Getting cancelled is easier than catching Covid these days.
But if anyone wants to trawl through The Fast Show, comedian Arabella Weir believes they’d have a hard time finding fault.
The show will be returning to BBC2 next week, much to the pleasure of many viewers who were previously fierce fans of the hit series.
The 90s sketch favourite, with a cast that included Paul Whitehouse, Charlie Higson and Caroline Aherne, is still revered by comedy fans.
Arabella says: “If the woke police went through The Fast Show, you’d be hard pressed to find something.
“Our whole thing was about character, the person and the uniqueness.
“We were ahead of the game.”
Topless
(Image: Dave J Hogan/Getty Images)
But Arabella does admit raising concerns at the use of scantily clad women during the Channel 9 news segments.
She says: “We probably wouldn’t do the post-modern joke with the girls in the Channel 9 stuff topless.
“At the time I was saying: ‘Are you sure?’ It’s regrettable, but not the same as Nazi salutes.”
The cast remain friends and they’ve gone on to do great things since the show.
Arabella is returning to screens on Monday as Beth in the award-winning BBC2 show Two Doors Down, about the friendships between neighbours who turn up on her character’s doorstep uninvited.
“I’m going to see Paul and his Only Fools And Horses musical soon,” continues Arabella. “I don’t watch sketch shows now but one of the things we didn’t realise was what free rein we had.
(Image: Dave Benett/Getty Images)
“There’s brilliant comedians now but the young ones will have to come together in a different way.” After the pandemic forced Two Doors into a hiatus, it returns with two episodes and a Christmas special this month before a full series in the new year.
Arabella adds: “We were like old cart horses let back out on the field and incredibly grateful to all get back together.
“As we were in a Covid bubble we hung out, so it was nice to spend more time with each other.
“I’m never out of bed in the first episode, but not in a saucy way.
“And wait until you see the new haircut Beth has.
“The wig is as if she asked for Delia Smith but got Rosemary West. The new series will be better than the ones before.
“The Christmas special’s funny and has some tender moments too, with maybe a bit of musical instruments.”
While the pandemic put filming on pause, Arabella, 63, hopes the positive to come out of the last two years will be Boris Johnson getting booted out of No 10.
Buffoon
(Image: BBC Worldwide)
She says: “I feel passionate people will come to their senses and not vote for that buffoon.
“We’re in a lot of trouble because of these people feathering their own nests.
“Something like this galvanises things and brings people back from the brink.”
Author of international bestseller Does My Bum Look Big In This?, Arabella is also keen to see the back of young women having unnecessary plastic surgery.
She adds: “I’m worried about the trend of looking like a blow-up sex doll. It’s a feminist issue and all stems from the normalising of pornography.
(Image: Dave J Hogan/Getty Images)
“I would rather you didn’t introduce chemicals into your body.
“What are they going to feel – and look like – at 50?”
The mum of two is godmother to fellow actor David Tennant’s children and he is godfather to hers.
“We’ll be seeing him over Christmas,” confirms Arabella, “as we always do. I have a big family, so there will be about 25 over before Christmas as well.”
● Two Doors Down returns to BBC2 on Monday at 10pm.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
