Latest news with #SpinnakerTower
Yahoo
25-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Reporter descends tower landmark on live TV
A BBC reporter has become the 50,000th person to abseil down the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth. John Maguire undertook the challenge live on BBC Breakfast earlier, descending 100m (330ft) down the 170m (560ft) landmark. The tower, which marks its 20th anniversary in October, has had more than five million visitors since it opened. As he descended, Maguire told viewers and presenters Charlie Stayt and Naga Munchetty: "You get the most extraordinary view... I must say it is rather disconcerting." You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X, or Instagram. More on this story Watch: 90-year-old woman abseils down 100m tower Watch: Unique drone footage shows tower dive Exercise simulating tower disaster gets underway Related internet links Spinnaker Tower
BBC News
25-07-2025
- BBC News
Reporter descends Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth on live TV
A BBC reporter has become the 50,000th person to abseil down the Spinnaker Tower in Maguire undertook the challenge live on BBC Breakfast earlier, descending 100m (330ft) down the 170m (560ft) tower, which marks its 20th anniversary in October, has had more than five million visitors since it he descended, Maguire told viewers and presenters Charlie Stayt and Naga Munchetty: "You get the most extraordinary view... I must say it is rather disconcerting." You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X, or Instagram.
Daily Mail
25-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
BBC Breakfast viewers left concerned for a reporter as he loses communication with studio during dangerous stunt
BBC Breakfast viewers were left worried when the hosts 'lost communication' with a star who was abseiling down a 170-metre tall tower in a risky stunt. During Friday's installment of the show, reporter John Maguire celebrated the 20th anniversary of the opening of the Spinnaker Tower by abseiling down its sheer face. The Portsmouth building is 170 metres tall, and operates as an observation point- offering expansive 23-mile views. Hosts Naga Munchetty, 50, and Charlie Stayt, 63, chatted to John and updated viewers on his progress throughout. However John, who was the 50,000th person to abseil the tower, couldn't quite conceal his fear as he anticipated the worrying drop below him. Maintaining composure, he spoke steadily to the camera: 'I feel as if I'm in extremely safe hands, strapped in. During Friday's installment of the show, reporter John Maguire celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Spinnaker Tower by abseiling down its sheer face '100 metres down we are, the tower itself, Spinnaker Tower, is 170 metres high. That's pretty high, isn't it?' he shared. 'You get the most extraordinary view, there's a warship just coming in just below me there. 'I must say, it is rather disconcerting. The one thing I haven't done so far is I haven't been brave or dark enough to look down, other than looking down from the top. 'Well, what a wonderful thing to be doing on a Friday morning.' As John continued his descent, the microphone connecting him to the studio cut out, and Naga and Charlie hastily interrupted with an update amid fears for the star. 'Well, I'm delighted, John, that it's not too windy for you. We have a shot of you on the Spinnaker Tower, he looks like a bug,' Naga said. Charlie chimed in to soothe concerned watchers, saying: 'The way this has worked is we've lost communication with John. We can still hear him talking, but we can't speak to him. 'We were told sort of two-thirds of the way down that we'd lose communication with him, but you can see him gradually moving his way down and talking at the same time, very impressive.' Host Charlie explained that they had lost communication with John when he was about two-thirds of the way down Watchers at home waited with baited breath, fearing something could have gone wrong in John's descent. But their worries were soon quelled when he reached the bottom minutes later, and said of his experience: 'It was exhilarating and a little bit terrifying... I had my eyes closed most of the way down.' Showing his shaking hands to the camera, he joked: 'The lift only takes 30 seconds, I should have done that.' Matt Taylor, who accompanied brave John and was delivering live weather updates, praised the thrill-seeker, saying: 'To be fair John, you took that very well. Very, very brave. 'I've been looking from down here and that platform looks a bit shaky to me.' Viewers rushed to social media to express their concern for John, with one writing: 'Sod that.' Another said: 'This is some live Noel Edmunds disaster s***,' while a third added: 'John Maguire abseils down Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth. It's official! BBC Breakfast is going 10 per cent Blue Peter.'
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Why the Isle of Wight needs a hovercraft emoji right now!
In this whirlwind of digital communication we navigate, the emoji has become a potent tool. A well-placed smiley face can soften a terse message, a thumbs-up can convey swift agreement, and a string of party poppers can share joyous news without typing a word. From hieroglyphs to pixels, we've always sought succinct expression. Yet, for us Islanders, there's a glaring omission in this colourful lexicon, a void frankly more noticeable with each Solent crossing. I speak of the majestic, iconic, and utterly indispensable hovercraft. Now, I'm sure the Unicode Consortium, our emoji gatekeepers, are frightfully busy. They're no doubt deliberating over the precise curvature of a new croissant emoji or the exact shade of a contemplative face. We appreciate their diligence. We have emojis for steam trains, for cruise ships, even for a rather futuristic-looking monorail. But no hovercraft. How can this be? Imagine the scene: you're gliding across the water, the Spinnaker Tower shrinking in your wake, a seafort slipping by. You want to share this moment, to send a quick message to a loved one - "Just leaving Southsea, be with you soon!" And then you reach for the emoji keyboard. A ferry? Too pedestrian. A speedboat? Not quite the same gravitas. A rocket? Well, perhaps a slight exaggeration of its speed. The current situation is frustrating. I've found myself resorting to unsatisfactory combinations - perhaps a ship, a gust of wind, and a bird's wing, hoping the recipient deciphers my Solent-specific shorthand. It's hardly ideal. Possible, but you lose something in the translation. Think of the sheer utility! A quick tap of a hovercraft emoji could signify "I'm on my way over," "Meet you at the terminal," or even, with a preceding sad face, "Oh dear, it looks like the hover might be off due to this pesky fog!" The possibilities are endless, and the boost to Island pride immeasurable. Perhaps this seems a trivial matter in the grand scheme of things. But isn't it often the small, everyday things that bring a touch of joy or, in this case, a minor but persistent niggle? We Island dwellers are a practical, innovative bunch. We built the world's first commercial passenger hovercraft service, for goodness sake! Surely, we deserve the digital equivalent to acknowledge this pioneering spirit. So, I put it to you, fellow hovercraft fans, and perhaps even to those mysterious emoji arbiters across the globe: isn't it time the hovercraft took its rightful place amongst the digital icons of our age? It's a small ask, but one that would bring a disproportionate amount of satisfaction to those of us who know and love these remarkable machines. After all, if there's room for a floppy disk emoji (a relic most of Gen Z have never encountered), there's certainly space for a vessel that continues to zip across our waters with such distinctive panache. Let the campaign commence! Now, who knows the email address for the Unicode Consortium?
