That Gaby Roslin Podcast: Reasons To Be Joyful - Leigh Francis

Episode Date: November 5, 2024

Leigh Francis joins Gaby for a chat about all things joy. He talks about how his career began, the funny characters he used to do at home which then lead to him getting an agent and a ludicrous TV deal, and how different the real Leigh is to all the characters he plays. They discuss his love of hometown Leeds, his wonderful wife Jill, and we discover his 'secret room' which is full of TV and Film memorablia. We hope you enjoy seeing a bit of a different side to ole Keith Lemon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lee Francis, what a joy this is, and I'll tell you why it's such a joy, because I know you, I love you, in real life as Lee. Now, everybody gets to see Lee. The Lee that I know and love. Hello, but thanks for loving me. No, I do. Do you feel... I love you too. Well, thank you. Do you feel...

No, I do. I've told you before. I've got a VHS of you leaving the Big Breakfast, sad times. That was such a lot. Do you hear it when I bring up the Big Breakfast? Not at all. Why should I? I don't know, because some people don't... look like it when this praise so much for a thing that I guess you still, it's probably your biggest thing that you're known for.

Yeah, yeah, that and I suppose children need, but, but it's, I find it lovely when people still ask me whether or me, ask me if me and Chris ever had sex. Oh, did they? Still ask me all these years later. That's the question you get asked. Oh, you and Chris, did you? No, we didn't. Well, I've never thought that.

No, no, we didn't. We didn't. No. But what I love about you, your book is that people... Yeah, you've got a book out. But people now see you. You're not Keith. You're not all the characters.

This is you. Do you feel a bit naked? Not anymore. Because I've done radio now. I do a Saturday morning. I know. On Virgin. I've done that for a year now. But that's still not seeing you. No, no.

Now they see you. Yeah, but I look because it's actually like Keith Lemon. No, I mean, see you. What you share in the book? People still say to me when I haven't got a bandage on the go, as your hand healed now, nothing wrong with it, it was a costume. But Keith Lemon's clothes became mine near the end because we wear these horrible clothes at the beginning and then throw them away.

And I felt so guilty. Well, I say throw him away. They probably went to a charity shop or whatever. And I said, actually, I dressed as JLS. JLS came on Celebrity Juice and I went, wouldn't it be funny if Keith Lemon was dressed like he was in JLS? And then I went, if he knows how to dress like JLS, how can he wears ridiculous clothes?

we should go Uber fashion. So we went Uber fashion and mainly just wore clothes that I liked. There we go. That's Keith Lemon in the nutshell. You know how hats happened because I wanted to meet Farrell and I was going to the Brits

and I knew Farrell was going and I thought, wouldn't it be funny if I've got the same hat on as him and then we will have a conversation if you see someone the same hat on us you, you are going to go out of that. Yeah, nice hat. And I go, yeah, nice hat.

And that's exactly what happened. Did he say he was happy? No, he didn't. I got all nervous. you know, when you see someone who you like, and I just ran out of things to say. He said, nice hat, and I went, nice hat. And Mark Wright was sat on my table, and he went,

look at Lee's face. Because I must have been beaming. I must have had a certificate smile. You know a certificate smile, don't you? What certificate smile? Well, when I was at school and used to go swimming and, you know, you do all your badges, I can remember getting a bronze swimming award, which was really important to me because you got a sewing badge

and you got an enamel badge as well. Oh, yes, yes, yes. Was that the one with the, but you had to wear your pajamas? Yeah. Yeah. You can only save people that are driving. If you've got pajamas on. And I can remember being so proud,

but I thought all my mates will take the Mickey out of me that I'm so proud for, I guess, a little thing. I got certificate smile, which is when you get wobbly mouth. Oh, yes. You're like that. I know you can't hear my smile in a podcast, but... But it's lucky they can watch it on YouTube.

Yeah, if you're watching it on YouTube. It's that. It's the wobbly... But it looks like you're about to cry as well. It does, do not it, yeah. It's a crying, smiling. Yeah. I don't like...

But you do cry, can you talk about that in the book. I cry all the time. Good things mostly. But I love that you talk about that in the book. But the side of you, so I know you in real life, as Lee, obviously, but what was so incredible is I learnt more about you. I mean, obviously, there were some really heartbreaking moments, and you talk about your dad, and you and I have talked about losing a parent when you're young.

