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Paul Merton seems to be in no rush to resume normal life just yet. The comedian, actor and presenter, 64, is probably best known for BBC’S Have I Got News For You, but he also heads up and tours with a collective called Paul Merton’s Impro Chums.
“At the moment, I wouldn’t be happy performing in an indoor environment with people sat together and not masked up,” he says.“we have gone to a couple of local restaurants that have outside areas, and we’re relatively happy doing that.
“I hope this great experiment that’s happening at the moment doesn’t backfire, but I know a lot of scientists that are against doing what we’re doing, so we’ll have to see – and hopefully we’ll be lucky.”
There is a project Merton has been working on lately; a new Channel 5 show, which follows him and wife and fellow comedian Suki Webster as they travel around the UK in a motorhome.
The first episode sees them head to Kent, while beautiful campsites in places such as the Lake District and Wales are also showcased.
It’s a joyful watch, as they discover the freedom of being able to park up anywhere to take in the view, while trying out new activities along the way. There’s also a more practical side to the six-part series; it features motorhome enthusiasts sharing their top tips, plus ideas for the best camping equipment to invest in. And, with the motorhome scene booming – since the pandemic means more people hitting the road and holidaying in the UK – it couldn’t be coming at a better time.
“It was an absolute joy to be invited to do something where we left the house!” said Webster, 56.
While they both had static caravan holidays separately as kids, and also stayed in one together at Latitude Festival, this was the couple’s first foray into motorhoming – and they got the bug.
In the first episode, we see the affable pair navigating tricky country lanes, resulting in clipping the hedge with a wing mirror – but he reassures me there weren’t any more driving mishaps as the series went on.
What would their top tips be for other couples who fancy heading off in a motorhome together?
“Tidy up constantly, because if you don’t, it’s a small space – it gets messy very quickly,” muses Webster.
“Take an awful lot of tea towels and kitchen roll.you see in the first episode when I go over the speed bump, everything rattles because we hadn’t wrapped it properly.”
Motorhoming With Merton & Webster, Channel 5, Friday