The entertainer grew up on Paul Daniels, old sitcoms and theatre trips – now he’s hosting the Oliviers
Add the Olivier Awards to your watchlist Comedian, actor, writer and Celebrity Traitors contestant Nick Mohammed will host the Olivier Awards in their 50th year of celebrating the best of British theatre. In our kids’ special he also reveals his go-to childhood TV favourites, why he never thought he’d work in the industry, and whether he’ll be returning in series four of Ted Lasso. Nick, you’re in our kids’ TV special – so what TV did you watch growing up? The Paul Daniels Magic Show, then later Paul Daniels’s Secrets was proper Saturday-night viewing when I was growing up. They had millions of viewers and I’d record them on video to rewatch. I did the same with the David Copperfield specials. I was four years old when I fell in love with magic. My older sister had been given a Paul Daniels magic set, which I effectively stole and loved. Magic was a proper obsession and, to a degree, it still is now. I equally loved all of the old sitcoms; Some Mothers Do ’Ave ’Em, Fawlty Towers, Dad’s Army and, as I grew older, French and Saunders, Reeves and Mortimer, Phoenix Nights and The Office. I loved comedy, but I had no desire to have a career in comedy or even to be an actor or writer. If I was ever going to move into the performance space, it would have been in magic. You mentioned David Copperfield, who’s known for grand illusions – did you ever dream of making a local landmark disappear, like Elland Road? Ha! I’ve never really been into illusions, although I enjoy the spectacle of them. I always found the illusionists a bit corny. I would still watch them because I love magic and the theatre of the illusions, but it certainly never crossed my mind to do anything on that scale. Speaking of “theatre”, how does it feel to be this year’s Oliviers host? I’m really excited and so honoured to be the host, especially with this year being the 50th anniversary of the awards. I’ve only been to the Oliviers a couple of times and, of all the awards ceremonies, they are so enjoyable because there are so many performances and there’s a real sense of camaraderie in the audience. It feels like there’s a slightly less competitive element. Your old Ted Lasso colleague Hannah Waddingham has hosted the Oliviers twice, did you tap her up for advice? As soon as I found out I was hosting, I called her. She’s given me lots of little tips and told me I’m going to have the best time. I can reveal I will not be singing, certainly not as well as her. Speaking of Ted Lasso, it’s returning for a fourth series this year – are you back, or will you be watching just as a fan this time round? I love that show, I will always love that show, and I will very much be watching. I can neither confirm nor deny if Nate will be in this series. Did you go to the theatre often when you were growing up in Leeds? Yes, but it was pricey, so not all the time. My mum and dad would take us to the West Yorkshire Playhouse, which is now the Leeds Playhouse. We’d go to the Grand Theatre, which is a venue I’ve played on tour, and we’d also go to the Alhambra in Bradford quite a lot. Is there a production you watched back then that really stuck with you? I also love the use of magic in theatre, and I saw a phenomenal production of The Invisible Man in the early 1990s. Paul Kieve, an incredible illusionist and stage illusion designer, designed the magic. They literally created an invisible man on stage, with the invisible man removing bandages from his head and revealing nothing underneath the bandages. Then he put on a hat and glasses. I was flabbergasted. Similarly, I remember seeing Peter Pan and marvelling at how the characters flew. Theatre can still be pricey – but do you think the arts have become more accessible? I’d like to think so. If you look at TV there’s the desire for a lot more content than there was five or 10 years ago, before streaming services. On the one hand, if you want to be an actor, a writer, or work as a creative on telly and film, there are a lot more opportunities. But it’s still fiercely competitive. In terms of theatre, it’s tricky. We always hear announcements about Arts Council funding being slashed and that’s a shame, because you don’t want the arts to just be for people who can afford to follow a career. I’m sure there’s lots still to be done in terms of representation and reducing barriers to entry. Do you have time to go to the theatre now, given how busy you are? I do, although it’s not always easy because we have young kids. My wife and I tend to make it a date night if we are going out, and we end up being a little bit choosy. The last thing I probably saw was Paddington: the Musical; I was really lucky to go to the opening night and it was off-the-charts amazing. With Paddington’s multiple nominations, do you think the Oliviers’ backstage catering will feature marmalade sandwiches? I would have thought so – although I can’t think of anything worse than having a marmalade sandwich before I go onstage. They’re so sticky!
Ted Lasso favourite Nick Mohammed reveals excitement at his major new presenting gig - and responds to question of Nate’s return
Nick Mohammed is set to the host the 50th Olivier Awards.
This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. Comedian, actor, writer and Celebrity Traitors contestant Nick Mohammed will host the Olivier Awards in their 50th year of celebrating the best of British theatre. In our kids’ special he also reveals his go-to childhood TV favourites, why he never thought he’d work in the industry, and whether he’ll be returning in series four of Ted Lasso. Nick, you're in our kids' TV special – so what TV did you watch growing up? The Paul Daniels Magic Show, then later Paul Daniels’s Secrets was proper Saturday night viewing when I was growing up. They had millions of viewers and I’d record them on video to rewatch. I did the same with the David Copperfield specials. I was four years old when I fell in love with magic. My older sister had been given a Paul Daniels magic set, which I effectively stole and loved. Magic was a proper obsession and, to a degree, it still is now. I equally loved all of the old sitcoms; Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em, Fawlty Towers, Dad’s Army and, as I grew older, French and Saunders, Reeves and Mortimer, Phoenix Nights and The Office. I loved comedy, but I had no desire to have a career in comedy or even to be an actor or writer. If I was ever going to move into the performance space, it would have been in magic. You mentioned David Copperfield, who’s known for grand illusions – did you ever dream of making a local landmark disappear, like Elland Road? Ha! I’ve never really been into illusions, although I enjoy the spectacle of them. I always found the illusionists a bit corny. I would still watch them because I love magic and the theatre of the illusions, but it certainly never crossed my mind to do anything on that scale. Speaking of "theatre", how does it feel to be this year's Oliviers host? I’m really excited and so honoured to be the host, especially with this year being the 50th anniversary of the awards. I’ve only been to the Oliviers a couple of times and, of all the awards ceremonies they are so enjoyable because there are so many performances and there’s a real sense of camaraderie in the audience. It feels like there’s a slightly less competitive element. Your old Ted Lasso colleague Hannah Waddingham has hosted the Oliviers twice, did you tap her up for advice? As soon as I found out I was hosting, I called her. She’s given me lots of little tips and told me I’m going to have the best time. I can reveal I will not be singing, certainly not as well as her. Speaking of Ted Lasso, it’s returning for a fourth series this year – are you back, or will you be watching just as a fan this time round? I love that show, I will always love that show, and I will very much be watching. I can neither confirm nor deny if Nate will be in this series. Did you go to the theatre often when you were growing up in Leeds? Yes, but it was pricey, so not all the time. My mum and dad would take us to the West Yorkshire Playhouse, which is now the Leeds Playhouse. We’d go to the Grand Theatre, which is a venue I’ve played on tour, and we’d also go to the Alhambra in Bradford quite a lot. Is there a production you watched back then that really stuck with you? I also love the use of magic in theatre, and I saw a phenomenal production of The Invisible Man in the early 1990s. Paul Kieve, an incredible illusionist and stage illusion designer, designed the magic. They literally created an invisible man on stage, with the invisible man removing bandages from his head and revealing nothing underneath the bandages. Then he put on a hat and glasses. I was flabbergasted. Similarly, I remember seeing Peter Pan and marvelling at how the characters flew. Theatre can still be pricey – but do you think the arts have become more accessible? I’d like to think so. If you look at TV there’s the desire for a lot more content than there was five or 10 years ago, before streaming services. On the one hand, if you want to be an actor, a writer, or work as a creative on telly and film, there are a lot more opportunities. But it’s still fiercely competitive. In terms of theatre, it’s tricky. We always hear announcements about Arts Council funding being slashed and that’s a shame, because you don’t want the arts to just be for people who can afford to follow a career. I’m sure there’s lots still to be done in terms of representation and reducing barriers to entry. Do you have time to go to the theatre now, given how busy you are? I do, although it’s not always easy because we have young kids. My wife and I tend to make it a date night if we are going out, and we end up being a little bit choosy. The last thing I probably saw was Paddington: the Musical; I was really lucky to go to the opening night and it was off-the-charts amazing. With Paddington's multiple nominations, do you think the Oliviers’ backstage catering will feature marmalade sandwiches? I would have thought so – although I can’t think of anything worse than having a marmalade sandwich before I go onstage. They’re so sticky! The latest issue of Radio Times is out on Tuesday 7 April – subscribe here. The Olivier Awards take place on Sunday 12 April 2026. Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Hugh Dennis reveals how Outnumbered could return following his big Mock the Week comeback
