But it sounds like you also do a lot with the entertainment side as well, not just the gaming side.

Yeah, well, the law in the UK has been so restrictive for a long time.

Until 2005, British casinos couldn't advertise, couldn't promote, couldn't have live entertainment at all.

You had to be a member for 24 hours before you could come in.

And it was really just almost Victorian sort of aggressive legislation.

End result of that, most British casinos grew up in that era and they're small because that was the best they could do, small with a bar and a restaurant.

I came into it fairly fresh out of bingo and bingo had been deregulated and gone shooting up.

What's the formula for that?

Do they advertise this for sale? Did you go past with your father?

Let's go back to 1900 when it opened.

It was really a continuation.

of a series of entrepreneurs, impresarios, or arrogant idiots who think they can actually take on the beast of the Hippodrome, because it is a beast.

It is.

And the location, as you know, is phenomenal.

We're like the crossroads in London between the Theatre District, Soho Chinatown, the West End, and Piccadilly Circus, and Trafalgar Square.

He

Mm.

But of course, I'm doing a game at Stamford Bridge, doing a Chelsea home game.

I've gotta be around people.

I've gotta be around the producers, the camera crew, the graphics guys, all the assistant producers.

It's not optional.

But I remember just quickly going onto the catering bus 'cause it was a, uh, a lunchtime kickoff, having a bit of breakfast, and I just wanted to get out there.

Normally, I'd be like on there having banter with all the guys and girls, just having fun, and then we get down to the serious business of doing the, doing the program, and I just didn't wanna be there.And so I got off the bus really quickly, and my producer Billy came round, and he just said, "Can I have a word?" And I'm like, "Oh no, what have I done wrong?" Or is there gonna be something in the buildup I didn't know about and it's gonna be really complicated.

Yeah.

Did, did he, did he have an awareness of what was going on?

Yeah, but you kinda...

I remember having to speak to her consultant, Dr. Andy, on the morning when he said, "She's not gonna make it." And I'm thinking, "Okay, well, what do I...

What do I do about Ethan?" Ethan knows Mum's ill, doesn't know the severity of it.

He's at school today.

And I said to him, "What do I do? Do I get him in? How, how much do I tell him?" And he said, "In my opinion, I would get him in, and how much you tell him is, is up to you.

But I'd probably go as far as Mummy's very seriously ill, uh, and then take it from there." So Ethan got brought in, and knew she was seriously ill obviously, and sh- she wasn't conscious.

Oh my God.