Meet TV’s Best Exotic golden oldies
IT is not the first TV show to take a bunch of celebrities and put them thousands of miles away in unfamiliar, sweaty surroundings.
But luckily for these eight, the idea was inspired by a rom-com movie. That meant the stars of BBC’s The Real Marigold Hotel got to feast on curries rather than nibbling on I’m A Celebrity-style creepy-crawlies.
Their adventure was based on hit film The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, which followed the fortunes of a group of ageing expatriates in India. The idea was for Harry Potter actress Miriam Margolyes, 74, former Doctor Who Sylvester McCoy, 72, dancer Wayne Sleep, 67, singer Patti Boulaye, 61, comedian Roy Walker, 74, TV chef Rosemary Shrager, 64, ex-newsreader Jan Leeming, 74, and flamboyant darts player Bobby George, 70, to set up home in India to decide whether they could spend their retirement there.
The stars spent three weeks in September living together in a haveli – a private mansion – in Jaipur for the three-part series, which begins on BBC2 this month.
As well as the culture shock and the heat, they faced tasks they had to complete – unlike Judi Dench, Maggie Smith and Celia Imrie in the 2012 film and last year’s sequel, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.
These included sharing household chores and deciding whether to hire staff. They visited Jaipur’s palace and its largest slum as well as the Taj Mahal and Varanasi, one of India’s holiest cities. They also tried elephant riding, yoga and learning Hindi.
To decide whether they would happily settle in India, they went house-hunting and experienced local medical services. Former Catchphrase host Walker said he understands the appeal of retiring to the sub-continent.
‘First of all your money goes further in India,’ he said. ‘The hospitality, humility and friendliness of the people are to die for.’
Miss Leeming was keen to see India as her father was born there and served in the Indian army. She would considering moving – but only for the cooler seasons.
‘Much as I love heat, the summer temperatures and humidity are just a trifle too much for me,’ she said. Several of the celebrities said Britain could learn from how Indians treat their elders.
Miss Shrager said: ‘The attitude towards the elderly is completely inbred within Indian culture. We could learn so much from this.’
She admitted the trip was not always harmonious. ‘I realised that I haven’t got a lot of patience when it comes to making decisions,’ she said. ‘When things annoy me, I do tend to reveal my feelings.’