New ITV comedy about Alan Carr’s life to hit screens but he’s worried it might ruin child actor’s life
ALAN Carr feared putting a curse on the young actor picked to play him as a lad.
The job of deciding who’d star in the sitcom Changing Ends, which is partly based on the comic’s life, weighed heavily on him.
Now, after finding mini Alan, he is haunted by fears for young Ollie Savell's career from here on in.
Asked if landing such an amazing TV role could now lead to Ollie not working again — just like the Luke Skywalker actor Mark Hamill said after appearing in Star Wars — Alan laughed: “I mean, actually being Alan Carr myself is a curse!
“I hope we don’t see him in a bedsit in years to come, going, ‘Being Alan Carr ruined my life’. I would feel very bad.
“But the boy is so talented. I think the world is his oyster. I hope being Alan Carr just propels him into being wonderful things.”
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Speaking exclusively at the launch of the ITVX comedy, he revealed more than 450 lads applied for the part, which became a bit of a trial.
He joked: “Some of them were so rude. You know, kids in fat suits, one with Doritos for teeth going, ‘Hello I’m Alan Carr’ — really offensive.
“Some of them were good, some of them not so good.”
Alan hopes Changing Ends, which begins on June 1, will become “Northampton’s answer to The Crown”.
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The series is based on his life growing up in the Midlands as a “gay, fat, camp kid with messed-up teeth, glasses and a brace”, and whose dad is manager of the local football team.
The show comes from the teams behind Gavin & Stacey and The Royle Family.
Alan hinted there could be more to come if the debut proves a hit.
He said: “Let’s get it up to me now in the present day.”
Shaun Dooley, who plays Alan’s dad Graham, added: “All the love there is for Alan. It’s been kind of taken and condensed and dropped into this show.
“It’s like a Marvel origin story of one of our greatest comics.”
Kath has a fancy theory
KATHERINE Parkinson reckons creating chemistry with a co-star is almost impossible – unless you fancy them.
The IT Crowd actress was speaking about her relationship with leading man Youssef Kerkour, who joins her for new ITVX comedy Significant Other.
The pair play lonely neighbours brought together by drastic events.
Katherine joked: “Chemistry is a hard thing to manufacture. I tried in the past and I think, essentially, it just comes down to, you know, fancying someone.”
Youssef said with a laugh: “I think feeling safe with each other helps. And yes, fancying each other helps.”
Fellow Significant Other cast member Kelle Bryan said of him: “Leading men who are funny – it’s really hard to be mad at them because they are making me laugh the whole time.”
PHIL THE FEAR
FORMER EastEnder Nina Wadia has been cast as a vampire’s mother in her latest comedy role.
But she thinks the soap’s hardman Phil Mitchell is scarier than any ghouls.
Nina, who played Walford matriarch Zainab Masood, portrays the mum of a young Muslim doctor who is turned into a vampire by Jaime Winstone’s character.
Speaking about Count Abdulla, which lands on June 15, she laughed: “They are very different characters.
“No one’s as scary as Phil Mitchell!
“It mixes up a lot of different cultures, a lot of different folklore, a lot of different storytelling styles.
“I’m the first ever Muslim mum to a Muslim vampire. There’s a real family feel to the whole piece, even though it is so outrageous and different.
Jaime bites back
JAIME Winstone was meant to play a classic Essex girl in ITVX comedy Count Abdulla.
But she convinced bosses to ditch the typecasting and let her be a punk dominatrix vampire.
The actor plays a blood-sucker with a taste for halal prey (yes really) and bites a Muslim doctor in the quirky new show, which also stars Arian Nik.
Jaime, who played Peggy Mitchell in a recent throwback episode of EastEnders, told me in an exclusive chat: “There was talk of my character Kathy having really long, blonde hair and her being quite Essex.
“But I really was drawn to more of this scatty, chaotic, end-of-her-reign vampire.
“She’s got a real strong punk element, a Siouxsie Sioux, Debbie Harry, Iggy Pop vibe.
“And she’s got a stake that is shaped in a certain sexual object – she’s a part-time dominatrix.
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“You’ve got to play against stereotypes.
“So sometimes you really have to be your own CV.”
FASHION VICKTIM
KATHERINE Kelly's outfits in new sitcom Ruby Speaking should raise eyebrows – as her character’s fashion icon is Amanda Holden.
The former Corrie actress gave an insight into her latest role of Vicky, who is part of a Bristol call centre team.
The six-part series airs on June 22 on ITVX and follows her as she welcomes fun new recruit Ruby, played by Strictly star Jayde Adams.
Katherine said of Vicky: “Her fashion icons are Amanda Holden meets Meghan Markle. Her dream man is Matthew McConaughey.
“There is an entire scene devoted to him.
“But to me it’s much more interesting. Ruby has got everything Vicky wants.
“She’s popular, people gravitate towards her and she’s a free-thinker.”
