This is a comedy show run every night for the duration of the olympic games, where basically the hosts ask strange questions, and make even stranger comments, with special guests! And much to my surprise they got Alexei on there so yay!

Alexei is introduced following some MITIM footage. He comes through the door which is sprinkling snow on hims. Smiles and waves to the audience and sits down.

HG: Welcome! Thanks for coming in, Alexei. Now, how long does it take to put together a gold medal winning performance like we saw?

A: Actually, it's pretty fun. We were just searching for music for like months, and I even tried Swan Lake, and I tried other stuff, quick music and fast music. But finally we just chose that music because I just felt it like that, and I knew I could perform it and express myself.

HG: Now you're given certain elements to perform, certain fixed requirements. Is it a matter of finding a piece of music that fits the pattern of choreography that you've worked out, (Alexei nods) so you might make up the choreography separate to the music? Or do they have to fit together?

A: Well actually we just put on the music at the practices, just going for a few hours, and then we're just creating something, finding new moves and new steps, and that's how we create the new program.

HG: You did something in your program where you flicked up the snow. Is that something you've created yourself, or is it something you've nicked from somebody else? (everyone laughs)

A: This trick was fun, interesting how we found it, actually. One girl just fell doing like a triple, and she fell and injured her knee. That's how we picked up the ice, I just brought the ice to her for her injured knee. And then Tatiana, my coach just screamed like 'Alexei! Let's just do that!' And that's how this move ended up in my short program.

HG: Is that something you think you could do, you could find other things to do with the ice or you might take further?

A: Actually, (shrugs) I felt like a snow girl skating this program (laugh). But I will find something else, I mean maybe I'll pick something up from the audience. (laugh).

Roy: Now, you use gloves, ar you the only one to use gloves?

A: The name of the program is Winter, and we're in Salt Lake, and actually I'm really happy it's snowing right now, and that's the reason for gloves! (hosts and audience laugh, Alexei smiles).

ROY: Now you've done MITIM, Lawrence of Arabia, Gladiator (Alexei nods and smiles), where to from there? Any thoughts of doing, say, the Boris Yeltsin story? (llots of laughter!)

A: You know, I have no idea what's going to happen next year, but actually when I skated Gladiator last year I got a present for my birthday, Russell Crowe he signed a picture of himself for me. So I'm just really happy that just *maybe* he watched my skating. (looks down)

Both hosts: Oh yes, yes, he would have! (Big smile from Alexei)

ROY: Now, ice-dancing...

A: Actually, the ice-dance is pretty fun, because I have no idea what they do, even if I'm a figure skater. They don't jump, they don't do spins, and all they have to do, they just have to smile (massively big fake grin which gets bigger and bigger as he talks!) and the more they smile the better marks they get! (lots of laughter).

HG: Do you think the computer could come to the aid of the judges in your sport? There's been a big scandal of course, it's been well documented you know what the scandal is, but if you took a video of your performance so the technical side could be plotted on a computer, could one performance be compared to another?

A: I knew you were going to ask about the pairs, it's everywhere, it's been this huge talk, but I don't really care what happened in the judging. I knew that I had to do it twice better so then there's gonna be no doubt. But I don't really care about the judging, I just have to skate and do my job.

ROY: Yes, and if you're the best you'll win.

A: Yeah.

ROY: Yes, that's how we felt, we thought (mock-serious) the Russians were the best, and the Canadians were actually pretty ordinary.

(Everyone laughs, both hosts continue to pretend being sensible)

ROY: You're now living in America, in Connecticut, I think.

A: Yeah, I do.

ROY: Now would you ever consider coming and living in Australia? Because we could get you in and go right to the head of the queue and you could skate for Australia at the next Winter Olympics. (audience laughs, Alexei looks thoughtful) Now there'd be government subsidies, we could offer you a car, somewhere to live, beaches, all of that, a total package...

A: (interrupts, says thoughtfully and hopefully) Can I get business class for the flight, because really (audience and hosts laugh) you guys are so far from the rest of the world! I've been like twice to Australia and I was so tired, it was like hell for me just to fly in to your great country. I know it's great, but still... (laughter all around). Ah, I'm fine, I'm pretty well in the United States, though if you will get business class then I might think about that. (all laugh again).

ROY: Do you miss Europe, living there?

A: Europe, they've got a great culture there, but I mean the McDonalds are everywhere.

ROY: Yes, yes! But you must miss, say, the coffee?

A: The coffee, I love. Yes I do, actually I miss my country, I'm very proud that I'm Russian, and that I got another gold medal for Russia, but I'm pretty comfortable living here.

HG: Is ice-skating a big sport in Russia, can you earn a living at it?

A: Ah, the sport is great. But it's my opinion that it doesn't really matter what you do, but when the person is really happy with their job. And I really like what I'm doing, thanks to my mother for well, for delivering me first (audience laughs, Alexei grins and looks down), and she put me in the sport.

ROY: What are you going to do when ice-skating is finished? What do you want to do, are you going to choreograph, or do media, or take on something else?

A: Ah, I'll be really pleased if you will ask me on your show again. Maybe I will just do something with you guys? (audience and hosts laugh).

Both hosts: A trio! That's a great idea! And you could teach us how to skate!

HG: Well for starters...

HG: The internet is a big thing, (through this Alexei is picking things up off the desk and playing with them) and I saw it's a hobby of yours, and I noticed on the internet people put up music that they'd like you to skate to. Do you ever take their advice?

A: I have a laptop with me, I just carry that all the time with me, and it's pretty fun what the people are discussing. The internet is great because you can get a lot of information from that. I have my official fan club and my official site, and I go there like twice a week or once a week and put up sometimes what I've experienced the previous week. So it's great, fun to do.

ROY: And you're not embarassed by like the poems that are written to you by, presumably, young women...

A: So I guess you heard about that? (audience laughs)

ROY: I've read them... how do you find it?

A: Oh, it's great... actually today a girl called to me and she's like 'Alexei, I'm definitely the girl who you really need!' And I'm like 'Oh, really?' She's like 'Yes, that's my phone number.' And she just had the phone number and said, 'Okay, I have no questions to ask you, just call me.'

ROY: Are you going to call her?

A: (mock serious) Oh, definitely! (everyone laughs).

The hosts then present Alexei with two gifts for appearing on the show, a pin (of a seagull stabbed with a ski pole - don't ask.. onrunning joke) and a shirt (also an onrunning joke - the hosts want Olympics 2010 to be in australia). General chatter then Alexei takes the gifts, and then leans forward towards the hosts. "Do you have anyting else for me?" he says, in a tone suggesting he thinks he deserves more. The audience laughs and Alexei breaks in to a wide smile and laughs as they take a photo of him with his pin (which was soooo gorgeous!)

Enjoy!