Soap and sitcom actor Will Mellor has done a lot of embarrassing scenes over the years but says stripping off with the Dream Boys in front of his wife for a new TV show was mortifying.
The 48-year-old has teamed up with his Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps co-star Ralf Little for series Will & Ralf Should Know Better which sees the pals take on a number of challenges.
In one episode the daring duo join the Dream Boys on stage for a sexy striptease with Will’s wife Michelle watching in the audience which he found both humiliating and liberating.
The Eastenders star, who discovered a lot about himself on the soul cleansing road trip with his friend of 20 years, said: “You know those boys are packing serious heat, so it’s going to be a bit intimidating – especially when I invited the wife along to watch us, which was not only humiliating but one of the biggest mistakes I’ve ever made!
“Whenever you felt humiliated you realised that was why we were there in the first place, there’s no point doing things we’re really happy with. Everything is real and in the moment, none of it’s scripted and I hope the audience feel like they’re in it with us and think how they would feel in these situations.”
The Royle Family star Ralf. 44, admits although they were both worried about getting the steps right, they would do it all again in a heartbeat. He said: “We actually loved the Dream Boys challenge, it wasn’t that bad. Neither of us were nervous about being naked. The only thing we were worried about was getting the dance routine right – that tells you a lot about me and Will. When we came off stage we wanted to do it again.
“We did a mud assault course which Will hated so much he said he would rather be full-frontal naked with the Dream Boys 365 days a year than do an hour in that mud.”
The world has changed a lot since Will and Ralf first met, and so have they. Their new series sees them embark on a laughter-packed mission to discover what aspects of modern life they’re getting right but more often what they’re getting wrong.
Travelling the length and breadth of the UK, behind the wheel of an electric car, they laugh, cry and learn more about themselves and each other in a few weeks than they ever have in two decades of friendship.
Along the way the besties, who are the co-hosts of podcast Two Pints with Will and Ralf, meet a series of extraordinary characters, explore unexpected worlds and push themselves well out of their comfort zones.
Ralf, who shot to fame playing Antony in The Royle Family, said: “The channel said we’d love you and Will to do something together, what would you be interested in? They were very keen to hear our ideas, they didn’t come with a set format or plan.
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“They’d listened to our podcast, Two Pints with Will and Ralf, and wanted to find a way to authentically capture that on TV. We didn’t want to do a show where it was just us messing around, you get that for free because we genuinely make each other laugh, but we wanted to do something that actually mattered a little bit and was about what’s important to us, what we’re worried about and what our attitudes to the world are.”
Will, who started out in hit kids’ TV show Children’s Ward, added: “For the last few years I’ve wanted to do stuff that challenges me. Because it’s unscripted, it captures me and Ralf in the moment and that’s what we wanted.
“I’m at that age now where I want to make memories, go out there and grab life and do things I wouldn’t normally do. I’m more set in my ways than I thought I was, and wanted to push myself out of my comfort zone.”
The pair admit filming the show intensified their already strong bond as travelling around the country together gave them the opportunity to talk about their feelings.
Dad-of-two Will, who grew up in Stockport, Greater Manchester, said: “Me and Ralf have known each other a long time but I probably know more about now from the month we spent filming this series than I have over 25 years.
“We’re men and men don’t talk, but when you’re sat in a car together you have all the fun and banter, then stuff comes up you probably never normally talk about, which is something we wanted to capture as well.
“We have our adventures and test ourselves, and like Ralf says it’s more than mucking about, that would’ve been too easy. We want people to come on this journey with us.
Ralf, who is a former semi-professional footballer, added: I think we showed more of ourselves and our inner thoughts and feelings and who we are way more than I’ve ever been comfortable with, on and off screen. Our willingness to do that and the team’s willingness to run with it was the appeal, although it was also terrifying as I’m not somebody who opens up very easily. We definitely know more about each other now, and ourselves.”
In the first episode the boys meet Rebecca Roberts who has won two World’s Strongest Woman titles and she challenges them to pull a truck.
Lost in Paradise star Ralf, who grew up just down the road from pal Will in Bury, Greater Manchester, said: “The strong woman events were amazing. Getting to pull a truck which was unbelievable.
“Obviously I knew I couldn’t lift it, but I thought maybe I could move it an inch – I might as well have tried lifting the Albert Hall. I tried so hard I swear my feet almost sunk into the ground. Rebecca did it twice.”
“She was incredible. She really opened up about her story, hearing how dedicated she is and the reasons and inspiration behind why she does it really stuck with me.”
Will added: “I started talking mumbo-jumbo when I tried pulling that truck, I don’t know what happened, something came over me. I was speaking in tongues. And trying to lift a car, I really believed I could do it but there was no chance. I said Ralf’s arms were going to look like Mr Tickle they stretched that much.”
Ralf admits society and attitudes have changed for the better since he and Will first met on the Two Packets of Lager and a Packet of Crisps set.
He said: “The world has changed a lot in 20 years, you look back and you can’t believe some of the stuff that seemed okay and the pervasive attitudes people had – men towards each other, men towards women, the whole culture has changed.
“Interestingly, me and Will became known for being two lads in quite a laddish show, even though it was written and created by a woman, in a very laddish era in the 2000s – I think it’s quite resonant that it’s me and him doing this as middle aged men, still a
bit childish and making each other laugh but also a little more thoughtful. We’ve got older, our outlooks have changed and, dare I say it, we’ve matured!”
– Will & Ralf Should Know Better drops on U & Dave on Monday, October 7
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