Comedian and actor Hugh Dennis made his return to Mock the Week last weekend and has also teased how hit sitcom Outnumbered could return. Dennis, who also returned to Channel 4's thriller The Couple Next Door last year, starred in every episode of Mock the Week when it aired on the BBC between 2005 and 2022. The satirical panel show was revived earlier this year by TLC, with Dara Ó Briain resuming his role as host, but without Dennis. Radio Times spoke exclusively to Dennis backstage after he filmed his first episode since 2022, and asked how his return felt. "It felt weird for the first five minutes and then I thought, 'No, this is good. I like this.' I've always enjoyed it," said the Not Going Out star. "The show has had this evolution over the years, where it’s gone from a sort of bear pit to actually a very nice show where everybody listens and nobody's trying to jump in." Despite starring in almost 200 episodes of the topical news comedy, Dennis did admit to pre-recording nerves: "Before I went on, I was nervous, but I think I'm always nervous. I never understand people who aren’t nervous, because you think, ‘That's mad’. There are people out there and they might not laugh. It's very exposing. You'd be mad not to be nervous." Since the show’s return on TLC, fans have asked why Dennis was no longer a series regular. "Essentially, when the last series ended, you say to yourself, ‘Okay, so that’s that done’, and you start doing lots of other things. "I said I was only going to do a couple, because I'm doing lots of other stuff. Three weeks ago I finished five months in the West End and I'm writing something, so I said I could only do two episodes." However, post-filming, Dennis admitted he was rethinking that decision: "But now, I'm clearly thinking I should probably have said I could do more." When asked if he missed the show more than he expected, Dennis shared how intense the show can be: "Possibly, but there’s also a lot of stress involved because you have to hold a lot of material in your head. This isn’t a terribly relaxing thing to do. The production company is called Angst, and that is for a very, very good reason." After returning to one comedy fixture on television, Dennis considered how he might return to another - the semi-improvised sitcom Outnumbered. "My standard response is twofold, one of which is that kids don't leave home until they're 40, so it's possible. "But, it has to be about something. What was good about Outnumbered is it was always about something and you always recognised the situation. You’d say, 'Oh, that’s us, isn’t it?'" Mock the Week continues on Sunday 22 February at 9pm on TLC. You can watch on catch up on discovery+ and YouTube. Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
View from Our Sofa: Bradley and Barney Walsh
Watching TV as a family has always been key for the father-and-son duo
Add Gladiators and Casualty to your watchlist What’s the view from your sofa? Bradley There’s a plain wall with a telly fixed to it, with lamps on either side. Seriously, it’s very traditional. Barney When I’m in Cardiff filming Casualty, the TV’s on a free-standing unit, there’s an Ikea fake plant in the corner, and a little painting on the wall. What have you enjoyed watching on TV recently? Bradley Barney’s my oracle. Originally he said we had to watch Breaking Bad, then he said we had to watch Better Call Saul, and now we’re watching Vince Gilligan’s new series… Barney …Pluribus. There’s also a comedy series I love called The Studio starring Seth Rogen, which is in my top five series of all time. It is one of the funniest things I have ever seen. Gladiators is such a huge show, especially for family viewing. What did you watch together as a family? Barney When I was a kid there was nothing I loved more than sitting with Mum and Dad watching the telly. Over the years that way of watching TV has been eroded by social media, streaming, and on-demand TV. But when we’re in the arena, we see young kids cheering for their Gladiators heroes, so we know they’re at home watching with their family, which is lovely. Bradley When I worked in pantomime we always used to say we had to make the show feel special, because it was the kids’ first introduction to theatre. That’s been transposed onto Gladiators, which is, to me, a massive panto and ostensibly a kids’ show. When kids from the audience meet the Gladiators, they have an extraordinary look of wonder on their faces. We’re very proud and privileged to be part of the magic. How important is watercooler TV that brings families together? Bradley I had my first job in television in 1986 so, for me, it’s key to maintain terrestrial television and to maintain family viewing. We are losing it and it is diminishing. There’s no question about that, but that’s evolution. I see great event telly – like Strictly, I’m a Celebrity and Gladiators – as still part of the game. When you look on any other platform, there’s not much event telly there. You mention Strictly. There’s a hosting vacancy there, of course — would you two be interested? Bradley Here’s a potted version of my winter weekends. I come home from the studio on a Friday, have dinner and watch I’m a Celebrity. On Saturday, I’ll watch the football results, have dinner and a pint, watch Strictly, then I’m a Celebrity, and flip back to the BBC for Match of the Day. On Sunday I get up late, watch some Columbo, then the football, followed by the Strictly results, then I’m a Celebrity, and then Match of the Day. If I was to host Strictly, it would absolutely ruin my weekend. Barney That is completely true. That’s Dad’s weekend, every weekend. What is it really like working so closely together? Bradley We are work colleagues, but we’re also family and, more importantly, mates. We were approached to host Gladiators on the back of Breaking Dad. They wanted a family dynamic to front the show because Gladiators was going to be a family show. Do you watch each other’s shows? Bradley I wouldn’t imagine Barney watches The Chase, simply because of his filming schedule. I haven’t seen The Chase in years because I don’t finish in the studio until five o’clock. But I’m an avid fan of Casualty and have loved the series for years. I like how the team has recently made it more cinematic. Barney We finish filming around 7pm, so it’s rare I’m home in time for The Chase, but when I’ve got time off and it’s on, I do watch. I love it.
Bradley Walsh: "If I were to host Strictly, it would absolutely ruin my weekend"
Watching TV as a family has always been key for the father-and-son duo.
This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. Gladiators presenters – and father and son duo – Bradley and Barney Walsh talk to Radio Times about what they've been watching, bringing families together and whether there's any truth to those rumours that Bradley could be in line for a certain Strictly Come Dancing job. What’s the view from your sofa? Bradley: There’s a plain wall with a telly fixed to it, with lamps on either side. Seriously, it’s very traditional. Barney: When I’m in Cardiff filming Casualty, the TV’s on a free-standing unit, there’s an Ikea fake plant in the corner, and a little painting on the wall. What have you enjoyed watching on TV recently? Bradley: Barney’s my oracle. Originally he said we had to watch Breaking Bad, then he said we had to watch Better Call Saul, and now we’re watching Vince Gilligan’s new series… Barney: ... Pluribus. There’s also a comedy series I love called The Studio starring Seth Rogen, which is in my top five series of all time. It is one of the funniest things I have ever seen. Gladiators is such a huge show, especially for family viewing. What did you watch together as a family? Barney: When I was a kid there was nothing I loved more than sitting with Mum and Dad watching the telly. Over the years that way of watching TV has been eroded by social media, streaming, and on-demand TV. But when we’re in the arena, we see young kids cheering for their Gladiators heroes, so we know they’re at home watching with their family, which is lovely. Bradley: When I worked in pantomime we always used to say we had to make the show feel special, because it was the kids’ first introduction to theatre. That’s been transposed onto Gladiators, which is, to me, a massive panto and ostensibly a kids’ show. When kids from the audience meet the Gladiators, they have an extraordinary look of wonder on their faces. We’re very proud and privileged to be part of the magic. How important is watercooler TV that brings families together? Bradley: I had my first job in television in 1986 so, for me, it’s key to maintain terrestrial television and to maintain family viewing. We are losing it and it is diminishing. There’s no question about that, but that’s evolution. I see great event telly – like Strictly, I’m a Celebrity and Gladiators – as still part of the game. When you look on any other platform, there’s not much event telly there. You mention Strictly. There’s a hosting vacancy there, of course – would you two be interested? Bradley: Here’s a potted version of my winter weekends. I come home from the studio on a Friday, have dinner and watch I’m a Celebrity. On Saturday, I’ll watch the football results, have dinner and a pint, watch Strictly, then I’m a Celebrity, and flip back to the BBC for Match of the Day. On Sunday I get up late, watch some Columbo, then the football, followed by the Strictly results, then I’m a Celebrity, and then Match of the Day. If I was to host Strictly, it would absolutely ruin my weekend. Barney: That is completely true. That’s Dad’s weekend, every weekend. What is it really like working so closely together? Bradley: We are work colleagues, but we’re also family and, more importantly, mates. We were approached to host Gladiators on the back of Breaking Dad. They wanted a family dynamic to front the show because Gladiators was going to be a family show. Do you watch each other’s shows? Bradley: I wouldn’t imagine Barney watches The Chase, simply because of his filming schedule. I haven’t seen The Chase in years because I don’t finish in the studio until five o’clock. But I’m an avid fan of Casualty and have loved the series for years. I like how the team has recently made it more cinematic. Barney: We finish filming around 7pm, so it’s rare I’m home in time for The Chase, but when I’ve got time off and it’s on, I do watch. I love it. The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here. Gladiators returns on Saturday 17 January at 5:45pm on BBC One and iPlayer. Check out more of our Entertainment or visit our TV guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
The actor and musician on the power of song and wooing his wife with the ultimate romantic gesture — a mix tape
Add Mix Tape to your watchlist Despite his sideline making music, actor Jim Sturgess avoids any digs at the cruelty of critics in the romantic drama Mix Tape, where he plays a music journalist. “I could have had some fun with that,” laughs the 47-year-old Londoner, who recently released his debut album under the moniker King Curious. “It didn’t even cross my mind!” The star of 2011 movie One Day is clearly a lover, not a fighter, so it’s no surprise to find him in another star-crossed romance about teenage lovers Daniel and Alison (played by Sturgess and Teresa Palmer) reunited decades later by the power of song. But what’s on his mix tape? This is a series about mix tapes. Have you made them in real life? A mix tape was always a romantic tool, just like in the show. I remember making them at 15 or 16 and you’d work hard on your track listings, making sure you had some obscure ones, showing off your knowledge a bit. I’d often draw artwork on the front cover. There was something magical about making them. What was on my tapes was very similar to the ones Daniel makes for Alison – Manchester bands of the late 1980s. I was also into 1990s hip-hop. View Green Video on the source website Do you remember the last mix tape you made? Yes – I made one as a gesture to my now wife. My new computer didn’t burn CDs so I ended up loading songs onto a USB stick and taping that inside a card, which I also illustrated. Your wife, actress and presenter Dina Mousawi, was born in Yorkshire — did she help you find your Sheffield accent for Mix Tape? That actually made learning the accent more intimidating and harder because I had her entire family saying, “Come on, let’s hear your Yorkshire accent. Let’s hear what you sound like!” I listened to Richard Hawley, Sean Bean, Jarvis