Hi Leigh, its great to talk to you.
This interview is for Den Of Geek and I hear youre a little bit of a geek.
I collect movie memorabilia, Ive got nineSpider-Mancostumes and shelves and shelves ofSpider-Mandolls.
Thats geek, isnt it?
Youve caught a lady.
I dont have to hide my pop-culture obsessions.
Do you wear the costumes at all?
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Yeah, yeah, yeah, loads.
Just to demonstrate to my wife how long it takes for her to get ready when were going out.
How does it take so long just to put a pair of jeans on?
Moving on toChamone MoFoSelecta!, whose initial idea was it to do the show?
And I think we handled it as sensitively asBo Selecta!can and Im really happy with it.
Im not making money out of dead people.
Im making money out of a character I invented on a programme.
Does that mean we shouldnt say his name or talk about him?
Look atThis Is It.
Theyre making loads of money, but the good thing is we get to see Michael Jackson rehearsing.
It seemed a sincere tribute, especially with the blurb.
Straight from the heart, and admiration clear.
Im a professional piss-abouter.
Was it an odd feeling at all to bringBo Selecta!back?
It was, but it was nice.
It was like meeting old friends.
It was nice putting on all the masks and doing Craig Davids voice again.
I missed it and while we were doing it we said you know what?
Shall we do another one?
How might it be different?
So, I dont know.
Wed have to put Mel B in.
If I got asked to do it Id find it very hard to say no because we laugh constantly.
Its a lot of fun doing it.
The special had very much the same look and feel as the show.
You got most of the original crew on board as well, didnt you?
We tried to get everyone back.
It was funny, werent it?
When we finished it and had a screening and all watched it back everyone was really happy with it.
The commissioner said that he thought it was the best thing wed done, so I was very happy.
Sometimes well do it rubbish on purpose, so rubbish its good.
Like John and Edward.
Sometimes you want it exactly right and the costume lady and the props people did a really good job.
In fact, I made some of the props cos the budget was so low.
And there was a superb spoof scene ofAn American Werewolf In London.
Its totally myfavourite film.
So I was still dressed as the werewolf when I had to go for an eye test straight after.
We shouldve filmed that and put that on as an extra.
I thought itd be great to do a show where we just spoofed films.
The whole film for half an hour.
You come up with so many ideas.
The critical reaction was, by and large, very positive.
Were you worried at all that people might think it a bit tasteless?
I just hoped they did.
Im a genuine fan and wanted that to come across and that was another reason for all the detail.
I know Michael Jackson stuff and I was really happy when people liked it.
You mentionedThis Is Itearlier.
Did you see Derek Acoras spiritual show about contacting Jackson from beyond the grave?
[Laughs] Yeah, I did.
I like Derek Acora and he was onBo Selecta!and he was really good sport.
We went ghostbusting where I was Craig David dressed as a Ghostbuster.
One of the funniest shoots weve ever done.
For some reason I had a lot of wind and kept on farting so I kept saying Listen!
Do you hear that?
Puerile childish stuff likeBo Selecta!always is.
When I saw his thing I went this is a bit weird, this.
It was funny that they used the same music we did at the beginning.
I wonder if that music was called Sad Michael Jackson Music.
I thought it was a bit daft.
But you likedThis Is It?
You mention in the commentary that David Gest offered you footage of Jackson.
They were his words.
Just sat there having a laugh.
And he said Michael Jackson had a good sense of humour and wouldve probably enjoyed the show.
Who are your comedy influences?
Jim Carrey, Mike Myers, Vic and Bob, Tom Greene, Andy Milanakis.
My wife gives me a lot of ideas.
I was going through a phase watchingKesand Id be constantly talking like Craig David inBodoes.
She laughed and I thought well, thats how Ill make him speak then.
Does it annoy you when people miss the point and complain that your impressions are unrealistic?
I prefer that they get it, but it doesnt get to me too much.
People are really kind butBois definitely Marmite.
Id like to have Cheryl Cole on, Id like to have Katie Perry on.
Anyone whos nice looking would be good really.
Its nice working with Holly and Fearne.
Theyre nice girls with a good sense of humour and we have a good laugh.
As for guests, we never really know whos on.
I have to turn up as Keith Lemon and go whos on tonight?
They tell me and sometimes I go whos that?
or itll be someone I think wont be very good turns out to be great.
One of my favourites was Gareth Gates.
He had a drink or two and enjoyed himself.
She was really nice.
Is that how she got to appear in the special?
We needed a girl to go with Bear and I said Peaches will do it and she did.
She didnt say much, though.
Without caring about it.
Maybe she was just a bit freaked out.
You mentioned the Keith Lemon film earlier; can you give us a brief overview of the film?
A little moralistic story.
Its all going well, hopefully well start shooting it next year.
Are you working on anything else at the moment?
Ive just come back from America, developing an idea over there.
Rather than celebrities, itll be characters where Im wearing prosthetics.
A little bit in the same vein as Michael Jacksons doctor character.
Ive done prosthetics before on a character called Corey Haim that was inThe Bears Tale.
Well probably continue with him.
Hes in the script for the film as well.
Thank you, Leigh.
Its been a pleasure!
