Bob’s wedding woes
As his character’s wedding day dawns, Tony Audenshaw gives his hot take on where the story should go…
People were shouting at me when I was out at the Brighton Marathon recently!” Tony Audenshaw feels chastised as he joins us to discuss Bob’s bad behaviour – but he insists his cheating alter ego deserves the f lak. “They were yelling, ‘Bob’s horrible, he should stop sleeping with Laurel and be nice to Brenda’ and they’re right – he is horrible!” declares the 53-year-old Dales veteran. “So it’s fair enough, isn’t it? It’s nice that people are feeling so angry with him, though, because it’s important that you play these kinds of stories properly – and Bob is doing some terrible things.
“It’s actually been quite enjoyable and liberating to say some of the things he’s said to Brenda and Laurel. He’s told both those women that he wants to be with them – twice!”
Despite all the awful things that
Bob has done, and the fact that she knows about his affair with Laurel, Brenda still seems prepared to be his wife – even though it’s not clear which of the two ladies Bob is more in love with. But while she’s in a state of denial, he’s drifting along in his own dream land – and it’s only in the hours prior to the ceremony that reality finally starts to bite…
“He’s at his stag do, which is a quiet affair because he’s still a bit confused,” explains Tony. “Nothing is right, and he feels wrong. People don’t know that he’s been having an affair with Laurel, and because he feels bad about that, he doesn’t want his stag to be a big fuss. But Rishi organises a bit of nonsense with Bob’s ‘man club’ mates, and they end up in Ashley’s pirate ship. Bob doesn’t think it’s right they’re in there, though, because he’s missing Ashley.”
As Bob persuades his friends to leave him alone in the pirate ship, he feels compelled to open up to Ashley – his late best pal and husband of his mistress. His guilty conscience is laid bare in that vulnerable moment, but Tony insists we shouldn’t credit Bob with having seen the error of his ways.
“Bob hasn’t thought about the consequences of what he’s been doing,” sighs the actor. “What an idiot! He’s been incredibly blinkered and selfish. If he could keep Brenda and Laurel happy at the same time, then that’s what he’d do – without thinking about what it would mean in the long run.
Bob isn’t a complex person, he just does what he’s told. But he’s such a selfish person and all he can see is sex!”
It looks as if fate is about to intervene, when Laurel and Ashley’s son Arthur – who’s angry about his mum’s f ling – locks Bob inside the pirate ship. Once Bob’s panicked mates realise he’s gone AWOL, there’s a race to get him to the church on time – but even if he makes it, there’s still a chance betrayed Brenda might get cold feet.
“Bob isn’t complex, he’s just such a selfish person – all he can see is sex!”
“Brenda knows about Bob’s affair, but he’s told her that it’s over, and Brenda has just sort of let it go,” reveals Tony. “It really freaked Bob out when he learned Brenda had known for ages beforehand. Bob has claimed it’s no more, though, and Brenda says she’s fine about it. And now Bob’s thinking that as long as he doesn’t talk about it, then it’s all okay. So they haven’t talked about it. I don’t know…it’s weird, isn’t it?”
Adding to this already complicated situation is that, unbeknown to Bob, Laurel has been fibbing – and still cares about him a great deal. After a heart-to-heart with her dad Doug, she could spill the beans to Bob at any moment – but would it stop him from marrying Brenda if she did?
“That’s difficult to answer,” mulls Tony. “Bob’s just been rejected by Laurel, and she shut the door on him – which is why he’s focused on sorting things with Brenda. And despite his awful behaviour, he wants to do the right thing – sort of!
“It’s a different kind of love he has for Laurel,” continues the star. “Just like there’s different sorts of snow, there’s different sorts of love. He’s more at the ‘falling in love’ stage with Laurel, while with Brenda it’s more long-term.”
It’s anyone’s guess whether Bob and Brenda will end their wedding day as man and wife. And Tony has his own opinion on what the future should hold for his hapless character.
“I think he should be with Brenda – but she shouldn’t have him back because of the way he’s behaved!” he hoots. “Can Bob ever settle for just the one woman anyway? Evidently not. Yet he’s one of these people who needs a relationship because he’s not good on his own. I don’t think he’d cope with being single. He’d be straight on Tinder, looking for someone new!”
It’s ironic that somebody as untrustworthy as Bob is rarely without a partner. However, as we ask what he’d tell Bob to do at this point, even Tony believes that it’s time for his character to change his ways – for the sake of unsuspecting females everywhere.
“What advice would I give Bob? That he become a man of the cloth!” he chuckles. “He should leave women alone, and go off to seek redemption somewhere!”