Cocker and Alex Turner. To practise, I read stories to my kid in a Yorkshire accent but he kept telling me, “Just talk normally, Daddy. Speak normally.” Daniel and Alison reconnect over a song by the Jesus and Mary Chain — is there a track that transports you back to your youth? The morning after my brother threw a party at our parents’ house when we were teenagers, there was a cassette tape sitting on the kitchen table. I remember putting it on my Walkman, going on my paper round and thinking, “This is the thing I’ve been waiting for”. It was the Stone Roses’ debut album and it was a profound moment. The album was psychedelic and poetic, with this groove and these incredible beats. I instantly wanted to have my hair cut like theirs and dress like them. You and Teresa Palmer play characters who have a deep chemistry together — had you worked together before? We had and we hadn’t. Early in our careers, we had a screen test together for the movie 21 and I remember getting on with her so well and hoped she would win the part. Sadly she didn’t, but she went off and did amazing things. We hadn’t seen each other since, so when I was cast and found out she was on board, it was beautiful. Do you both have any shared music tastes? We made each other some playlists that were predominantly hip-hop. She’s a big hip-hop fan and was sending me West Coast tracks and I was sending her UK grime tracks. We should put the playlists out there… As a musician, did your experience with critics impact how you played Daniel? It didn’t at all. I released my record in 2023 [Common Sense for the Animal] and I was very lucky that nobody showed me a terrible review, although I tend to keep away from them in general. In one scene, Daniel’s critiquing a band playing in a nightclub and I felt incredibly guilty because he says some unkind things about them. This poor band were miming to their own track and believed this might be a big opportunity for them. I felt so bad doing that, so I’d be a terrible journalist! You have children but are a long way off Daniel’s position, where his son is leaving for uni. Does that prospect play on your mind? Hugely! That made me realise you wear so many hats in a relationship. Right now, my wife and I are at the stage of early parenting where we occasionally pass each other on the stairs and ask each other, “Are you all right?”. There’s very little time for romance and this stage is a beautiful time, but the shape of the relationship changes. Starring in One Day with Anne Hathaway was probably your biggest role — what did you make of the Netflix remake? I really enjoyed the series, which is brilliant, though watching it was a weird and nostalgic experience for me. I worked with Ambika Mod [who plays Emma] on a Disney+ show called The Stolen Girl just before One Day was released and we spent time swapping stories – I was very grateful to have a personal connection to the series through her. Episodic television is at its best when adapting a book and the show dives into the book in the way a film always struggles to do. There were many parts which reminded me of our own film and there were so many new bits which we didn’t have the opportunity to explore. And finally — if you weren’t an actor, would you like to be a full-time musician? After university, I was in a seven-piece band that we put a lot of work into. My feeling is one of total relief the band isn’t my life – I was very proud of the music we made and I’m sad nobody will ever hear it, but I’m so grateful I’m not travelling the world with six other sweaty guys! No regrets. Mix Tape continues on BBC2 on Tuesday and Wednesday and is available to stream on BBC iPlayer
Steamy Channel 4 drama The Couple Next Door is back and new stars Annabel Scholey and Sam Palladio are ready for action…
Add The Couple Next Door to your watchlist ANNABEL SCHOLEY ...plays Charlotte Last year, Annabel Scholey joined the Mile High Club in Rivals by breaking the sound barrier (and the soundproofing) in Concorde’s loo. This summer she shares an urgent cubicle quickie at a posh do in the sultry thriller The Couple Next Door. Is it becoming a habit? “We joked about this when we were filming – ‘Oh, here she is again in the toilet.’ I really hope I’ve had my last encounter in a bathroom. I’ve done my fair share,” laughs the new co-lead of Channel 4’s hit drama. “It’s definitely not in my contract to have one of those scenes in the toilet, but this celebrates older women and that’s great. I’m 41 and it’s no longer the case that you’re sexually washed up at 25 or 30. Women don’t die at 40.” The first series of the sexually charged drama, set in an upmarket Leeds cul-de-sac, was a huge hit for Channel 4 and in the second series, Scholey plays surgeon Charlotte Roberts, one half of a respected medical couple whose work and home life are inextricably intertwined. The arrival of Mia (Aggy K Adams), a nurse who moves next door to Charlotte and her anaesthetist husband Jacob (Sam Palladio) and starts work at their hospital, ensures no inch of the couples’s life – and bodies – remains untouched. “I actually read for Evie, the part Eleanor Tomlinson played in series one,” reveals the Wakefield-born actor. “I really liked the script and the character. Then I read the second series and thought I’m like Charlotte in so many ways; not necessarily what she gets up to, but her type. She’s very focused, quite serious. We’re the same age and from the same place – it’s fairly perfect casting for me. “She’s a West Yorkshire girl and I haven’t played many of those because people don’t realise I’m from there. I wanted to be reclaimed by the North,” laughs the actor, who now lives on the border of Wiltshire and Somerset. “My parents, sister and nephew still live in Yorkshire, so I go there a lot.” To prepare for filming, Scholey attended open-heart surgery, which left her “mind-blown”. To add to the pressure, a surgeon at that procedure was also a series adviser and even plays Charlotte’s resident during surgery, which Scholey describes as “terrifying.” That wasn’t the only aspect of the role that conjured up some trepidation. An undeniable thrust behind the first series’ success was the adult treatment of sexual relationships, those intimate scenes exuding a passion and hunger that seduced viewers. Before a chemistry read with Palladio – where prospective leads are paired to learn if they have a complementary energy – Scholey rewatched the first series to “remind myself what I might be in for.” She also discussed the role with her husband Jim, who she married 18 months ago and unlike her first husband with whom she has a daughter, doesn’t work in the industry. “I needed to check with him as well if he was OK with that because it’s quite a sexual part and a sexual story and it’s important to discuss that with your partner. He’s very supportive.” Such support extended on to the set with the intimacy coordinator Vanessa Coffey. “I really enjoyed working with Vanessa. There are a few quite intense sex scenes and I felt very safe having Vanessa there – and she’s an ex-dancer, so the scenes were all beautifully choreographed,” explains Scholey, who admits to struggling with the introduction of these specialists. “I’ve spent two-thirds of my career not using one, so it was a shift. It’s tricky when actresses who’ve had to deal with these scenes on their own suddenly have a person with a set way of behaving. To have a specific person behind the camera with an eye for specific details, protecting your modesty is really good. They know exactly what’s in your contract.” I ask if that sense of safety removes any awkwardness when family and friends watch those scenes. “No, it’s still incredibly embarrassing. I give my mum time codes – ‘At five minutes and 30 seconds, get Dad out of the room’. I’ve now got a father-in-law to worry about as well, so he also gets time codes.” SAM PALLADIO ...plays Jacob SAM PALLADIO Plays jacob Intimate sex scenes are what you might assume would cause an actor to consider if they were right for The Couple Next Door — those scenes that linger in the imagination long after the TV is turned off. But what gave Sam Palladio pause for thought was the thought of following in the footsteps of Sam Heughan. “The only hesitation was seeing Sam Heughan’s incredible body in season one and thinking, ‘Goddamn it, how do I compete with that?’” laughs the British actor and musician, speaking from his Nashville home. “He set a very high standard of toned abs. I got as close as I could in a few weeks.” Joking and gym regime aside, auditioning for Jacob, an outwardly successful anaesthetist who’s riven with status issues, was a “no-brainer” for Palladio. “I was looking for something grounded and natural and I was looking forward to using my own accent. I’m not playing a prince charming or a guitar-toting Southern songwriter,” says the co-lead, touching on why he’s called Nashville home for the last 13 years. In 2012, Palladio moved to Tennessee for six months to play songwriter Gunnar Scott in a new TV series; that show was Nashville, a glitzy depiction of rivalry between country and western singers. Six months stretched to over a decade. A pop-culture phenomenon, the series spawned multiple albums and live tours that continue to attract thousands of fans, with Palladio and other Nashville stars touring the UK next February. Over the last couple of years, the 38-year-old has focused on his own material and last autumn released his debut album, The Perfect Summer’s Day, Before We Lost the Light. This has been a creatively rich period, but a combination of an inner yearning and life experiences made this project impossible to ignore. “I’m from Penzance and I still very much love the UK and its arts, so there was a huge part of my soul which couldn’t wait to return to the UK for work,” says the Cornishman, who also had a lead role in the Netflix romcom trilogy The Princess Switch. “I’ve lived a lot of life in the last six or so years, like losing my mum. Those big events opened me as a person to some deeper aspects of life, and you begin to understand yourself a bit more from those challenging situations. I came to Jacob with more of a toolbox of experience and emotion.” Little could have prepared him for some of the more explicit scenes in the drama however, with the actor admitting their intensity charted new personal territory for him. “When I read the last ten pages of the script for episode three, I wondered, ‘How are we going to shoot this?’ Thankfully we had Vanessa, who’s an amazing intimacy coordinator, and we shot a lot of those scenes at the very end of the production, so Annabel, Aggy and I were very comfortable with each other. We were really good mates.” That block of filming looming on the schedule even earned a nickname. “We called it Sex Week because all the intimate scenes were grouped together. We were all in the gym working towards Sex Week, comparing how many carbs we’d eaten that week,” he jokes. Palladio is currently single – he suspects not having a partner during production made the work “a little easier” – and I ask if the drama’s exploration of relationships made him ponder the essentials for a happy one. “One built on trust and honesty; that allows you to tackle anything together. When secrets start creeping in, cracks start to show,” he replies. “I’m moving into a new chapter for myself as a single guy, which is about learning from mistakes and wearing my heart on my sleeve more. Then you’ve got nothing to hide. You can relax and be yourself.”
