5 MINS WITH ROB & ROMESH

BEST mates Rob Beckett and Romesh Ranganathan are always up for a challenge. That much has become evident in the hilarious Sky One show, Rob & Romesh Vs, in which the comedians push themselves to the limits as they learn about unfamiliar worlds – boxing, basketball, ballet – from experts in the field.

And the skills the stand-up stars try their hand at in the new series – the third – are arguably the most entertaining yet.

There’s golf, in which they have lessons with Olympic Champion Justin Rose, before teeing off at the world-famous BMW PGA Championship; art (culminating in each of them having to present an exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery); and, finally, drag.

And, yes, we really do get to see them perform their very own drag routines in front of a live audience.

WHAT STANDS OUT IN THE NEW SERIES?

Rob: I was so hyped up and stressed out about doing the drag performance, so the comedown after the adrenaline high was so big.

We had to film the end scene, of us on Brighton Beach, and just before we filmed that I was told we were going into Tier 4 – all the shops were shutting at midnight, I couldn’t get my wife’s Christmas present and Christmas was cancelled! So, for me, that was probably the most stressful scene that we did. I’ll remember that forever.

ROMESH, YOU SHAVED OFF YOUR BEARD FOR THE PERFORMANCE. ? Romesh:

Well, I got carried away in the moment is what happened. We had our initial drag makeover to see what we’d look like, and the plan was always that Rob was going to shave his beard off. I got excited, grabbed the clippers and did my beard... and in that moment I just forgot what my face looked like. And, as I did it, it was so horrific. Leesa, my wife, was furious. And then I went home and my youngest son wouldn’t come near me. He said, ‘You don’t look like my dad!’

HOW LONG IS THE LIST OF STUFF THAT YOU’D LIKE TO TRY FOR THE SHOW?

Rob:

Golf might not have been top of the list but it proved to be so funny and so interesting, and I think it made us realise that we don’t have to be really passionate about it individually – or really hate it – in order for it to work. We don’t have to have that dynamic – it can just be us two exploring stuff.

Romesh: It feels like, as long as there’s something to get our teeth into it, we’d pretty much have a go at anything.

HOW DO YOU THINK YOU WOULD COPE IN LOCKDOWN IF YOU HAD TO LIVE TOGETHER? Rob:

Even if on the surface we seem very different, we’re both essentially quite similar, I’d say, wouldn’t you, Romesh?

Romesh: I think the reason we get on so well is because we are quite similar underneath it. But there’s no denying that we have different energies, and I do think it compliments each other. I love Rob... we had spent loads of time together. But we hadn’t been away with each other a lot and when you do this [TV show], it brings you together for intense amounts of time under quite stressful situations.

Rob and Romesh Vs series 3 airs is on Sky One and NOW TV

Rob Beckett and Romesh Ranganathan