs. You supported Billy Idol?

TOYAH: Yeah! I opened for his arena tour in 2022. He had Steve Stevens in the band on guitar at the same time. So I'm married to a guitarist called Robert Fripp, who Steve Stevens really loves. So Robert would come with me and oh boy, they'd be at Steve Stephens' foot pedals on stage talking about what foot pedals he uses. But Billy was fantastic

GARY: I interviewed him recently for “Tracks Of My Years”. He's still fierce, isn't he?

TOYAH: He's fabulous! This classic rock and the feel of the drums is so amazing! I would stay and watch him every night and sitting next to me would be the Prodigy. There'd be these incredible artists backstage wanting to see Billy. It was so exciting for me to actually open in these arenas, especially Wembley, and just knowing that I was part of this family. I loved it!

GARY: I want to talk about “Chameleon” which is a new career spanning collection of your work. It's out on September 5th on double vinyl, two CD and three CD and Blu-ray formats

TOYAH: Yeah, my first Blu-ray release which is fantastic!

GARY: Amazing. How did you decide what to put on here?

TOYAH: Well, I have a very brilliant archivist called Craig. I've known him since he was four years old. He had a picture with me in my dressing room in Glasgow, something like 1986 (EDIT: It was 1983) and he's now my archivist. Craig, if you're listening - you are the beneficiary of my will as well (Gary laughs) He put this together. He's just phenomenal

GARY: Did he know this before by the way?

TOYAH: No, I just told him. Happy birthday, Craig (Gary laughs) He knows every demo I've made, every song I've written that's never been heard. He put it all together and it is beautiful. It's a fantastic collection


GARY: I love the fact that Shirley Manson of Garbage and Republica's Saffron (above in the middle with Toyah and Lene Lovich) have contributed to the liner notes. Do you know these girls?

TOYAH: Yes, I toured with Saffron in 2022 as well. I adore Saffron. She's my soul sister. Shirley Manson I have got to know over recent years. She very kindly wrote a bit on her socials saying that I did inspire her but at the time she was too cool to admit it. So she's contributed to the booklet in “Chameleon” saying that I did inspire her and that's so kind of her

GARY: I'm going to play one of the tracks on the album which is “Echo Beach”. Why did you decide to cover this?

TOYAH: I was making an album called “Desire” at Abbey Road and Hayden Bendel, who was at the time Kate Bush's engineer, said “I want to hear you sing “Echo Beach””. He presented me with this track that he had produced. He said “would you sing to it?” and I did

GARY: And here it is, never been released before -

TOYAH: Oh, yes (it has)!

GARY: Oh, of course it was released -

TOYAH: Top 20!

GARY: Late 80's

TOYAH: Yeah

“Echo Beach” plays

GARY: Toyah with “Echo Beach” taken from a forthcoming album “Chameleon”. You're going to be doing two special shows to celebrate the release of the album, aren't you?

TOYAH: Yeah, we're playing Islington Chapel on October 28th. I can't wait. It's such a beautiful venue - 

GARY: It is gorgeous

TOYAH: We're filming it too. Then I've got the Warwick Arts Centre on the 30th of October. If anybody wants details, look on toyawillcox.com

GARY: And you're on the road with Big Country in December?

TOYAH: Yes, I can't wait! They're friends of mine so it's going to be a real rocking tour!

GARY: And then “The Songs and Stories Tour”. Now, this is huge  

TOYAH: It's huge!


GARY: This kicks off March 22nd in Chelmsford and basically just goes all over the UK for months

TOYAH: Three months

GARY: Phew!

TOYAH: I've written a new book that's going to be accompanying it. I'm really looking forward to it because it's very intimate

GARY: Is his is the biggest tour you've ever done?

TOYAH: Lengthwise for music, yes. I toured “Calamity Jane”, the musical, for two years but I've never quite done anything like this. I want to be able to discuss stories with the audience that I never get a chance to tell because the context is never quite right. So it's quite intimate, very revealing

I want to inspire people because I get a lot of parents bring their children to see me to give them confidence. It's like, “well, if Toyah can do it - and she has a lisp and she's not exactly tall - you can do it too”. So this means a lot

GARY: So just dye your hair!

TOYAH: Dye your hair! Make your own clothes

GARY: “Tell Toyah, I had “Thunder In The Mountains” as a seven inch single when I was 13. I put a pin through all the strands of the punk rocker hair on the cover and I would hold it up to the light whilst playing the song and her hair would be twinkling away”, says Mark

TOYAH: Oh, that's so clever! I love that, Mark. I'm gonna go home and do that to my single cover!

GARY: “Tell Toyah my step brother and I are huge fans. We both remember to this day the fantastic gig at Hammersmith Odeon 1982”. They've actually sent the ticket stub to prove it (Toyah laughs) “We danced the night away on that hot June evening”

And Jill Buckland said “I'm thrilled that you've got Toyah on the show. I'd like to ask her a question. I've always loved your song, “The Vow” with its spellbinding lyrics and fabulous video. Can you tell me your inspiration for the song?”