Sam Palladio admits Sam Heughan’s “incredible body” gave him “hesitation” over Couple Next Door role
Steamy Channel 4 drama The Couple Next Door is back and new star Sam Palladio is ready for action…
This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. Intimate sex scenes are what you might assume would cause an actor to consider if they were right for The Couple Next Door — those scenes that linger in the imagination long after the TV is turned off. But what gave Sam Palladio pause for thought was the thought of following in the footsteps of Sam Heughan. “The only hesitation was seeing Sam Heughan’s incredible body in season one and thinking, ‘Goddamn it, how do I compete with that?’” laughs the British actor and musician, speaking from his Nashville home. “He set a very high standard of toned abs. I got as close as I could in a few weeks.” Joking and gym regime aside, auditioning for Jacob, an outwardly successful anaesthetist who’s riven with status issues, was a “no-brainer” for Palladio. “I was looking for something grounded and natural and I was looking forward to using my own accent. I’m not playing a prince charming or a guitar-toting Southern songwriter,” says the co-lead, touching on why he’s called Nashville home for the last 13 years. In 2012, Palladio moved to Tennessee for six months to play songwriter Gunnar Scott in a new TV series; that show was Nashville, a glitzy depiction of rivalry between country and western singers. Six months stretched to over a decade. A pop-culture phenomenon, the series spawned multiple albums and live tours that continue to attract thousands of fans, with Palladio and other Nashville stars touring the UK next February. Over the last couple of years, the 38-year-old has focused on his own material and last autumn released his debut album, The Perfect Summer’s Day, Before We Lost the Light. This has been a creatively rich period, but a combination of an inner yearning and life experiences made this project impossible to ignore. “I’m from Penzance and I still very much love the UK and its arts, so there was a huge part of my soul which couldn’t wait to return to the UK for work,” says the Cornishman, who also had a lead role in the Netflix romcom trilogy The Princess Switch. “I’ve lived a lot of life in the last six or so years, like losing my mum. Those big events opened me as a person to some deeper aspects of life, and you begin to understand yourself a bit more from those challenging situations. I came to Jacob with more of a toolbox of experience and emotion.” Little could have prepared him for some of the more explicit scenes in the drama however, with the actor admitting their intensity charted new personal territory for him. “When I read the last ten pages of the script for episode three, I wondered, ‘How are we going to shoot this?’ Thankfully we had Vanessa, who’s an amazing intimacy coordinator, and we shot a lot of those scenes at the very end of the production, so Annabel, Aggy and I were very comfortable with each other. We were really good mates.” That block of filming looming on the schedule even earned a nickname. “We called it Sex Week because all the intimate scenes were grouped together. We were all in the gym working towards Sex Week, comparing how many carbs we’d eaten that week,” he jokes. Palladio is currently single – he suspects not having a partner during production made the work “a little easier” – and I ask if the drama’s exploration of relationships made him ponder the essentials for a happy one. “One built on trust and honesty; that allows you to tackle anything together. When secrets start creeping in, cracks start to show,” he replies. “I’m moving into a new chapter for myself as a single guy, which is about learning from mistakes and wearing my heart on my sleeve more. Then you’ve got nothing to hide. You can relax and be yourself.” The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here. The Couple Next Door season 2 will premiere on Channel 4 on Monday 14th July. Add The Couple Next Door to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what else is on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Annabel Scholey on The Couple Next Door: ‘Sex scenes are embarrassing – I warn my family to skip them’
Steamy Channel 4 drama The Couple Next Door is back and new star Annabel Scholey is ready for action…
This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. Last year, Annabel Scholey joined the Mile High Club in Rivals by breaking the sound barrier (and the soundproofing) in Concorde’s loo. This summer she shares an urgent cubicle quickie at a posh do in the sultry thriller The Couple Next Door. Is it becoming a habit? “We joked about this when we were filming – ‘Oh, here she is again in the toilet.’ I really hope I’ve had my last encounter in a bathroom. I’ve done my fair share,” laughs the new co-lead of Channel 4’s hit drama. “It’s definitely not in my contract to have one of those scenes in the toilet, but this celebrates older women and that’s great. I’m 41 and it’s no longer the case that you’re sexually washed up at 25 or 30. Women don’t die at 40.” The first series of the sexually charged drama, set in an upmarket Leeds cul-de-sac, was a huge hit for Channel 4 and in the second series, Scholey plays surgeon Charlotte Roberts, one half of a respected medical couple whose work and home life are inextricably intertwined. The arrival of Mia (Aggy K Adams), a nurse who moves next door to Charlotte and her anaesthetist husband Jacob (Sam Palladio) and starts work at their hospital, ensures no inch of the couples’s life – and bodies – remains untouched. “I actually read for Evie, the part Eleanor Tomlinson played in series one,” reveals the Wakefield-born actor. “I really liked the script and the character. Then I read the second series and thought I’m like Charlotte in so many ways; not necessarily what she gets up to, but her type. She’s very focused, quite serious. We’re the same age and from the same place – it’s fairly perfect casting for me. “She’s a West Yorkshire girl and I haven’t played many of those because people don’t realise I’m from there. I wanted to be reclaimed by the North,” laughs the actor, who now lives on the border of Wiltshire and Somerset. “My parents, sister and nephew still live in Yorkshire, so I go there a lot.” To prepare for filming, Scholey attended open-heart surgery, which left her “mind-blown”. To add to the pressure, a surgeon at that procedure was also a series adviser and even plays Charlotte’s resident during surgery, which Scholey describes as “terrifying.” That wasn’t the only aspect of the role that conjured up some trepidation. An undeniable thrust behind the first series’ success was the adult treatment of sexual relationships, those intimate scenes exuding a passion and hunger that seduced viewers. Before a chemistry read with Palladio – where prospective leads are paired to learn if they have a complementary energy – Scholey rewatched the first series to “remind myself what I might be in for.” She also discussed the role with her husband Jim, who she married 18 months ago and unlike her first husband with whom she has a daughter, doesn’t work in the industry. “I needed to check with him as well if he was OK with that because it’s quite a sexual part and a sexual story and it’s important to discuss that with your partner. He’s very supportive.” View oEmbed on the source website Such support extended on to the set with the intimacy coordinator Vanessa Coffey. “I really enjoyed working with Vanessa. There are a few quite intense sex scenes and I felt very safe having Vanessa there – and she’s an ex-dancer, so the scenes were all beautifully choreographed,” explains Scholey, who admits to struggling with the introduction of these specialists. “I’ve spent two-thirds of my career not using one, so it was a shift. It’s tricky when actresses who’ve had to deal with these scenes on their own suddenly have a person with a set way of behaving. To have a specific person behind the camera with an eye for specific details, protecting your modesty is really good. They know exactly what’s in your contract.” I ask if that sense of safety removes any awkwardness when family and friends watch those scenes. “No, it’s still incredibly embarrassing. I give my mum time codes – ‘At five minutes and 30 seconds, get Dad out of the room’. I’ve now got a father-in-law to worry about as well, so he also gets time codes.” The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here. The Couple Next Door season 2 will premiere on Channel 4 on Monday 14th July. Add The Couple Next Door to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what else is on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
The final banquet of the series honours British heroes – but what dish would the judges make to celebrate theirs?
My dessert: Address to a Cranachan My Great Briton: Robert Burns
Add Great British Menu: the Finals/Banquet Special to your watchlist The Great Briton I’d choose is the formidable Rabbie Burns, the famous Scottish poet, who’s celebrated with haggis, neeps, and tatties every Burns Night. He came from humble beginnings, this small-town poet who became famous all over the world, which makes him a real Scottish hero. Haggis, neeps, and tatties wouldn’t quite work as a dessert; I’m sure I could try to make them work as one, but I’m not going to! Cranachan is the most famous Scottish dessert but, to me, it’s boring as it is – it’s just cream, berries and oats, which isn’t very exciting. Instead, I’d create a Burns Night take on it, called Address to a Cranachan, a Scottish dessert for a Scottish hero. This one would incorporate the haggis theme, because when you walk into the banquet room, you want to see some theatre. I would build a dessert with flavours all the way through the layers. Usually cranachan is made with raspberries, but I’d have a rhubarb centre in this dessert, because rhubarb comes into season around the same time as Burns Night. I’d encase the rhubarb centre with a cheesecake mousse to give it a bit more body and depth of flavour. For a whipped cream to spiral around the outside of the dessert, I’d make a vanilla diplomat cream, which would almost make the dessert into a dome with a pretty spire and a crunchy base. I’ve made a similar dessert before in terms of structure, but not in flavour. To add the oats, I’d have a piper enter the room, followed by others who would approach the table with what looks like a filled sheep’s stomach. They’d be reciting Burns’s Address to a Haggis and would then cut into the haggis, but what would fall out of the stomach would be lots of different oats and puffed rice – no sheep would be harmed in the making of this dessert! You’d sprinkle the sweet contents on top of the dessert to add a nice texture. You could make this pretty quickly using a blast freezer, which the chefs have in Great British Menu, so the whole dessert would take about 1 hour and 45 minutes. If you were making this for a banquet, it would take longer, because you have more people to serve, but for the purpose of presenting to the judges, it wouldn’t take too long. You have to work fast! This would be an elegant dessert celebrating Scottish flavours, Burns Nights and Rabbie Burns, who’s celebrated worldwide whenever Auld Lang Syne is sung. If someone brought this dessert into the judges’ room, I’d say, “Come on! Let’s go, Rabbie Burns!” The chef would be straight through.
My main course: Rags and Riches My Great Briton: Sir Bobby Charlton
Add Great British Menu: the Finals/Banquet Special to your watchlist Sir Bobby Charlton, the brilliant Manchester United and England footballer, is the Great Briton who has inspired my main course. He was a World Cup winner, one of the Busby Babes, a prolific goal scorer, and probably one of the most well-known footballers in the world. The way he conducted himself makes him a brilliant and great Briton. There is so much about him that is inspirational, even if you’re not necessarily a follower of football, and he was a real advocate for the game and for gentlemanly and sporting conduct. I’m very fortunate to have cooked for Sir Bobby several times in the directors’ box at Old Trafford and there was an aura about this great man who had achieved so much. To celebrate his life, my dish would be called Rags and Riches, based on a rag pudding, a well-known Manchester and Lancashire dish. It’s a steamed suet pastry, wrapped in cheesecloth or muslin, and the filling is roasted and minced beef with onions. Inside my pudding would be braised shin of beef, oxtail and roasted mince, running through an incredibly rich gravy made from the braising liquor. Whole silverskin onions would be mixed throughout, with great big pieces of roasted bacon and Lancashire’s famous black pudding. I’d then wrap this in a suet pudding pastry, which is in turn wrapped in the rag – a cheesecloth – and then steamed so the pastry puffs up. I’d add a number nine on the pastry, in honour of Sir Bobby’s number at Manchester United. We’d leave it to cool a little, before brushing the pudding with melted butter and crispy black pudding crumbs. I’d then bake the pudding in a very hot oven so the dish almost has a crisp bread crust. There would also be a serving of parched peas, which are a little bit like mushy peas, but you use black peas, with loads of butter. They are very famous over Oldham and Lancashire way and they are absolutely delicious. Squares of set mint jelly would top them off. For the green, I’d like braised kale that has been cooked slowly for two hours, served with anchovies and grated lemon, so the kale has an almost salsa verde-style kick. And you can’t go up North without having chips, so on the side, I would have great big chunky chips cooked in beef fat. There would be extra gravy available to the side of the dish, served in a small replica of the Jules Rimet Trophy. This would most definitely be served family-style in the middle of the table. Rag pudding is one of those dishes that doesn’t look very pretty once you start messing around with it, but it’s all about the flavour.
