Comedian and author David Walliams, 50, on revisiting Rock profile and reuniting with Matt Lucas after their long-running feud, shopping with Elton John, and realising he was ludicrous.
For Comic Relief Day, you and Matt Lucas are reviving Rock Profile. Remind us what that is…
A lot of people have probably never heard of Rock Profile. It’s not a complicated idea, it’s just us pretending to be different music stars and being interviewed by, in this case, Vernon Kay.
It’s just a spoof. The idea for the sketch is that we’re doing a new Comic Relief charity single so all our acts have been put together to do this.
What can you tease us about this one?
We wanted to do new characters. Obviously, quite a few people have become famous in the music world since we last did the show so it seemed only right that we should move it on.
It’s good to be doing something again with Matt and it’s great to be doing something for Comic Relief. You have to make them as funny as you can. You get the fun stuff and then you get asked for money.
Yeah, we had one where Andy Warhol, played by Matt, was staying with Lou Reed, who became Little Britain’s Lou and Andy. For some reason, my Lou Reed spoke in an English accent with a lisp. He was going, ‘Right, what do you want for your tea, Andy?’ ‘Fish fingers!’ Andy Warhol had a Scouse accent.
And Matt’s Shirley Bassey became Bubbles DeVere…
Yes, ‘Champagne! Champagne for everyone!’
You have worked with Dame Shirley. Did you ask what she thought of Rock Profile?
Me and Dale Winton were having dinner with her in Miami for her birthday. Dale was obsessed with Rock Profile and watched it a lot so he started discussing singers with the real Shirley Bassey to try to get her to say, ‘She doesn’t have the range!’, which is her Rock Profile catchphrase. And she did!
Dale was elbowing me. She’s been famous for more than 50 years, hasn’t she? It was all done in jest.
Who do you think takes themselves more seriously, rock stars or comedians?
I think comedians do. Ben Miller is a friend of mine and he said the comedian’s worst fear is being laughed at. I guess doing comedy is a way of controlling people laughing at you so you make it that you are part of the joke.
Perhaps if you’re unusual looking, or you have been mocked for some reason, or you are often drawn to comedy because you think, ‘OK, maybe I can harness this.’
When I dance, normally people laugh. I’m not trying to be funny, I’m just trying to dance. I realised there’s something ludicrous about me that I can’t help.
As a mate of Sir Elton John, what would you say is the most ‘Elton’ moment you’ve shared with him?
Shopping with him is amazing because they close the shop for him. It’s probably worth it because he’s going to spend loads of money. He’s very generous.
He’ll be buying handbags and going, ‘This one’s for this person, this one’s for that person.’ It’s wonderful to witness but it’s like being in his documentary, Tantrums And Tiaras.
What was your mum’s reaction when he sang Your Song to her at your 50th birthday?
She liked it. I took her out the other night to see Cabaret. We do stuff together all the time. It’s nice that she can be there and be the focus as well. It’s not her everyday life but it’s a lovely thing for me to share my life and good fortune with her.
We saw Dame Emma Thompson giving it loads in the audience at Adele. When was the last time you let loose at a concert?
My love is Pet Shop Boys and when I’m lucky enough to be a guest, people usually say, ‘We’ll put you in a box. We don’t want you to get bothered.’ But
I want to be down with the real super fans on the dance floor. So that’s what
I did.
Sure, I did a few pictures with people, but although I didn’t actually know them, we were all friends because we were all Pet Shop Boys fans. Then Neil Tennant spotted me and sang Always On My Mind directly to me. I was like, ‘Oh my God, this is the best thing that has ever happened!’
Pet Shop Boys talk about their ‘imperial phase’ with all their No.1 hits. Was that what Little Britain was for you?
Yeah, it’s exciting doing stuff where you have a big success and you get to do all the things you’ve always wanted such as a live show and sketches for Comic Relief.
We did a sketch with Robbie Williams and another with Elton. It was like that scene in a film when you’re in a car and they’ve cut the brakes.
You’re steering but you’re not in control. It’s thrilling but at times it does feel too exhilarating.
Tune in to Red Nose Day from 7pm tonight on BBC1 and BBC iPlayer.
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