‘Celebs don’t wee on you or decide to mount you on camera’
PAUL O’GRADY’S SATURDAY NIGHT LINE UP
What enticed you back to Saturday night entertainment? PAUL: We did a pilot – and then coronavirus hit, and nothing happened. The pilot was very raucous because people let their hair down as they knew it wasn’t going out. I thought, “This will never get commissioned unless they show it at three in the morning!” But we toned it down a bit, and here we are…
Can you explain how it works? I’m joined by four showbiz guests each week. A question is asked, for example, “Who’s the most likely to make a fool of themselves at a starry party?” They then rank themselves in the order they think the public have put them in. There’s another round where a celebrity will dial in with a question. We’ve got the likes of Sharon Osbourne, Cliff Richard and Nigel Havers.
Did you have a favourite guest? There have been so many wonderful people who I haven’t seen in ages, like Mica Paris and Jack Dee. I first met Jack over 30 years ago, and Jo Brand. I’ve only ever said hello to Judge [Robert] Rinder before but he’s hilarious, and Joanna Page can talk for Wales. They were all good value. Omid Djalili is another favourite of mine, and my mates are on it too – like Sally Lindsay, Boy George and Rupert Everett. Who’s the most competitive?
Boy George. He’s great fun, though, and no one wears a hat like him. At the beginning, when they’re placing themselves in the line-up, it’s all a bit polite, and then it gets raucous. I really enjoyed it and it was very funny watching them – they’re all gabbling together and the audience are all shouting and joining in.
Any full-on arguments?
Nothing serious, but lots of,
“You should stand there, no, no, no, it won’t be me!” They were all very polite but pushing each other into the best spot. Arlene Phillips was a hoot. She kept organising people saying, “No, you stay there, you stand there…”
It sounds like it was a giggle…
It was such a fun show to make. Sometimes when you’re filming a chat show, it can be like pulling teeth, but on this show, there was none of that. It was like pulling the plug and then it flowed. Everyone was so relaxed.
What’s been the funniest filming moment?
Probably something with
Judge Rinder because I always assumed he was a serious judge. I talked to him about when I trained as a magistrate’s clerk when I was 17 and he was amazed. He said, “So you know about law then?” I said, “I know how to break it!” He was so foulmouthed and funny, and he’s such a nice man as well.
Is the live audience socially distanced?
Yes, they’re all socially distanced and the audience is only a third full – plus everybody is wearing masks. It was very odd. All you could see was a sea of eyes and it felt like being watched by frogspawn! But it was the right thing to do, as we were coming out of lockdown. It’s strange not having any hugging, but after a while it just becomes normal. Animals or celebrities – which is easier to work with?
I think animals, because I get on so well with them [Paul lives in Kent with a menagerie of pets and farm animals], but they can disgrace you and decide to mount you on camera or wee on you. Thankfully, none of the celebrities do that!
Do you have a dream guest?
If I could pick anyone, I’d have Bette Davis. I’m a huge fan of hers, on and off the screen. She was such a force to deal with, a powerhouse.
Imagine what she’d come out with!