CROSSING THE LINE...
Grado fulfilled dream of joining polis ... sort of
AS a teen, TV star Grado had ambitions to “join the polis”. But this never quite became a reality until he found his way on to Scot Squad. Although not quite the “real polis”, the TV series which offers a satirical spin on life within a fictional Scottish police force has allowed Grado to make his childhood dreams come true.
“Every time I go to Scot Squad I get into that mood thinking, ‘ right, I’m a polis,’ – and it feels brilliant because I always wanted to do it as a wee boy,” said the actor who plays traffic cop PC Hugh McKirdy alongside PC Surjit Singh ( Manjot Sumal) in the hit BBC show.
He explained: “I went for the cadets at Strathclyde Police when I was 15 or 16, I never got into that.
“So I did a job for the community warden in Ardrossan. We walked about in a red t- shirt, hat and a whistle handing out fines for folk not lifting up their dog s*** e, no cutting their grass.
“We were the most hated folk in Ardrossan, we were called the red mafia.
“It was full of ex- policemen coming up to retirement and I was the youngest one so I would walk about with a guy who was 30 years in the polis.
“He would tell me stories and the way they went on and wee sayings and stuff like that.”
He added: “The second time I applied for the polis I lost hunners of weight, I got right in about it.
“I was going into the polis stations and I was asking them.
“I made an a** e of the second interview and I never got to be a police officer.
“Even though they told me ‘ you’re going to sail this no bother and your uniform fitting will be the day after your second interview’.
“That was my big thing, I couldn’t wait to put on the black shirt and body armour. I never got to fulfil that fantasy until I got to Scot Squad.”
The actor – whose real name is Graeme Stevely – even swotted up about life in the thin blue line by watching reality TV, helping to make him the perfect candidate for Scot Squad.
The 32- year- old beamed: “I remember getting Sky in my room for the first time and all that was recorded was Road Wars, Street Crime UK – everything to do with polis I was totally obsessed with.”
Now his obsession is work, as Scot Squad returns to BBC Scotland tonight for a new fivepart series, and the moment is one Grado has been looking forward to.
“I love everything about Scot Squad,” he said with a smile.
He added: “It has been the same camera operator, director, actors and make- up artist every year.
“Every year, it feels like going away to summer camp because you’re getting to see all your pals, the folk you work with.
“It’s a cracking atmosphere, the director is brand new, knows what everyone is about. It’s a real good feeling on the set.”
Despite a difficult 2020 for all, Grado made the most of new opportunities as he ventured into the world of breakfast radio for the first time.
And although he misses wrestling – which was the sport that first propelled him into the spotlight – he has clearly taken to his new role. He said: “I’m doing Go Radio at the moment. “That’s a new thing and it’s been all right for me.
“That came just at the start of lockdown. Getting up at 4: 30 in the morning and talking on the radio for a couple of hours, that’s been good.”
We were the most hated folk in Ardrossan, we were called the red mafia
Now with many strings to his bow, it’s clear that Grado is still as passionate as ever about Scot Squad – and he hopes that the project will continue for many years to come.
He said: “I would love for Scot Squad to keep happening every year.
“I want it to be on Netflix and all that. I want it to keep going.
“You get other jobs but nothing is quite the same as Scot Squad.
“It’s so different, it’s original and a different kind of experience.
“Every time we get told there’s another series getting commissioned, it’s like, ‘ yes, we’ve got another one!’
“I don’t want it to come to an end.”
Watch Scot Squad tonight at 10pm on BBC Scotland