Neighbours star Alan Fletcher says he can keep up with us Brits in the pub
This week TV Mag gets to know the man behind soap star Dr Karl Kennedy and it turns out he's an avid Liverpool fan who doesn't mind a pint or two
My ideal weekend would be spent bush walking and taking photographs. I like to escape to some of the beautiful places in Melbourne, like the Great Ocean Road.
Everybody is terrified of the snakes in Australia, but I can honestly say I’ve only ever seen one in the wild in my life – a carpet snake, which is harmless. They are out there, but they don’t come looking for us.
My favourite place in Britain has to be Liverpool. I always go there and try to catch a football match. The city has got a wonderful working-class history, and I love the Scouser honesty and straight forwardness. There are some lads who do a podcast about Liverpool FC and I catch up with them whenever I’m there. I’m a lager man, but everyone drinks pints there, which is a lot of grog! I keep up with them, though – I’m trained and professional!
I proposed to my wife Jennifer in Bali and made a complete hash of it. I bought a bottle of champagne for about 90,000 rupiah (£4.75), we got to the restaurant and I fumbled around a lot, saying things like: “Could you see yourself in the future…” and just being really clumsy. Eventually Jennifer said: “Alan, just say it, for Christ’s sake!”
I’m a horrible hoarder. I have a shed full of boxes of nuts and bolts that are old and rusted. Every now and again, something breaks and I think: ‘I know just where there’s a nut for that!’ But I can never find it. I try to declutter as much as possible, but it’s a constant battle. At the moment my veranda is carpeted with stuff to go to the tip.
I was so surprised when [soprano] Katherine Jenkins recognised me. I was at the races in Melbourne, and this extremely beautiful English woman came up behind me and asked me for a photograph. It was Katherine, and I was astounded. I said: “Only if I can have one with you!” She was dolly.
I always have a lie-in on a Saturday. Then it’s a bacon-and-egg breakfast, a look at the papers, I might have to push the mower around the lawn every second weekend, then I’ll have a hit around the golf course. I’m rubbish, my handicap is 25, but I love the game. I play with Scotty McGregor [Neighbours’ Mark Brennan] a lot. He thrashes me but, fair go, he’s about 30 years my junior!
My special place is Cottesloe Beach in Perth, where I grew up. It reminds me of that wild flush of youth – it was all about sun, sea, surf and girls. We headed to the beach on our bikes, the thrill of the possibility that we’d catch a glimpse of that girl we adored. It reminds me of first kisses and flirting, all of that.
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