On set with the cast of Cold Feet: “We’re like a family, warts ’n’ all!”

The reboot of Cold Feet was hailed as ITV’S most successful launch of 2016, and had us all chomping at the bit for more

t’s a hot sunny day and I Closer is in leafy Didsbury, Manchester, to meet the stars of Cold Feet – one of the biggest TV comebacks of recent times. Pinching ourselves, we’re sat waiting in the kitchen of Karen Marsden’s swanky townhouse when the boys (James Nesbitt, John Thomson and Robert Bathurst) come filing in…

In the flesh, James, 52, who plays Adam Williams, is in great shape (“Men get better as they get older,” he comments when we ask if he’s been hitting the gym). Robert Bathurst, 60, who plays David Marsden, is cool in a linen shirt, which complements his piercing blue eyes, while John Thomson, 48, who stars as Pete Gifford, is the friendliest of the trio – flashing smiles as our interview gets underway.

The revival of hit drama Cold Feet was such a runaway success last year, that there was no question about bringing it back again. Were the cast thrilled by the response to the comeback? “Why wouldn’t we be?” asks James. John adds that there was “a lot resting on a 13-year absence,” while Robert expresses relief that the public response so far “seemed to be going OK” (er, understatement!).

The eight-part revival reunited the boys, along with Hermione Norris as Karen and Fay Ripley as Jenny Gifford, as the pals tackled middle-age.

What can we expect from series seven? A “slower burn,” says John, adding: “This time it’s not as high impact, but that’s fine because we re-established the characters in the last series.”

FEELING NOSTALGIC

The day we’re on set, filming is underway for a wild party that Adam’s son Matthew (Cel Spellman) accidentally ends up having in Adam and Tina’s (played by Leanne Best) house. When we get to speak to Fay Ripley, the actress tells us more…

“It’s a big party that wasn’t meant to happen, and the kids haven’t been entirely responsible,” she laughs. “It’s not my house so I don’t really care, Jenny’s finding it all quite funny…”

We last saw Jenny and Pete getting down to it in their bathroom. “Is the nation hanging on for when I’m next going to have sex with Pete?” laughs Fay, 51 – who’s kicked off her high heels to settle down for our chat, and is looking delightful in a blue stripe dress and big gold hoop earrings.

As for series seven – which is due to hit our screens on 8 September, Fay admits: “The pressure is off a bit and we’ve been able to enjoy it more. I think when we came back [in 2016], the nerves were full-on; we could so easily have been chucked Closer’s out with the bath Hannah sits water. But it’s like it down with

didn’t really go away the boys

and they [the fans] feel nostalgic about it.”

There could be a downside, however, to this being the landmark 20-year series… Laughing, Fay adds: “20 years? Ridiculous – I’m only 28! If I’m honest, it’s a reminder of how flipping old we all are. But it also means we know each other so well. We’re like a family, warts ’n’ all.”

Back in 1997, the cast had no idea the pilot would end up spawning this megasuccessful series. Fay adds: “For many years we had no idea what would happen next, and that’s still sort of true – nothing is taken for granted; you’re certainly not swanning around going, ‘I think I’m going to get myself a Jaguar…’”

BIKINI SCENES

If Fay does have any demands, they’re usually about what goes into the scripts. She adds: “I scan for bikini scenes, or any sort of naked. But they know me well enough now to know I’ll only do the bedroom scenes with Pete if there’s a comedy element. I’m not going to do it in a bra, but I might do it in a cowboy outfit. And yes, there is some dressy-uppy titillation to come!”

Suddenly, Cold Feet’s resident manmagnet Hermione Norris, 50, (Karen) is in the room. With her being proposed to twice at the end of the last series, is there a bloke on the scene this time around? “There is somebody further down the line,” she reveals. Lucky bloke, as Hermione looks

JENNY (FAY RIPLEY)

“Jenny’s work is on the up and she’s feeling like the world is potentially her oyster,” Fay says. “The problem is, Pete’s not quite up to speed with Jenny’s vision of the future…”