The Young Ones’ Neil glad to be an Oldie
The actor who played hippy student Neil in The Young Ones turns 65 this week and says he’s hoping to “scrape by” with his pension and free transport.
Nigel Planer starred alongside 80s comedy greats Rik Mayal l, Ade Edmondson, Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders in the cult BBC sitcom.
He revealed that after two divorces and losing his own pension in a financial scandal, he’s already applied for his pensioner perks.
Nigel said: “I feel pretty good at turning 65 as that’s when they start paying you your state pension.
“I’ve already made my application online and I’ve got my Freedom bus pass and Senior Railcard. Mind you, the pension these days is really very small.
“I took out a pension when I was young with Equitable Life, which went down the toilet and I lost a lot.
“I’m hoping I might just scrape through with the state pension.
“I’m in constant work but every day you think, ‘ What if I fell over and was unable to work?’ You have to think about the future.”
Nigel plays a former rock star suspected of murder in a new series of ITV crime drama Marcella, starring Anna Friel, tomorrow night.
He rose to fame in the anarchic 80s Comic Strip shows, which also featured Robbie Col t rane and Alexei Sayle.
Since then he’s had a variety of TV roles in Agatha Christie’s Marple, sitcoms The Grimleys and Boomers, and West End musical Evita.