TV FILMS OF THE WEEK
Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond’s The Grand Tour debut on Amazon and a second series of the revamped Top Gear, with Matt Le Blanc promoted to hosting duties following the departure of Chris Evans.
Paul insists he’s not disappointed he wasn’t part of the new Top Gear line-up.
“This programme was already in the making so it was difficult for me to get involved anyway. So, no, that was never a choice.
“I would rather do something different anyway, so I was happy carrying on with the Continental Road Trip.”
Besides, he’s keeping busy with The Great British Bake Off, having decided to move with the programme to Channel 4, despite former BBC colleagues Mary Berry, Sue Perkins and Mel Giedroyc standing down.
He claims he was unaware of the furore that ensued.
“I’ve been told by the press that it happened, so it must be true,” says Paul, who’s still in touch with his former judging partner Berry.
“Why wouldn’t I be? There’s no reason for it [their friendship] to stop.”
He’s earned a reputation for being tough in the Bake Off tent, but that’s something he attributes to the programme-makers.
“It’s called editing,” he laughs. “I’m very easy-going, quite chilled. But at the end of the day if something’s wrong then I have to point it out because that’s my job. But tough, really? I judge muffins. How the hell is that tough?”
And in Continental Road Trip, he believes “people see the real me”.
“The laughing, the crying with laughter on many occasions, which I just don’t do on other shows.
“I felt more relaxed doing it. It was the best filming I’ve ever done. It’s such a giggle.” SIMON Pegg and director Edgar Wright’s loosely linked ‘Cornetto trilogy’ comes to a satisfying end with this sci-fi comedy. A prologue set in June 1990 sketches the bonds of friendship between five teenagers, who fail to complete a crawl of 12 local pubs, which would have culminated in a final glorious pint at The World’s End. Two decades later, the ringleader of that motley crew, Gary King (Simon Pegg), decides to bring the ‘lads’ – Andrew (Nick Frost), Steven (Paddy Considine), Oliver (Martin Freeman) and Peter (Eddie Marsan) – back together to complete the booze-fuelled feat known as The Golden Mile. BASED on David Peace’s controversial book, The Damned United chronicles a tempestuous period in the professional life of football manager Brian Clough (Michael Sheen, left) during the 1974-75 season. This an enthralling valentine to the former darling of Nottingham Forest, which shoots and scores on many levels.