But you're so open and honest about it, and you can't take personal. You don't like me praising you. It's embarrassing, isn't it? You get embarrassed. I like it because I go away thinking you've said nice things, but whilst you're saying it to me, I will look away from you. You will, yeah. But you are going to help a lot of people because you're so honest in your book,

and you're very honest about your father's death and how your reaction to that. And it was visceral. And when I read that, I thought, I remember feeling that when mum died at this sort of... How old were you? Oh, I was 31. Yeah.

So I was relatively old compared to a lot of people. I was 21, which I feel like I was old enough, I guess. Like, I didn't think, I need someone to stay me where to go. And a lot of my dad dying made me decide where to go, I think. It's incredible the catalyst that it was. But I love that you still say throughout the book, there's mentions of your dad, what he would think of that. Well, you do, you always think there's one person

you aren't told some good news or bad news. I do that as well. Isn't it the most bizarre thing? I told me my sister. I've told me best mate. I haven't told my dad. Yeah. But it's that split, there's such a tiny split second

where I think, I forgot to, oh no. Yeah. Well, I lost my auntie quite recently and I bumped into my cousin. And I was a bit carefree about it because you become quite robotic about death. And I said, how are you? And he said, oh, my sister's not dealing with it too.

good because my mum used to help a lot because she's got kids and stuff he says, I'm not too bad, I said you'll never get over it. I said but you get used to it. Yeah and you get, you never get better. Everyone used to say, you'll get better. You don't get better. It's just a different life. But again,

I know, you know, a parent dying and a friend dying is different. You went through that as well recently and publicly. I don't want to keep going about Caroline and stuff. She was a good girl. Yeah. She was a good girl. But when she died, I always, still to this day

I always imagine that she's just on holiday and she went on holidays. She liked a holiday to Caroline. And I'd often go, where have you been? I've just been on holiday. Where have you been? Just been on holiday?

So I always just imagine she's on holiday in LA somewhere. That's a nice thought. It was interesting because quite a few people who've come on this podcast have talked about Caroline and she had an amazing effect

on all of her friends. And in the book you talk about that very powerful. or hashtag that's been left, you know, hashtag be kind. Yeah. And that's the thing that I think people, because of Keith and the other characters,

that people forget that you're in, you're not going to like this. I'm going to look at you and see if you're going to look away. You are incredibly kind. And the idea of you hurting something, you see, you looked away, you looked away. You don't like the fact that, because you don't want to hurt something.

The idea for you of hurting somebody's feelings, I've had those phone calls from you where you say, oh, did, what did you? What should I? Yeah. You know, we've worked together. We did shows together. And you can joke and you can laugh.

But if you think you've upset somebody, it throws you, doesn't it? Well, I don't... For me, you never set out to upset anyone. And I always... I'm ridiculously silly. I love silly. I'm pure ill. I'm sometimes extremely naughty.

And it's never approached with malice. It's always just to make someone laugh. And then, I mean, the common comedy these days, I always think it's taken too seriously and everyone's forgotten that everyone sets out to make you laugh. And you can not find something funny and I get that. And I always just think, why don't people just turn over or not watch that show that they don't find funny?

Rather than being offended. And I'm not as intelligent as Ricky Jervais. But he puts it so well. And he talks about people, how can you go around all your life? It's so arrogant. to think that you will never be offended. But you don't have to tell everyone you're offended. You just turn over, don't you?

Well, that's my... It's just comedy. My dad used to say if they don't like it, turn it off, turn it over. And then they don't like people that say, or you're being nasty, but using comedy as a disguise to be nasty or something. It's not true.

Everyone who does comedy that I know sets out to make people laugh and only do that. And yeah, we're living in a funny world right now. And then people say to me, often as well. Oh, I used to like you until you went woke. I don't know what woke means. And I've always said,

I think I've played by the rules of that time. And the rules change with time, the landscape changes, and you've just got to go with it. Otherwise, you offend loads of people rather than make people laugh. In your book, you remember a lot of things. In the very beginning, you talk about,

which I think is quite extraordinary, that people are saying to you, oh, how are you going to write a book? You're dyslexic. Oh, how are you going to write a book? Which I don't like doubters. If you called me and said I'm writing a book, I would say, yes. How fantastic.

But you remember a lot of things. And just before we started recording, you said, I can't believe I remember all the things I remember. Did you write any of these things down? No. Isn't that? Your head is exploding of stuff. I had a meeting about a book and it went well.

So I went home and started because I knew I was doing a tour. I thought, well, start now and I should get it done by the tour if they turn around and say yes. You're very successful tour. at the London Palladium, excuse me. Yeah, I don't know how successful it was because I've never done one before. Okay, it was successful. It was packed out.

