Local Christian schools’ worker, portrait artist, legal proof reader and former Baptist minister Malc Mackinnon has made it through to the final of Krypton Factor 2010!
Malc attends West Thurrock Chapel with his wife, local Primary School teacher Donna, and is a member of the West Thurrock Bar’N’Bus team.
A good friend of Transformation Thurrock, we sent our reporter along to ask him a few questions about his trials, tribulations and triumphs in the semi final round, which was shown on ITV1 last Tuesday.
TT: Congratulations, Malc, on squeezing through to the final of Krypton Factor 2010. It was a squeeze, wasn’t it?
MM: You could say that – I’m still looking for the skin of my teeth which I appear to have mislaid! I’m delighted to be able to say that I was saved by Flash Gordon with two seconds to spare – not many people can say that!
TT: How did the ‘tortoise and the hare’ thing come about for the Assault Course round?
MM: One of the medics there, possibly worried about my age, told me to pace myself and maybe catch some of the younger ones near the end when they might have burned themselves out. Turned out to be shrewd advice!
TT: What’s all this ‘Mr Old Grey Bloke’ stuff about then? Sounds like something from the Mr Men books…
MM: It all started when I designed my wedding invites with both my wife and myself as Mr Men characters. She was Little Miss Bobblehead and I was Mr Big Old Grey Bloke. I think there’s a danger of overdoing it now, though – I might never be able to lose the nickname.
TT: So, since when did Carry On actor Kenneth Williams write Wind In The Willows? What happened, Malc?
MM: Very easy to get your Kenneths muddled up under pressure. I knew it was a Kenneth whose surname was also a man’s Christian name. As soon as I said “Williams”, I started laughing (as did most of the audience).
TT: Were there any more comments made about ‘Malcolm’s prayers being answered’ this time?
MM: There seemed to be a lot less this time, maybe because I never actually won any round. In fact it was a very strange feeling, being beaten by such a huge margin but still qualifying for the final.
TT: In what ways have you felt God being with you throughout this process?
MM: Mostly in the fact that, at every stage when it looked like I was about to fail, something happened to help me through. Often it felt as though it wasn’t me doing anything but God acting on my behalf. More important than the game itself, though, was the opportunity to express my faith in front of the other contestants and production staff, and also before a national TV audience.
TT: Your wife Donna was seen on the show cheering for you. What does she make of it all?
MM: She loved it. She was a massive help to me in helping me prepare, especially giving me lots of practice on the observation round. I think she was more nervous than I was when we were in the studio.
TT: What’s been the media interest since we last spoke?
MM: Well, I can’t say too much, but I’ve heard the BBC are pencilling me in take over the Jonathan Ross show – no, seriously, both Yourthurrock.com and the Gazette have run a story about it, which is very nice. (See links below.)
TT: How are you feeling about the final? Confident?
MM: Well, now I’m there, why not? You’ve got to be in it to win it, as they say. The good thing is that we all start from zero – anything could happen!
TT: How have the young people at the West Thurrock Bar’N’Bus reacted to you being on the telly?
MM: With massive indifference! None of them know anything about the show and, even if they did, I still think they’d choose to watch Eastenders instead.
TT: If you win, do you think Thurrock Council will give you an open bus tour of the borough? Or will another evening on the Bar’N’Bus do?
MM: You never know, but probably just another evening on the Bar’N’Bus
TT: We wish you all the best for next Tuesday night and hope to speak to you next week!
MM: Thanks very much.
Pictures from top to bottom:
Malc looking pensive in the intelligence test round.
Ben Shepherd, the show’s presenter, on the set.
Malc’s laughing because he gave the answer 42 when it should’ve been 17. ‘Close’, he said to Ben, and 5 million other people.
Malc doing a fine impression of a tortoise as he slogs up the hill in the Assault Course round.
An elated tortoise beats two of the hares and comes second after clawing his way back from last position.
Donna and other Old Grey Bloke fans show their appreciation in the studio audience.
Another good day at the office for Mr Old Grey Bloke – and “all old grey blokes everywhere”.
The final of The Krypton Factor 2010 will be shown next Tuesday evening at 7.30pm on ITV1. Transformation Thurrock’s own Tim Harrold will be in the studio audience along with Donna, of course, and Gareth & Sarah Marsh of Grays Baptist Church!
The semi final can be seen it via this link: www.itv.com/itvplayer/video/?Filter=124733
Video interview by Michael Casey with Malc on www.yourthurrock.com/2010/03/03/malcolm-into-final-of-krypton-factor/
You can read about Malc’s exploits on the Thurrock Gazette website: www.thurrockgazette.co.uk/news/5036955.Orsett_man_makes_the_final_of_The_Krypton_Factor/
The Yellow Advertiser are also covering Malc’s progress, so watch out for news of him there too.
Philippians 3:12-14
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
1 Corinthians 9:26-27
Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