My starter: Two Meats, To You My Great Briton(s): The Chuckle Brothers
Add Great British Menu: the Finals/Banquet Special to your watchlist I’m approaching my dish as a comedian, writer and podcaster, not as a chef, so I thought of the title of the dish before I thought of the contents of the dish. I can exclusively reveal the great Britons I’ve chosen to celebrate were not mentioned in the series. All the chefs in this series, which is dedicated to Great Britons, went down the road of honouring people who have achieved great feats, contributed to the country or helped others through charity work. Classic heroes. Whereas I believe the Chuckle Brothers should have had at least one shout-out. My starter is inspired by the brothers Chuckle and is called Two Meats, To You. For someone my age, the pair were hilarious and perfectly represent Great Britain – they’re constantly failing but always getting back up and trying again. That, to me, represents the resilience of all great Britons. To meet the series’ theme, Two Meats, To You will be a little kebab with a toasted flatbread carrying a silhouette of the Chuckle Brothers. I know what the judges are like and they are very specific about a dish and how it’s linked to the theme. The two meats of Two Meats, To You are lamb shoulder and pork tenderloin; I haven’t chosen pork belly because sometimes it can be overly fatty and ruin everything else in a dish. Barbecued and grilled meat is almost magic to me, because when you put meat on hot coals, all you need is a bit of salt, pepper, and, occasionally, spice mix. Alongside the meats, we’ll have some pickled red onion, pickled cauliflower and toum – a very garlicky whipped dip. I recently had some very nice toum in Bubala, a restaurant in Soho, and it’s knock-your-head-off garlicky, so you only need a tiny serving. On the side, for those who prefer a moister meat, we’ll have a small jus dip made from the lamb and pork bones we’ve cooked down. To present Two Meats, To You, the flatbread would lie on the plate so you can see the silhouette of the Chuckle Brothers, with the meats and sides arranged around the bread, allowing diners to build their own kebab. I’d then place all the plates on a big board of polished mahogany, because people love placing dishes on big boards. The polished mahogany board would enter the room carried by two Great British Menu runners dressed as the Chuckle Brothers, who’d say, “Two Meats, To You, Two Meats, To You”. Everyone would be thinking they were going to drop the board, but they wouldn’t, which is crucial. It’s a rare success for the Chuckle Brothers. I think this is a lovely way to kick off the banquet, but one thing I would say about this dish is it’s not very British. It’s also the sort of dish that would absolutely not make it through to us in the judges’ chamber.
My fish course: Everybody Everywhere All at Once My Great Briton: Dame Floella Benjamin
Add Great British Menu: the Finals/Banquet Special to your watchlist The Great Briton who has inspired my life is the incredible Floella Benjamin, who was one of the few women I saw on television when I was a little kid who looked like me. Here was a young black woman, fully herself with beads in her hair, who was all those things you look up to when you’re a kid: hilarious, kind, sweet, smart and beautiful. Floella has the same Antiguan heritage as me, so there’s a reflection of my own family as well. My dish, inspired by Floella and a recent trip to Sri Lanka, would be called Everybody Everywhere All at Once. What I believe is most important for us in this country is to remember that all the things that make us different are the most exciting, beautiful, and brilliant things about us as a nation. Everything I’m trying to do at the moment is to step towards unity because so much right now is about division and I find that incredibly depressing. I’d love to make a dish that explores the beauty of multiculturalism. So I’d brine mackerel, a beautiful and very sustainable fish, in Caribbean rum, sugar and vinegars, before torching it. On the side, I’d have a little shot using Caribbean and British ingredients that reflect Floella and me. I’d make a fish broth with the bones from the mackerel, and a juice with all the greens and herbs I could lay my hands on – I’d blitz callaloo, spinach, cucumber, spring onions, kale, chervil, parsley, chives, mint, roasted garlic and thyme. I love green food, and I don’t really understand people who don’t like vegetables – I find that very weird. I’d pour the fish broth through the juice to make iced fish shots. To balance the sweetness and acidity of the shots, I’d add honey and lime, then I’d stick them in the freezer. For a garnish, I’d add a bit of pickled gooseberry and cucumber. Flavour-wise, this is a very refreshing dish, because the vivid green shot is icy and all the ingredients are invigorating while the mackerel has a robust texture and a nice char from the torch. All the silver from the fish and the green from the shots will excite your eyes, and the dish would be served on a hand-drawn map that expresses the connection between the Caribbean islands and Great Britain. I know there’s a dark history behind these links, but I think what’s emerged from those times is our multiculturalism, which is the jewel in the British crown, and we should be much more celebratory of our multicultural society. I think if a chef presented this dish to me, I’d be very moved and very excited.
Great British Menu judges reveal which Great Britons they'd dedicate a meal to
From the Chuckle Brothers to Floella Benjamin.
This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. The final banquet of this year's Great British Menu honours British heroes – but what dish would the judges make to celebrate theirs? Ed Gamble My starter: Two Meats, To You My great Briton(s): The Chuckle Brothers I’m approaching my dish as a comedian, writer and podcaster, not as a chef, so I thought of the title of the dish before I thought of the contents of the dish. I can exclusively reveal the great Britons I’ve chosen to celebrate were not mentioned in the series. All the chefs in this series, which is dedicated to Great Britons, went down the road of honouring people who have achieved great feats, contributed to the country or helped others through charity work. Classic heroes. Whereas I believe the Chuckle Brothers should have had at least one shout-out. My starter is inspired by the brothers Chuckle and is called Two Meats, To You. For someone my age, the pair were hilarious and perfectly represent Great Britain – they’re constantly failing but always getting back up and trying again. That, to me, represents the resilience of all great Britons. To meet the series’ theme, Two Meats, To You will be a little kebab with a toasted flatbread carrying a silhouette of the Chuckle Brothers. I know what the judges are like and they are very specific about a dish and how it’s linked to the theme. The two meats of Two Meats, To You are lamb shoulder and pork tenderloin; I haven’t chosen pork belly because sometimes it can be overly fatty and ruin everything else in a dish. Barbecued and grilled meat is almost magic to me, because when you put meat on hot coals, all you need is a bit of salt, pepper, and, occasionally, spice mix. Alongside the meats, we’ll have some pickled red onion, pickled cauliflower and toum – a very garlicky whipped dip. I recently had some very nice toum in Bubala, a restaurant in Soho, and it’s knock-your-head-off garlicky, so you only need a tiny serving. On the side, for those who prefer a moister meat, we’ll have a small jus dip made from the lamb and pork bones we’ve cooked down. To present Two Meats, To You, the flatbread would lie on the plate so you can see the silhouette of the Chuckle Brothers, with the meats and sides arranged around the bread, allowing diners to build their own kebab. I’d then place all the plates on a big board of polished mahogany, because people love placing dishes on big boards. The polished mahogany board would enter the room carried by two Great British Menu runners dressed as the Chuckle Brothers, who’d say, "Two Meats, To You, Two Meats, To You". Everyone would be thinking they were going to drop the board, but they wouldn’t, which is crucial. It’s a rare success for the Chuckle Brothers. I think this is a lovely way to kick off the banquet, but one thing I would say about this dish is it’s not very British. It’s also the sort of dish that would absolutely not make it through to us in the judges’ chamber. Andi Oliver My fish course: Everybody Everywhere All at Once My Great Briton: Dame Floella Benjamin The Great Briton who has inspired my life is the incredible Floella Benjamin, who was one of the few women I saw on television when I was a little kid who looked like me. Here was a young black woman, fully herself with beads in her hair, who was all those things you look up to when you’re a kid: hilarious, kind, sweet, smart and beautiful. Floella has the same Antiguan heritage as me, so there’s a reflection of my own family as well. My dish, inspired by Floella and a recent trip to Sri Lanka, would be called Everybody Everywhere All at Once. What I believe is most important for us in this country is to remember that all the things that make us different are the most exciting, beautiful, and brilliant things about us as a nation. Everything I’m trying to do at the moment is to step towards unity because so much right now is about division and I find that incredibly depressing. I’d love to make a dish that explores the beauty of multiculturalism. So I’d brine mackerel, a beautiful and very sustainable fish, in Caribbean rum, sugar and vinegars, before torching it. On the side, I’d have a little shot using Caribbean and British ingredients that reflect Floella and me. I’d make a fish broth with the bones from the mackerel, and a juice with all the greens and herbs I could lay my hands on – I’d blitz callaloo, spinach, cucumber, spring onions, kale, chervil, parsley, chives, mint, roasted garlic and thyme. I love green food, and I don’t really understand people who don’t like vegetables – I find that very weird. I’d pour the fish broth through the juice to make iced fish shots. To balance the sweetness and acidity of the shots, I’d add honey and lime, then I’d stick them in the freezer. For a garnish, I’d add a bit of pickled gooseberry and cucumber. Flavour-wise, this is a very refreshing dish, because the vivid green shot is icy and all the ingredients are invigorating while the mackerel has a robust texture and a nice char from the torch. All the silver from the fish and the green from the shots will excite your eyes, and the dish would be served on a hand-drawn map that expresses the connection between the Caribbean islands and Great Britain. I know there’s a dark history behind these links, but I think what’s emerged from those times is our multiculturalism, which is the jewel in the British crown, and we should be much more celebratory of our multicultural society. I think if a chef presented this dish to me, I’d be very moved and very excited. Tom Kerridge My main course: Rags and Riches My Great Briton: Sir Bobby Charlton Sir Bobby Charlton, the brilliant Manchester United and England footballer, is the Great Briton who has inspired my main course. He was a World Cup winner, one of the Busby Babes, a prolific goal scorer, and probably one of the most well-known footballers in the world. The way he conducted himself makes him a brilliant and Great Briton. There is so much about him that is inspirational, even if you’re not necessarily a follower of football, and he was a real advocate for the game and for gentlemanly and sporting conduct. I’m very fortunate to have cooked for Sir Bobby several times in the directors’ box at Old Trafford and there was an aura about this great man who had achieved so much. To celebrate his life, my dish would be called Rags and Riches, based on a rag pudding, a well-known Manchester and Lancashire dish. It’s a steamed suet pastry, wrapped in cheesecloth or muslin, and the filling is roasted and minced beef with onions. Inside my pudding would be braised shin of beef, oxtail and roasted mince, running through an incredibly rich gravy made from the braising liquor. Whole silverskin onions would be mixed throughout, with great big pieces of roasted bacon and Lancashire’s famous black pudding. I’d then wrap this in a suet pudding pastry, which is in turn wrapped in the rag – a cheesecloth – and then steamed so the pastry puffs up. I’d add a number nine on the pastry, in honour of Sir Bobby’s number at Manchester United. We’d leave it to cool a little, before brushing the pudding with melted butter and crispy black pudding crumbs. I’d then bake the pudding in a very hot oven so the dish almost has a crisp bread crust. There would also be a serving of parched peas, which are a little bit like mushy peas, but you use black peas, with loads of butter. They are very famous over Oldham and Lancashire way and they are absolutely delicious. Squares of set mint jelly would top them off. For the green, I’d like braised kale that has been cooked slowly for two hours, served with anchovies and grated lemon, so the kale has an almost salsa verde-style kick. And you can’t go up North without having chips, so on the side, I would have great big chunky chips cooked in beef fat. There would be extra gravy available to the side of the dish, served in a small replica of the Jules Rimet Trophy. This would most definitely be served family-style in the middle of the table. Rag pudding is one of those dishes that doesn’t look very pretty once you start messing around with it, but it’s all about the flavour. Lorna McNee My dessert: Address to a Cranachan My Great Briton: Robert Burns The Great Briton I’d choose is the formidable Rabbie Burns, the famous Scottish poet, who’s celebrated with haggis, neeps, and tatties every Burns Night. He came from humble beginnings, this small-town poet who