DAVID WALLIAMS ON HIS OBE AND WHY HE LOVES CHRISTMAS
CHILDREN’S AUTHOR EXTRAORDINAIRE DAVID WALLIAMS TALKS COMEDY HEROES, HIS OBE AND WHY HE LOVES CHRISTMAS
Since soaring to fame alongside Matt Lucas in 2003 as the forces behind iconic comedy show Little Britain, David Walliams has certainly kept himself busy.
He has spent the last seven years on the judging panel of
Britain’s Got Talent and sold a phenomenal 25million copies of his wildly popular children’s books, some of which have been adapted for TV. He’s also found time to welcome six-yearold son Alfred with his former wife Lara Stone.
When OK! meet up with a hilarious David, he’s making us chuckle within moments, revealing how fellow BGT judge
Simon Cowell is a real flirt. Here, the 48 year old opens up about working with his heroes, playing Prince Charming and why he’ll never do Strictly…
Who is your comedy hero, David?
Myself. No, Peter Kay definitely. He can do anything. You spend time with him in person and it’s actually exhausting because he’s so relentlessly funny – it’s like you’re in your very own stand up show. We only got to really know each other recently. I was away in Dubai with my family, and someone who came up to me asking for a selfie told me they’d also seen Peter Kay. So, I texted him and he told me to come over!
How do you find working alongside Simon Cowell?
Simon is charming to everybody. Then he goes back home and lies in his coffin and turns evil! He was very flirtatious with my mum because she baked him a cake. She got very excited at him flirting with her! She’s a big fan of his. For some inexplicable reason, women like him.
What’s it like receiving an OBE?
Great! I was awarded it by Princess Anne but it’s actually a really long day because you have to sit and wait for lots of other people to collect their awards first. I took my mum along to the palace because I thought she’d enjoy the day out.
Are you excited about Christmas?
Yes! I love Christmas, it’s the best. I love that The Spy Who Loved Me is on in the middle of the day. The world goes topsy turvy! You can watch a James Bond film in the morning, it’s the best day ever! My thing is food, as you can probably tell [laughs]. But all food rules go out of the window at
Christmas. You can start eating Quality Street at 9am and finish the day eating cheese at 1.30am.
How do you feel about your books, and the TV versions which have been made of them, now being a staple part of Christmas?
I’m really pleased to be doing original programmes. Being known as a kids’ author, it’s really amazing to branch out to TV.
What are you working on at the moment? I’ve been filming an Oliver Twist remake with Sir Michael Caine. It’s been a dream to work with people you idolise. The best part of being successful is working with your heroes.
Your programme Ratburger was hugely successful…
Well, the thing is, kids love to re-watch things! My son asks to watch The Aristocats twice in one day. I’m like: ‘But we saw it this morning!’
How have you found working on Sky 1’s upcoming comedy, Cinderella: After Ever After?
I thought I was way too old to play Prince Charming and I’ve realised I am the world’s worst dancer. Our choreographer said: ‘There’s only two people that are worse dancers than you, that’s Pierce Brosnan and Colin Firth.’ People always ask me about doing Strictly Come Dancing, but the answer is it’s never going to happen! I’m so hopeless.
‘THE BEST PART OF BEING SUCCESSFUL IS WORKING WITH YOUR HEROES’