Mog’s Christmas: Sophie Ellis-bextor Interview

Sophie sings the theme song “As Long as I Belong”

In ‘Mog’s Christmas’ airing Christmas Day on Channel 4, Mr and Mrs Thomas and their children Debbie and Nicky are busy making preparations for Christmas. With two Aunts and a jolly Uncle also staying in the house, Mog is feeling ignored and confused. Looking for peace and quiet, Mog steps outside to enjoy the winter sun. This however, is soon disturbed by the Thomas’s neighbour Mrs Gaynor, whose baby demands cuddles from a reluctant Mog.

When Mr Thomas and the two children arrive home with an enormous Christmas tree it is all too much. Taking fright Mog scrambles onto the roof and refuses to budge. After the family have gone back inside, snowflakes begin to fall and soon the house and garden is covered with snow. Later, an excited Debbie and Nicky run outside and draw a giant Mog face in the snow in an attempt to convince her to come down. Mr and Mrs Thomas also come to the rescue, but since Mog can’t remember how she got onto the roof, she now doesn’t know what to do and stays put.

After the family have gone to bed, Mog drifts off to sleep on the snowy roof. Despite everyone’s fears, Mog has a magical night with a cat-themed musical Christmas dream, but will Mog arrive back home in time for Christmas Day?

Roughly how many times have you read the book in your life?

Blimey, well, my eldest is going to be 20 next year, Mog has been part of our world since he was small. In fact, his favourite book when he was little was Mog in the Dark. But this one is part of a little series of books we always get out at Christmas time. All our kids love Mog. It just shows Judith Kerr’s talent as a writer, but her tone is so consistent, you really get a good sense of the character of this cat and all the adventures she gets up to and the affection and frustration of her family. They’re always saying “bother that cat!” It’s lovely, really affectionate.

What’s been the most exciting thing about doing this project?

It’s just getting the opportunity to be part of Mog’s world. Family stuff is what you go home to, so when I told my kids that I’d been asked to sing Mog’s song, they couldn’t really believe it. It’s feels very special, actually. Hopefully I’ve given a little bit of her story in how I’ve interpreted the song. I was lucky enough to meet Judith Kerr once with my eldest and my second boy. She was at this party and it was really sweet because Kit, who was 18 months but is now 14, didn’t know who she was. He’d never hugged anybody out the blue before, but he just ambled over and gave her a hug, so I feel like I’ve got a teeny tiny connection that way as well.

David and Don suggested they thought of you as someone who might be able to embody a cat in song…

Well, I take that as a compliment. I’m a cat owner. I like cat’s temperaments. Cats are basically allowed to act exactly as they want and they respond very warmly to anyone who feeds them. In that regard, I’m very similar.

Why has Mog endured as a character?

There are a few reasons for that, mostly to do with Judith Kerr’s talent as a writer. Children can have their favourite books, but if the person reading it to them doesn’t enjoy the reading process, they are not going to support the kids wanting to choose those books again and again. I’ve always found the way that she writes really compelling. You can get into Mog’s voice very easily because Judith is leading you there as the reader. Kids like that consistency of delivery – you know when you start the books, you’re going to find yourself in that same, very safe world where Mog is sometimes being a bit daft, getting up to a bit of mischief, doing her own thing for her own reasons, but ultimately is always part of the family and sometimes inadvertently saves the day. There’s something very childlike about Mog, very charming. There’s one story (Mog and the Baby) where she jumps into a road because she’s frightened by a dog, but she actually saves a baby in the process. I think kids can see the duality of this very sweet, sometimes naïve cat and the bigger world that the older children and the parents in the family can see as well. They get to have one foot in both camps. It’s very wholesome as well.

How do you enjoy working with Don and David?

The undeniable talent and musicality speaks for themselves, but they also happen to be really lovely people so it’s just complete joy. As soon as David sent the song over I immediately pictured this little cat curled up on the roof, looking at all the little windows and people wrapping their Christmas presents. It really painted a picture straightaway.

The song is about belonging and acceptance and family, which fits very nicely into what many people are thinking about at Christmas.

Yes, and I can’t take credit for that. That’s David and Don’s talent, they wanted to make sure that it had that warm, beating heart because when you watch these cartoons, I picture different generations sat on the sofa on Christmas. That is what the essence of Christmas, isn’t it? With the people you love and that’s where you feel you belong.

Are you a big Christmas fan?

I am a Christmas fan, absolutely. We host Christmas in our house. On Christmas Eve will be in our own home doing the final touches for the big day. On Christmas Day we have loads of people over, my mum, my brother, my sister, her boyfriend, my husband Richard’s parents, his brother, sometimes the neighbours. We start the day with stockings, we finish it with mulled wine and Martini. We’re pretty good at Christmas – our priorities are in the right place!

Do you have cats?

I used to have three cats but sadly my oldest one is no longer with us. My little cat will scarper because my mum brings the dog over. He’ll be around on Christmas but he will be oblivious to the fact that his hours are numbered and he’ll have to scarper soon – just for a while, though.

Might you add this song to your setlist on future tours?

I don’t really see that happening, but it can just be in its own little animated world. I’ve voiced it, but really it’s Mog’s song, so unless Mog suddenly finds herself coming on tour with me, I think it’s going to have to stay where Mog is.

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