became famous all over the world, which makes him a real Scottish hero. Haggis, neeps, and tatties wouldn’t quite work as a dessert; I’m sure I could try to make them work as one, but I’m not going to! Cranachan is the most famous Scottish dessert but, to me, it’s boring as it is – it’s just cream, berries and oats, which isn’t very exciting. Instead, I’d create a Burns Night take on it, called Address to a Cranachan, a Scottish dessert for a Scottish hero. This one would incorporate the haggis theme, because when you walk into the banquet room, you want to see some theatre. I would build a dessert with flavours all the way through the layers. Usually cranachan is made with raspberries, but I’d have a rhubarb centre in this dessert, because rhubarb comes into season around the same time as Burns Night. I’d encase the rhubarb centre with a cheesecake mousse to give it a bit more body and depth of flavour. For a whipped cream to spiral around the outside of the dessert, I’d make a vanilla diplomat cream, which would almost make the dessert into a dome with a pretty spire and a crunchy base. I’ve made a similar dessert before in terms of structure, but not in flavour. To add the oats, I’d have a piper enter the room, followed by others who would approach the table with what looks like a filled sheep’s stomach. They’d be reciting Burns’s Address to a Haggis and would then cut into the haggis, but what would fall out of the stomach would be lots of different oats and puffed rice – no sheep would be harmed in the making of this dessert! You’d sprinkle the sweet contents on top of the dessert to add a nice texture. You could make this pretty quickly using a blast freezer, which the chefs have in Great British Menu, so the whole dessert would take about 1 hour and 45 minutes. If you were making this for a banquet, it would take longer, because you have more people to serve, but for the purpose of presenting to the judges, it wouldn’t take too long. You have to work fast! This would be an elegant dessert celebrating Scottish flavours, Burns Nights and Rabbie Burns, who’s celebrated worldwide whenever Auld Lang Syne is sung. If someone brought this dessert into the judges’ room, I’d say, “Come on! Let’s go, Rabbie Burns!” The chef would be straight through. The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here. Great British Menu airs on BBC Two and iPlayer. Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
The Rada and Taskmaster alumnus on the scary side of television
Add Cheaters to your watchlist What’s the view from your sofa? The telly, because I’m old school. Underneath is a massive All about Eve poster, which is one of my favourite films. To the right I have a neon light in the outline of a woman with a big afro and sunglasses. I like the ceremony of turning off the lights and having a bit of neon to make it feel like a cinema. What have you been enjoying watching recently? I’m sad to say Kaos on Netflix. I worry, like a lot of people, about becoming invested in a TV show in case it’s cancelled, like Kaos was! I’ve also been watching Agatha All Along. Who controls the remote? Me! I grew up in a very big household with no power, so what I say goes. In my house it’s a dictatorship. On Taskmaster last year, you often mentioned that you trained at Rada — did they thank you for the advertising? Not once, and they should be deeply ashamed. Taskmaster was the best advertising they could ever have and I didn’t hear a word! So they can go f*** themselves. Perhaps more relevant training came in 2002 in a CBBC series called Serious Jungle… I thought it would be fun to go to Borneo, but it was also a reality TV show. The situation was like, “You’re making a conservation show but, also, do you fancy that boy?” I didn’t indulge in that because I was a 14-year-old girl who fancied Orlando Bloom as Legolas. My experience of filming was glorious, but that’s not reflective of the show. That was very hard, because you think, “Did I do something wrong?” I’m unable to watch reality shows now, specifically jungle-based ones. I know there’s a story being crafted as it’s being made, and that side of TV scares me. I learnt a lot about how television works. So you wouldn’t take part in I’m a Celebrity… or Race across the World? Oh, I’d do Race across the World! I’ll just say this to any producer who wants to approach me for that sort of show: I will not be crying, I will not be telling you who I do and don’t love, so you have to be fine with me just having a good time… and making for really boring TV. Your character in Cheaters does cry and fall in love. The series is back now, so where do we find Fola? We pick up six months later: Fola and Josh are trying to have a relationship, while Fola and Zack are in the process of divorcing. The focus is on whether you can have a successful relationship that started off as an affair. Do you think there’s still a stigma to those kind of relationships? Yes – there’s an unfair saying that goes, “How you find something, is how you leave it”. Unless you’re going to truly confront the reasons why you both had an affair, I think things are cyclical. Perhaps people also believe there’s bad karma looming over such a couple. Did people come up to you and share similar experiences after the first series aired? Loads of people. A lot of people understood why Fola had an affair after a year of her partner not having sex with her and refusing to discuss why. Do you know anyone who’s got together after they’ve had an affair? Does it ever work? I know a few people, and affairs, unfortunately, are quite common in the arts because you’re placed in rooms with people who other people want you to have chemistry with. You also meet a lot of different people all the time. Have you ever found yourself, like Fola, in a relationship that’s not going well? I’m a woman who’s largely attracted to men – I’m always in that situation! I definitely feel encouraged by the people around me to choose better and to not settle. But I know when to split. I’m not up for being a martyr.
Jason Watkins and Tala Gouveia explore the similarities that underpin their sparky on-screen chemistry
Add McDonald and Dodds to your watchlist. The fourth series of McDonald and Dodds features a new set of perplexing cases to solve for Bath’s finest, played by Tala Gouveia and Jason Watkins. In a trio of feature-length episodes, the pair come face-to-face with the mystery of a 1930s blues legend, a kingpin of organised crime, and a series of weddings where the best man’s speech is the least of the happy couples’ problems. But aside from a talent for cracking cases, DCI McDonald and DS Dodds are so dissimilar they make chalk and cheese look like identical twins. Unlike their mismatched characters, however, Gouveia and Watkins have much in common, sometimes spookily so. They share how their lives and careers brought them together in similar ways, to play opposites. CHILDHOOD You both grew up in the Midlands, didn’t you? Gouveia: Yes, I’m from Nottingham. We forget all these things we have in common! Watkins: I’m from a village called Albrighton, just outside Wolverhampton. When did you move to London? Gouveia: When I was eight [Jason nods his head slowly in agreement]. Weird. Do you remember your first impressions of London? Gouveia: I wasn’t allowed to play on the street any more and I don’t know if that’s because London’s more dangerous. I’d had loads of freedom to hang out with my friends, so I wasn’t overly impressed. We moved to Willesden Green, then Ealing, which is near where Jason grew up. Watkins: [As a child] we moved to Isleworth because my dad had a job in Hammersmith. I remember coming down Archway Road, the hill with the great view of London, and it was one of those times of the year when the moon turns red in the evenings. It was like a sci-fi horror! Was it tricky, settling into new schools, being “northerners”? Gouveia: I didn’t like my first school. The kids would all have a go at me for saying “bath” and “path”, so I changed my accent to assimilate myself. Then I’d see my mates in Nottingham and they’d say, “It’s not ‘barth’. There’s no r.” Watkins: I liked my school [slips into a Wolverhampton accent], but I also had the p**s taken out of me [drops accent] – which is probably why, to have some kudos, I played a lot of sport. Did your parents encourage you to pursue a career in acting? Gouveia: Both my parents were actors, but Mum was quite strict and wouldn’t allow me to be a child actor. I went to workshops and classes, but I wasn’t allowed to act professionally until I went to drama school at 18. Watkins: My mother’s a teacher and my dad was a metallurgist – although he did say he wanted to be a dancer at one point, but I can’t imagine that. He’s not dissimilar to Dodds. My mum took me to a clowning class in Bridgnorth when I was about four. The teacher was called Ben Benison – he went on to work on [the children’s show] Vision On. Later I went to a couple of classes at the Unicorn Theatre… Gouveia: I did that! What’s your earliest memory of performing? Watkins: People have posted a few pictures of me performing in a garden – all I remember is being quite shy and playing football. Gouveia: Someone gave my mum a little stage which we had in the garden in Nottingham. Before I left for London, I performed So Long, Farewell from The Sound of Music and all my friends had to watch. DRAMA SCHOOL Why did you study drama? Watkins: I’d been watching a lot of the BBC’s Play for Today, which really inspired me. One play on BBC2’s Playhouse was calledThe Man Who Almost Knew Eamonn Andrews and was about a fame-hungry guy who pretended to be interviewed about his life by [former This Is Your Life host] Eamonn Andrews. I used some of the monologues for my Rada audition piece, alongside Iago from Othello. My teacher said we needed a contrast to this character, an innocent, so we chose Iago. Weirdly, I play a lot of innocents and a lot of villains. Gouveia: To be honest, it’s because Bristol Old Vic is a great school and I got in! I was really happy to get out of London. What were your peer groups like? Gouveia: We’ve still got a WhatsApp group! At school, I guess you reach a point where you’re the best in the class, but then at drama school, everyone is brilliant. I thought, “Wow! OK, better get working!” Watkins: There was a good mix from all backgrounds, different classes and experiences. Some had been to university; others, like me, had gone straight in. Was it overwhelming to be surrounded by such talent? Gouveia: I didn’t find drama school overwhelming, I found it tiring. All my other mates were at university and had about two hours a week of lectures, but drama school hours are 8am till 6pm. The days were knackering, but good training for filming. Watkins: I was a kid in a sweet shop. All the teaching was great. I loved all the mystical aspects, like creating an aura and walking down Oxford Street so people get out of your way, and the formal voice training and ballet classes. You’d call our year a “strong term” – we recently celebrated our 40th anniversary of entering Rada. Would we know any of your peers? Gouveia: Shazad Latif and Tom Weston-Jones – Theo James was in the year above. Watkins: Jane Horrocks, Neil Dudgeon, Wayne Foskett, Iain Glen, Ralph Fiennes, Peter Gunn, Claire Hackett, Imogen Stubbs… All in the same year? Watkins: Yeah – we were good! FIRST TV JOB Both of you had your first screen roles on EastEnders… Gouveia: I was Nurse Green – every time a character was shoved down the stairs, she’d be called in. EastEnders always rang me just as I ran out of money! Watkins: I played Gerry Fairweather – he represented the yuppie tide of 1987. He was an obnoxious trader with a Porsche, a Psion Organiser and a mobile phone, who drank in The Dagmar. Angie Watts [Anita Dobson], who worked there, punched me and said, “I’m leaving and I ain’t coming back.” Have you ever found your career development has been impeded because casting directors want actors who look a certain way? Gouveia: Yes. Most people who were cast ahead of me were white, blonde sticks. I expected it because I watched telly, and when I left drama school I could play the “Best Friend”. You might occasionally have a lead in an ensemble show, like Antonia Thomas did in Misfits, but it wasn’t like it is now, where you have more representative leads. Between starting drama school and leaving, there were more Brummies and northerners on telly, because people suddenly wanted to hear authentic regional accents. You could feel change was beginning, so I had to bide my time. I had to have hope, otherwise I wouldn’t be here now. Watkins: I was playing lots of different characters on the stage and my segue into television was playing quirky characters of different types and accents. Latterly, I’ve been able to forge leading characters. McDONALD AND DODDS AND BEYOND How were you both cast? Watkins: I was cast and had chemistry reads with various people. Tala was a stand out. I gave her a bit of direction… Gouveia: The first and last time! Watkins: That was made very clear! [Tala laughs] At the audition I thought, “She’s got it!”, and I wanted to make sure we filmed as many versions as we could for the execs. What are your ambitions for the series? Gouveia: Now that we have the format, it’s fun to break it a little bit, which is what we do in the new series. To keep bringing in young and hungry directors is really important. Watkins: The increasing scale and having big stars playing great characters is exciting. Our lovely relationship should always evolve and be stretched by the material. What do you think the perfect role for each other would be? Gouveia: Creepy with comedy for you. A creepy clown. Watkins: I can see you running a show and not having to deal with me! Gouveia: I’d love to run a show, but I have to write one first… Watkins: Well, just kill me in McDonald and Dodds and it’s yours! Series four of McDonald and Dodds starts on Sunday. The first three are available on ITVX now.
