History

In March 2008, North West Tonight reporter Stuart Flinders examined the internet phenomenon known as 'Rickrolling'.

Mischievous webmasters created the prank, which involves a user being taken to the YouTube video of Rick Astley's 1987 hit 'Never Gonna Give You Up' rather than the page they thought they would be viewing.

"Hi Rick, I'm Simon Bates"

More than 150,000 people watched Stuart's piece online the day after it was broadcast, but did you know that Rick's first, tentative steps into showbusiness were covered on North West Tonight in the 1980s?

Stuart Hall looks into his crystal ball in the first of our two-part report on Rick from 1987. He sees Newton-le-Willows' finest travelling to London and BBC Television Centre for his first appearance on what was then still a national institution, Top of the Pops.

Simon Bates, taking a break from Our Tune on Radio 1, is on hand to present the show along with Peter Powell. Joe Elliott, of Sheffield hair-metallers Def Leppard, also dispenses advice to Rick on his first performance.

In the second part of the report, Rick makes a triumphant return to the North West Tonight studio for a chat with John Mundy. Where now he would be presented with a commemorative DVD of his first appearance on TV, John hands over a clunky reel of tape that has been gold-plated and signed by the team.

Weren't the 1980s great?