Rylan Clark-Neal: ‘Mum tells me off for my TV antics!’
Big Brother winner turned gameshow host Rylan Clark-Neal on why he isn’t worried about criticism - and being the ‘new Brucie’…
Rylan Clark-Neal, 28, is the new king of candid TV chat and, filling us in on his new daytime quiz show, he doesn’t disappoint by making us gasp and giggle at his wisecracks. The larger-than-life presenter tells us all about his closeness to This Morning faves Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes, where the ‘haters’ can stick it and his plan to make Saturday night TV a must-see again…
How is it working with Ruth and Eamonn?
They come round for dinner. I love them. Eamonn turns up in his Man United beanie looking like he’s not showered for 10 days. Ruth’s like my telly mum, but also like my best mate who I tell everything to! So many industry people criticise you, but Eamonn and Ruth are first to say, ‘That was tough what you did there.’ They ring and text me.
Do you get your knuckles wrapped for your antics?
Not by work – by [his husband] Dan or my mum! Me and Ruth always have banter where I storm off or tell her to shut up! My mum’s like, ‘I can’t believe you spoke to Ruth like that! What if people don’t know you’re joking?’ I say stuff ’em! If they don’t like it, I don’t care… they can watch Victoria Derbyshire.
Were you nervous presenting This Morning with Phillip Schofield?
No, I don’t give a monkeys! It’s This Morning, not open-heart surgery. Just don’t swear! That was all I had to worry about. I had no brief – I just did it blind. It’s like the showbiz gossip – do I care? Not a lot! I just read the cards. I’m there for the LOLs.
Is the criticism difficult to take?
What a lot of people don’t realise is there can be 400 people screaming in your ear. You are making it up as you go along. That’s what Ruth and Eamonn understand. Phil and Holly have welcomed me so much, too.
Tell us about Babushka, your new gameshow?
Every single couple on the show could walk away with £44,000. It’s like Deal Or No Deal, but with money inside giant dolls. It’s brutal, because contestants can lose all the money they’ve won. I’ve never been more confident in anything I’ve done.
What was it like being a gameshow host?
I totally forgot I was on TV. I felt like a contestant, not a host. I play it with them and always try and help them. I want every single couple to win, but it’s luck of the draw.
Is it true that you cried during it?
We had one couple, and £500 would have changed their life. I still remember that feeling. I’ve only been doing this for five years, and £500 is still a hell of a lot of money. In that episode they cried and I cried and everyone in the audience cried – and they had only seen these people for an hour. It was unbelievable.
Was it hard not to swear?
Sometimes I did! I couldn’t help it. It was awful at points, some of the language that came out of the contestants! You get to know them and where that money’s going. You want them to win.
What’s the secret to your success on TV?
People feel like they know me, because they put me where I am today. They made me the winner of Big Brother and they have grown up with me.
Could you be the new Brucie, then?
Yes! I miss the telly that was on when I was growing up, like Noel’s House Party and Strike It Lucky. I would love to bring it all back on a Saturday night. l
Babushka airs weekdays at 5pm on ITV from Monday 1 May