Why a vegan breakfast when it was vegetarian week ? Take a listen to the both segments of the show to find out:

» Part 1
(64k mono mp3 – 10min:36secs / 4.85MB)

» Part 2
(12min:35secs / 5.75MB)

Thanks, as always to Brian Rogers for the files.

This isn’t the first time an O’Leary has been on the radio, in fact I think it is the third 4th time for Niki ! – Previous appearances here.

AND… ! Ray and Jane went a bit upmarket a while ago when they appeared on BBC Radio Merseyside.

Give them their own show, that’s what I say.

Before she cooked Simon a vegan breakfast, Niki talks about vegetarianism and why she is a vegan:

Then Niki comes back and Simon (who is a vegetarian himself) tastes the brekkie:

» Catch up with Niki’s other radio appearances:

- Niki with Simon last March
(Her 1st appearance. She sits in on the whole show).

- Niki on Late Night with Nicksy – Part 1.
(This was in May during Vegetarian Week and Niki again talks about vegetarianism)

- Late Night with Nicksy – Part 2
(Niki answers questions from callers to the show)

Thanks once again to Brian for providing the audio.

On Monday she talked via the phone with a City Talk presenter for about 10 minutes, but on Friday night it was the Niki O’Leary show.

Liverpool’s Number 1 Vegan, as they described her, was a guest on Late Night Nicksy and arr Niki was talking and taking phone calls well into the late hours.

I will be editing and posting some audio later on next week, but for now listen below to the first 20 minutes of her appearance. The sound is a bit rough sorry. I will try to fix it.

- Niki O'Leary on Late Night Nicksy part 1:

» Also have a listen to a previous appearance on CityTalk with Niki as a guest of Simon O’Brien on his show.

For anyone who hasn’t seen or tried this yet, here is the recipe via the Vegetarian Society:

Blind Scouse

Serves 4
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

Scouse

• 1 leek, washed well and cut into bite sized chunks
• 2 medium onions, peeled and cut into bite sized chunks
• 3 medium (500g) potatoes, peeled and cut into bite sized chunks
• 3 – 4 (300g) carrots, peeled and cut into bite sized chunks
• 1-2 handfuls pearl barley (soaked overnight in cold water or soaked in boiling water for an hour)
• 1ltr vegetable stock
• 1x 410g can butter beans, rinsed and drained
• to taste salt and pepper

To serve:

– Herb dumplings
– Pickled red cabbage, or chopped pickled beetroot (optional)

Method

1. For the Scouse: Put all ingredients except the butter beans in a large saucepan and bring to the boil. Cover with a lid and simmer for 30 minutes.

2. Add the butter beans, return to the boil then add the dumplings (if using). Replace lid and simmer for a further 15 minutes. Serve in soup plates.

Dumplings (optional)
(Makes about 16)

• 125g self raising flour
• 50g vegetable suet
• 1tbs onion, peeled and very finely chopped
• 2tsp dried mixed herbs
• to taste salt and pepper
• 100ml very cold water

Mix all dry ingredients. Just before adding to the Scouse, mix in enough cold water to make a rather sticky dough. Drop rounded teaspoonfuls into the boiling soup and continue as point 2.

This recipe © The Vegetarian Society

» Print this

After her telly and newspaper appearances, another medium is captured by one of our own when Niki O’Leary took to the radio last Saturday (March 29th) morning as a guest news reviewer on Simon O’Brien’s radio show on City Talk 105.9 FM:

You can listen again to the entire 3 hour show (until next Saturday) via the www.whatson.com website, but thanks to Brian we have captured and stored the show so you can listen on demand whenever you like.

» On the programme at the beginning Niki mentions about the fur wearing Coleen McLoughlin was given a national style award. Not exactly a good role model…

- Then Liverpool’s 2nd most famous ScouseVeggie (after Sir Paul of course !) gives a few plugs for this very group and website !

- Later on the committed Vegan and animal rights campaigner comes into her own when the topics of growing your own vegetables as well as vegetarianism & veganism come up, plus Niki makes some excellent points and arguments about the Grand National and it’s treatment of horses.

The entire show is excellent and very compelling listening which you can click on play below to listen to hear and now:

- or you can download the 65mb .mp3 file for your computer/mp3 player to listen to at any time by right-clicking and “Save Target/Link As”… on this link here.

Via the Echo:

City radio star quits after on-air outburst
Jun 25 2007
Catherine Jones, Liverpool Echo

PRESENTER Simon O’Brien has resigned from Radio Merseyside hours after letting slip a string of expletives on air.

The station apologised to listeners after the slip-up which happened during this morning’s breakfast programme co-presented by O’Brien.

Radio Merseyside boss Mick Ord described the blunder as an ‘unacceptable lapse’ and ordered an investigation into how it had been allowed to happen.

But at lunchtime today 42-year-old O’Brien announced he was stepping down “with immediate effect” and apologised for any offence….

… The station received a number of complaints from listeners after the howler at 6.30am.

It came when O’Brien played a trailer for a Roger Phillips show due to be heard tonight.

The programme Phillips Extra, due to air between 6-7pm, looks at the planned regeneration of Liverpool’s Edge Lane and the needs of people affected by the plans.

But a recorded chat between Phillips and O’Brien ended with the 42-year-old former Brookside actor clearly heard saying “f*** the government, f*** the planners”.

It is understood it was recorded at the end of last week.

But an editing blunder meant the swear words were accidently left in.

In a statement, O’Brien said: “I’m very sorry for the lapse this morning which will have caused offence to many listeners.

“The pre-recorded material, which was entirely my work, was never meant to be broadcast.

“I further stress the views aired were my personal views and in no way reflect the editorial position of BBC Radio Merseyside or the BBC in general.

“In the circumstances I have decided the correct thing to do is to resign from BBC Radio Merseyside with immediate effect.”

» Link

In 2006 Channel 4 did a Liverpool week for Come Dine With Me (CDWM) and our Niki took part. This was when CDWM was still half hour/5 episodes and not the 1 hour version it is now.

After her appearance – and the appearance of this website on the show we got swamped with emails and comments. Channel 4 and E4 regularly repeat the Liverpool week and we still get messages every time it is aired.

Watch Niki on the telly:

Update Sept 2008: Some sad news to report. Niki’s cat Toak, who was seen in the above episode, has sadly died. He was a very old and beautiful cat. He will be missed by all.

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REPOSTED: The recipes that Niki used for her vegan menu on Come Dine With Me.

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Niki On The Radio

As well as her telly appearance Niki was a guest on some local radio shows.
One of them is hosted by Simon O’Brien, which you might remember as Damon on Brookside.

» More info about Niki’s radio appearances here.