TOYAH: The inspiration is about brotherly love. It's a reflection of another planet going through what we go through a lot on this planet and that's conflict. There's a man holding his brother in his arms praying for him to breathe again. So it's a very powerful song

GARY: And we're going to play it now

“The Vow” plays

GARY: Toyah and “The Vow”. We're running out of time! We need to do (a jingle plays) “The Sloppy Bit with Gary Davis” and Toyah Willcox. This is our romantic interlude. Before we speak to the caller I want to talk about Robert, your husband and where you met him 

TOYAH: We were introduced by Princess Michael of Kent - (bewlow with Toyah in 1983)


GARY: What!?

TOYAH: At the Nordoff and Robbins (a music therapy charity) luncheon. She grabbed both of our hands, pulled us together and said “I want a picture with both of you”. That was 1983. I didn't see Robert again until 1985 when he proposed to me. He waited that two years knowing he I was his wife

GARY: Wow!

TOYAH: He just said, “I know you're my wife. Marry me”.

GARY: Wow!

TOYAH: It's extraordinary, isn't it? We've been together for 39 years and I love him more today than ever before. He's wonderful

GARY: What's the secret of 39 years together? Is it true you live in separate houses?

TOYAH: Yes! (they both cackle) It's true. I have an old water mill which is four miles from his home. We are crossing between homes every day, but we have separate houses

GARY: Wow!

TOYAH: We lived together during lockdown and that was wonderful but then there was just no room for me in his house once the world got back to normal

GARY: Sunday is my favorite day because I have “Sunday Lunch” with you every week

TOYAH: Oh, thank you!

GARY: For anyone who hasn't seen it you have to check out Toyah's YouTube channel - 

TOYAH: It's fun!

GARY: You are outrageous! (Toyah laughs)

TOYAH: It's silly. 150 million views we've had now

GARY: The things you get poor Robert to do!

TOYAH: I know! We've got a new one coming out next week. I can't wait! I get him in wigs. I get him in tutus. I get him in punk makeup. He's only 79. He doesn't know what's going on!

GARY: You were knocking bread rolls off his head the other week!

TOYAH: With Chesney Hawkes!


GARY: With Chesney Hawkes! I know! (laughs) Alison Hepworth, hello! In Whitefield in Manchester

ALISON: (On the phone) Hi

GARY: Hi! Say hi to Toyah

ALISON: Hi Toyah!

TOYAH: Hello, Alison, how are you this evening?

ALISON: I'm good but I'm just packing all my stuff up to move out now (laughs)

TOYAH: Oh, how's it going?

GARY: Why are you packing your stuff?

ALISON: After hearing your story

GARY: Oh, OK (laughs) Who's this song for? This is for Rick, is it?

ALISON: It is for Rick, yes

GARY: Talk to me about Rick because you met him through “Sounds Of The 80's” Facebook group. Is that right?

ALISON: I did, yeah, back in 2021 during your live show. We were chatting away as a group because during lockdown there was thousands of us on there chatting. We got talking about some of the tunes you were playing, Gary, and we realised we lived around the corner from each other  

GARY: Amazing!

ALISON: We met up, went for a walk and we've been inseparable ever since

GARY: Fantastic. And what happened to you on Monday?

ALISON: He proposed to me

TOYAH: Ooh, yay!

GARY: Congratulations!

ALISON: So the first wedding, Gary

GARY: The first wedding from the “Sounds Of The 80's” Facebook group! Amazing! I love that! Going to play this song by The Cure for you. Is that alright?

ALISON: Of course, that's perfect for us. Thank you  

GARY: Congratulations to you both

TOYAH: Congratulations, Alison and to you both

GARY: Well done

ALISON: Thank you!

GARY: See you soon

ALISON: Bye, bye


GARY: Ann in Busby near Glasgow says “Gary, probably the most entertaining hour of my recent years listening to you in Toyah”

TOYAH: Oh, lovely!

GARY: “I spent my younger days driving around Grantham in a Ford Escort with flames on the wheel arches and yellow fur interior with Toyah's cassette blaring out. People would say dodgy looking car but great music”

TOYAH: I love that!

GARY: And this is from John O'Connor in Cork City. “Can I ask does Toyah still think humans come from afar?”

TOYAH: Yes! I'm absolutely convinced

GARY: Really?

TOYAH: Yeah, we arrived on a meteorite

GARY: (not convinced) You think so?

TOYAH: Yeah, I think we hopped from Mars as well

GARY: I love it! Listen, it's been so much fun having you on the show   

TOYAH: I've loved it. It's been so special. Thank you to you and your listeners. It's been great
 
GARY: And thank you for all the messages. Good luck with the album “Chameleon”. Good luck with the tour. Like you said you're going to be very busy for the next couple of years

TOYAH: Yes! We've got so many surprises coming. It's great

GARY: Can't wait!  

TOYAH: Good to see you, Gary

GARY: Going to leave you with this absolute belter. It just sums you up this song

TOYAH: I want to be free!!!

GARY: Thank you, Toyah

“I Want To Be Free” plays

Listen to the interview