MasterChef's John Torode and Gregg Wallace on bad habits and the joy of tinned food
The presenting duo have been working together for almost two decades – but how well do they truly know each other?
John Torode and Gregg Wallace have been putting wannabe chefs through their paces since 2005. But as their 19th series of MasterChef dawns, after all these years, how well do they truly know each other? Who cries over trifle? Who is obsessed with the Moon? And who drives miles for a sausage roll? As the pair might say, interviews don’t get any tougher than this… MasterChef has been going for a long time. What’s new this series? John In this year’s semi-finals, we ask people to make dishes that are so wrong they’re right. For instance, fried chicken on a waffle with maple syrup. So wrong, but it’s pretty well right. Gregg Super-delicious. That sweetness over crispy and salty chicken skin, with a soft and crispy waffle underneath… Outside the MasterChef kitchen, there’s recently been a shortage of fresh fruit and vegetables. Are there alternatives for shoppers? Gregg We’re part of a global food market and as much as people say "we should use British this and British that", we haven’t been in that situation for hundreds of years. With that said, I'm a big fan of preserved foods and I don't consider them to be secondary to fresh – tinned, frozen, dried, bottled, pickled, air-dried, salted, I love them all. In fact, "fresh" bothers me a lot; I’d worry about how long so-called fresh produce has taken to travel from ground to mouth. John We’re used to fresh produce, but there are alternatives. A tin of tomatoes is a wonderful thing. TV double acts often project an image that they’re the very best of friends, always round at each other’s houses, but not in your case. How does your double act work? Gregg As far as I know, nobody’s written a bestselling pamphlet on how to be a successful TV couple, which is what we are. People are amazed we can be close and not be round at each other’s houses. We’ve found a way for it to work for us. Well, let’s see how well you know each other… John, what’s Gregg’s favourite dish? John Roast lamb and mint sauce, butterscotch Angel Delight, or anything with custard. He has cried over a trifle that his grandmother used to make. Gregg Spot on. John likes Korean and Thai food, but he also likes to sit up at a counter in a fish restaurant and have shellfish. He loves a simple roast chicken like his grandmother used to make. He also loves a pie… he turns it upside down and puts ketchup on it. Who’s first to taste the dishes on MasterChef? John Gregg will be straight in there. He has the fastest fork and spoon in the West. Gregg It's often me, because John waits until the cameras are on him, but I just start eating. The camera operator will say, "Gregg, you’re going to need to take another mouthful, I need to get that shot." What’s John’s guilty food pleasure? Gregg Sausage roll. John I know it’s processed, but a sausage roll is always in season! Usually, Gregg's guilty food pleasure is a packet of crisps he’ll sneak in between filming. He tells himself it isn’t that bad because it only has about 110 calories. But he won’t drive somewhere like I will to get a sausage roll. Gregg I didn’t know that! John It’s a day out for me, mate. I’ll even go out for a walk with the dog so I feel justified in having one. Who’s funnier? John Without Gregg, we wouldn’t have a fun set. I mean, his jokes are s**t [Gregg laughs], but every now and then he does come out with something very funny. It makes work joyous. Gregg I just constantly crack jokes. When John does it can be hilarious, because he’s normally in serious chef and judge mode. But I’m funnier. Who has more common sense? Gregg He does. Apart from this stuff about the Moon. I’ll say, "I didn’t sleep too well," and he’ll reply, "That’s because it’s a full Moon." John It’s the Wolf Moon tonight, one of the biggest Moons of the year… either yesterday or the day before you were feeling all over the place. There's a big Moon tonight, and tomorrow you’ll be all right. What are Gregg’s worst habits? John Gregg wouldn’t have a clue he has a bad habit, because he thinks everything he does is all right. He has no idea he peels off his fingernails then cleans his teeth with his fingernails. He cleans the inside of his ears with a matchstick. Gregg John deliberately sings songs with the wrong lyrics and butchers so many decent songs. Who's the first to well up when a contestant becomes emotional? John That used to be me; recently that's become a little more Gregg. Gregg No, it's still you. John Fine, I'm the emotional one. I like that, though. One of the great aspects of the success of MasterChef is that I can have a tear or a laugh without feeling anyone is going to judge me for it, and I think that's a wonderful gift to have on television. I thank the world for allowing me to do it. Read more: Gordon Ramsay: 'It's hard competing with Bake Off and MasterChef' John Torode and Lisa Faulkner on their favourite TV shows and cooking on a budget MasterChef returns to BBC One tonight at 8pm. Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide for more to watch. Try Radio Times magazine today and get 12 issues for only £1 with delivery to your home – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Sir Tony Robinson on reviving Blackadder's Baldrick for Comic Relief
Sir Tony Robinson tells Radio Times magazine about his delight when Richard Curtis asked him to grab his turnip to become Blackadder's Baldrick one more time.
This interview was originally published in Radio Times magazine. Legend says King Arthur will return in this country’s hour of need; instead, we have Baldrick, the turnip king of Blackadder, awoken just as the root vegetable has entered the national conversation. Because this Red Nose Day, for the first time since 1999’s Blackadder: Back & Forth, Baldrick and his alter ego Sir Tony Robinson will again concoct a supremely cunning plan. And, as it turns out, the quarter-witted lackey’s resurrection for a forthcoming Comic Relief sketch was inspired by a meeting at this year’s Radio Times Covers Party. Or, to be more precise, a meeting that didn’t take place. A trio of Blackadder alumni – Robinson, and co-writers Ben Elton and Richard Curtis – were present to collect commemorative covers for Blackadder Goes Forth, Friday Night Live and Comic Relief respectively. For the 76-year-old actor, presenter and author, the night was both an opportunity to celebrate Blackadder and catch up with his old friends. “The party was at Claridge’s hotel and it was rammed. I could see Richard on the other side of the ballroom and planned to meet him after the formal part of the evening. But when I later went to where he’d been, I couldn’t see him anywhere.” Curtis, it turned out, had literally chickened out. “The next morning, I had a fulsomely apologetic email from Richard saying, ‘Sorry I couldn’t stay. I had a text from Emma [Freud, his partner] saying there was a chicken in the oven.’” But there was more to the email than a dinner update; attached was what Robinson calls “a lovely present”. “He said, ‘I’ve just written a story for Baldrick – how would you feel about performing this on Comic Relief?’ I read it and texted him straight back – ‘Try and stop me.’ What’s remarkable is the way Richard was able to pick up the voice and rhythms of Baldrick straight away, having not written him for practically 25 years.” I ask if Curtis felt so bad about racing home for dinner that he’d written the scene overnight. “That seemed to be the implication, but I don’t know for sure,” he replies. What we can be sure of, I suggest, is that the RT party was the impetus for the character’s revival. “Absolutely,” he agrees. Details of the finished sketch are scantier than Baldrick’s hygiene regimen, though Robinson does reveal the outline. “Baldrick reads a bedtime story – Cinderella – to put the entire nation to sleep,” he says. And he also notes this is a different Baldrick, whose undoubtedly ratty clobber is described as a “cross between series two and series three”. I ask if this means Robinson will be wearing a new costume. “It will flipping have to be,” he replies, before sharing a startling encounter with his own Blackadder history. “I was bushwhacked in New Zealand by [Lord of the Rings film director] Peter Jackson. I was there making a documentary and he very kindly agreed to be interviewed by me. Halfway through the interview he said, ‘By the way, I’ve got something to show you.’ We went into another room and there was a tailor’s dummy fitted with Baldrick’s Blackadder II costume. He’d bought it because he’s a big fan of the series. Then he said, ‘Try it on,’” Robinson laughs. “As you can imagine, it didn’t quite fit.” Robinson and Baldrick, though, remain the perfect fit – and his enthusiasm for the much-abused dogsbody is undiminished. He calls this unexpected outing “terribly exciting”, particularly as it’s for a good cause: “To do this for Comic Relief, a charity I’ve had a close relationship with from its beginnings, has made it doubly good.” And we should relish this while we can – because it’s probably the closest we’ll ever get to a reunion. “Everyone’s always said if we made another series, however good it was, people wouldn’t be in the same headspace they were when they saw the original,” explains Robinson. “We couldn’t re-create it.” But what about Baldrick’s current headspace? When I ask Robinson what a modern Baldrick would be doing, he gives an answer far beyond the realms of possibility. “He would have been prime minister for two weeks and cocked it up so much, he would have been quietly removed. Of course, that could never happen in real life – but it could in Baldrick’s world.” View Green Video on the source website Red Nose Day returns to BBC One on Friday 17th March. If you’re looking for more to watch, check out our TV Guide and Streaming Guide or visit our Entertainment hub. Try Radio Times magazine today and get 12 issues for only £1 with delivery to your home – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Industry season 2 writers discuss the finance drama's "sensory overload"
Speaking to Toby Earle in the latest issue of Radio Times magazine, Mickey Down and Konrad Kay discuss their own careers in the financial world and how the drama's new season addresses COVID and Brexit.
This interview was originally published in Radio Times magazine. Over an intense first season, Industry gained a splash of notoriety for scenes of sex and drug-taking with its portrayal of a group of graduates’ hard-working and hard-partying City life. These paled in comparison with the drama’s most shocking moment yet in the new season – on the trading room floor, at his desk and in full view of all, managing director Eric (Ken Leung) clips his toenails. When I suggest to Mickey Down and Konrad Kay, the show’s writers, that this is their most outrageous scene to date, they laugh. "That’s a power move by a senior person to tell everyone they’re the most senior," explains Down. "You would never be able to do that as a junior." Power is the commodity chased by every floor at investment bank Pierpoint & Co in Industry. Made by the BBC/HBO and set in the City of London, the show’s toxic cocktail of financial jargon, scathing repartee and youth-centric soap-opera office dynamics has made it one of HBO’s most-watched shows in the US, and the first season a niche hit on BBC Two in the UK. The show has jumped channels to BBC One for the second season, and the graduates, now over a year into their careers, have a similar amount to prove - but it seems these fictional characters might stay longer in their job than their creators. 12 months was how long Down lasted in the City as an intern on a mergers and acquisitions team, while Kay managed three years as an equity salesman at Morgan Stanley. "There’s a certain level at which you can’t bulls**t your way to competency. People just see through you. I was three years in when my boss said, 'You’re s**t at your job,'" admits Kay. "And he was right. There was no dressing it up." Down agrees he also reached his natural ceiling. "I had to work really hard to be average. Maybe decades ago you could be average in the job and make some money, but it’s a very technical and intellectually driven job now. You have to actually be smart. I had such impostor syndrome when I was in banking and I always knew I was never going to be good at it. My job was very technical and I’m not a technician." This year is a critical one for fledgeling traders Harper (Myha'la Herrold), Yasmin (Marisa Abela) and Robert (Harry Lawtey), as well as their employer, the tireless money-manager that – ironically – doesn’t give its young employees much credit. In reality, their careers are flying alongside the show's critical success, particularly in America where Industry has been a cult hit. Herrold stars in the new black comedy film Bodies Bodies Bodies, Lawtey will star alongside Christian Bale and Gillian Anderson in new Netflix movie The Pale Blue Eye, while Abela features in the Barbie film and is tipped to play Amy Winehouse in the biopic Back to Black. Some of Industry's characters would benefit from going to rehab. As viewers discovered a fortnight ago, this is not an environment that has become kinder or more balanced in the past few years. The reaction to Harper's return, after months of self-imposed exile and remote working from a hotel room, was vitriolic. When you understand this season's opening episodes were filmed in July 2021, the writers have been remarkably fortunate in how Industry's return to the workplace has been mirrored in real life. Down explains, "We didn’t want eight hours of a COVID drama, but we did want to see how it affected the characters." The effects on society, especially attitudes in some offices towards working from home, were impossible to ignore. Kay says, "It won’t affect the story, but it will affect everybody’s psychology in their return to the office." Was Brexit a similar important topical thread that warranted inclusion? "I like mentioning Brexit because it gets up people’s noses," says Down. Kay’s analysis goes further. "No one can explain a single good thing that’s happened off the back of it." The show's foresight, which both recognise is due to pure luck, is deeply entrenched in the new season, although that might not be obvious to many viewers. "We had a very good consultant on season 2, who’s a bit of a Zorro figure. What’s really weird is a lot of what happens in season 2 are events which have happened in the financial world in the last 12 months," reveals Kay. Down is comically regretful about losing a chance to make serious money. "I wish we’d traded off the predictions. The consultant jokes we’d all be in jail if we had." Such coincidences have reinforced the drama’s authenticity – the pair speak of messages they’re sent by people who see themselves portrayed on screen. Friends of theirs, who still work in finance, make sly cameos, admits Kay. "We’ve managed to insert maybe six or seven of our friends' names into season 2, like when someone answers a phone and gives their full name." Industry hardly idolises its subject. The poisonous attitudes and behaviours on the trading-room floor form a ritualised process for newcomers to endure, those who survive then perpetuating the practice on newcomers. In the opening episode, Yasmin is furious a graduate isn't forced to suffer being exploited as the desk gopher as she was – is that a commentary on the environment they experienced and would they hope to break that cycle? "Cycles of harm are a very important facet of Industry," explains Kay. "That scene with Yas is a clear example of someone saying, 'You have to eat s**t because I was forced to eat s**t.' That was something I experienced very closely first-hand when I started work. The idea of treating people a certain way because you were treated a certain way, and not giving them a free pass, is very strange and a bit sick, but definitely true of those hierarchical structures." That pressure, explains Down, extends to an ambient expectation of working norms. "There are people willing to come in at eight o'clock in the morning and leave at three in the morning, who clock up hundreds of hours a week. In respect of cycles of harm, that’s the cycle of convincing a junior person it's a badge of honour to work that many hours at their desk. That perpetuates across the entire investment banking industry." Striking techniques used to replicate Pierpoint's dizzying pace, which places the viewer in Harper, Yasmin and Rob’s dazed and confused states, are the show’s pulsating electronic score and overlapping background conversations. "We’re immersing the viewer in the world the characters are immersed in," says Kay. "They’re distracted by the constant sensory overload. There’s always the next piece of business, the next line of coke, or the next person to sleep with." Industry season 2 is available to watch in full now on BBC iPlayer and continues on Tuesday at 10:40pm on BBC One. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what's on tonight. The latest issue of Radio Times magazine is on sale now – subscribe now and get the next 12 issues for only £1. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to the Radio Times podcast with Jane Garvey.
Slow Horses writer Mick Herron teases "big changes" in season 2
"I certainly don't require the plotting to be step-to-step in line with the book."
Mick Herron, author of Slow Horses, has told RadioTimes.com about the plans for the future seasons of the hit Apple TV+ series. The first season of the spy drama, starring Gary Oldman as the unorthodox MI5 officer Jackson Lamb, arrived on Apple TV+ in April to widespread acclaim. The second season is due to arrive later this year and filming is about to start on the new run. It was announced at the start of June the third and fourth books in Herron’s Slough House series – Real Tigers and Spook Street – would comprise the third and fourth seasons of the espionage series. In an exclusive interview with RadioTimes.com, Herron has outlined how the adaptations are taking shape. “Slow Horses was very faithful to the plot of the original book. That's probably less true in the next one for a variety of reasons,” he shares. “All the big changes to plots have been made with either my happy agreement or, sometimes, at my suggestion.” Herron is even keen for the adaptation to diverge from the source material, provided two important elements continue to be preserved. “There will be changes, but for me the important things are the characters and the tone, which elides between comedy and sometimes tragedy. “I've been very happy with the approach they're taking, and I certainly don't require the plotting to be step-to-step in line with the book, because what would be the point of that in the long run? We want to be more creative and carry on being creative with the adaptation.” Changes to the source material, says Herron, will sit alongside scenes straight from his books. “There are scenes in Slow Horses, and in all the other ones that are coming up, which are matched pretty much beat-for-beat for scenes I wrote in the book. Then there are other scenes which are going to be different. It'll be a mish-mash, which is how it's always going to be.” The Slough House series currently stands at eight books, but as yet Herron is unaware of any long term plans to develop the whole run, although he’d be “delighted” if there were. “I'm not privy to those kinds of conversations, to be honest,” he admits. “I'd be delighted if that does happen – everybody seems to be happy with the work done so far, but we've no way of knowing what the future holds. I don't know – but I do know that barring some unforeseen catastrophes, books one to four will be on television screens within the next couple of years.” As for Reconstruction and Nobody Walks, Herron’s novels linked to the Slough House universe which feature characters from the series, there’s no word if Slow Horses’ success will see them brought to screen in the near future. “There haven’t been discussions about filming them, but it certainly remains a possibility,” explains Herron. “For the time being, it's the Jackson Lamb series which is being focused upon." Despite such focus on the characters and their new on-screen portrayals, Herron isn’t writing the characters differently due to the influence of the Slow Horses cast’s performances. “I'm not responding to the way the actors portray the characters in the way I'm thinking about the characters,” he reveals. “On the other hand it wouldn't worry me if that did start to happen. The actors are doing so much work to embody those characters as they are on the page, it would be like taking part in a dialogue with them.” In the case of Jackson Lamb, having Gary Oldman’s voice in his head won’t affect how he writes for him. “If I start writing dialogue for Jackson Lamb and thinking of Gary Oldman's voice while I'm writing, that's not going to make any difference to what I write because he is playing that role so consummately. “It's not like he's bringing a huge set of other things to the role; he's playing Jackson Lamb the way he perceives Lamb to be on the page and in the scripts he's given.” Slow Horses is available to watch on Apple TV+ – you can sign up to Apple TV Plus here. Meanwhile, Bad Actors, the latest Slough House book, is out now. Herron won this year’s Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year for Slough House, one of the series which inspired the Apple TV+ Series. Visit our Drama hub for more news, interviews and features, or find something to watch now with our TV Guide. Read more from Herron in the Radio Times magazine crime writers special, alongside interviews with Lynda La Plante, Val McDermid, ML Longworth and Michael Connelly. The latest issue of Radio Times magazine is on sale now – subscribe now and get the next 12 issues for only £1. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to the Radio Times podcast with Jane Garvey.