I've never done one before. And you were at the Palladium. Let's be said. Come on. Hello. But again, because I'm not a stand-up comedian and because I'm not a theatre person, I didn't know what it meant to be at the Palladium, where Adam, who was one of the other actors in it, Adam Booth, and Jess Robinson as well, they'll kind of beside themselves

that they were at the Palladium. You're at the Palladium. You're at the Palladium. They're live. performers them to. So they couldn't believe it. And I was a little bit blasé and I went, oh, and it's a lovely building, isn't it?

Isn't it? Sorry. Just in my... Jessum room's so nice. Oh, you were... I'm going to keep saying, you were at the Palladium. Yeah, when you look out to the audience,

you do go, ooh. Yes. But you remember so much. But then I love the grand in Leeds. Oh, it's beautiful. Because I was in Leeds. It's beautiful. I was more overwhelmed by Leeds.

Yeah, that makes sense. You know, just when I was on stage in Leeds, just saying Leeds, just saying Leeds. You get an applause. So I did say Leeds, loads of times. Did you just for the applause? First thing I said, when I came on, I said, hello, my name's Lee Francis. Leeds born and bred.

And I couldn't believe it. I just thought, you just applaud in Leeds. That's so lovely. So then I did the Leeds champ. Leeds, and then it did it again. I couldn't stop saying Leeds. Do you know, every time you say out on this, I can feel it now. They're all cheering.

But then you've got all my schoolmates and all my college mates. But who you're still friends with? Yeah, yeah. Which is so lovely. Well, Keith Lemon, I've known since I was three or four. Because it's my mate in real life. So for people who haven't read the book yet, they have to get the book because it's completely divine.

And it's very honest. And it's really lovely. And there's some very funny moments where I can hear you talking. It is you talking in the book. But you had the dyslexic thing. I said, I said, I'm doing a book. What are you writing it? Yeah.

So what about dyslexia thing? I says, oh, the love spelling fairies to sort that out. So I didn't read it back once. I wrote it all out. and then I sent it to the publisher. I said, oh, I'm dyslexic, which I mentioned. And I said, if you don't understand anything that I've written, because I think and talk, like, blah, it just comes out.

I said, just give us a call and say, oh, what does this mean? Which they did with loads of notes. Yeah. And... Yeah, so let's go back to what we're saying. So before the tour, you went and had a meeting about the book. Yeah. And you hadn't written anything down.

You hadn't kept diaries of your life. No. Like a lot of people who do memoir. So, this is a stupid question, but how did you start at the beginning? I just started saying I've just had a meeting about a book. No, I know. I know. No, I mean, I'm not, I know you started that because I've read the book. Well, I just say that I'm going to write everything I can remember. Everything I can remember. So I've written. Did you ask any family?

I phoned my mum up because she was ill one Christmas and we didn't get much that Christmas because she didn't work. Yeah. And I said, you know, when you was ill at Christmas and this is my mum. I said, what was wrong with you? She wouldn't, oh, I can't remember. I said, I've just written ladies' problems. She went, oh, yeah, I think I had a hysterectomy. Oh, my word.

She couldn't remember. But I remember because I used to enter loads of drawing competitions, especially on the Wide Away Club. We're wide awake. Yeah, legend, Timmy Mallet and Michaela Shacken. And who else was my, Tommy Boyd? Tommy Boyd. And James Baker.

Do you remember James Baker? No, I remember... He was a TV presenter that became a TV person behind the scenes. Oh, him? Yeah. Whose dad was...

His dad was a newsreader? Was it? Yeah. But anyway, I entered loads of competitions and I won a lot of prizes because I knew I won't get any much for Christmas I just gave the prizes to my mum and said, wrap those up for me

and then it'll feel like a joyous Christmas and I think that Christmas, I probably got more than a usual, it did, usually got, because I got loads of prizes that I won, I opened, and went, oh, that's what it looks like. And then got loads of Christmas. You and your mum have got a great relationship, haven't you?

Well, me, my sister and my mum and my dad, yeah, it was a lovely family, but yeah, there's just three of us now, I guess. And has your mum read the book? I don't think so. I sent her a copy, and she hasn't mentioned it. She might have read it yet. She might have forgot that it's in the kitchen. And your sister?

She's not mentioned it either. Jill? Jill's read it, yeah. Oh, she said it's not going anywhere until I've read it. Oh, really? Yeah, so did she read it before you sent it to the publisher? Yeah, and she went, don't put that bit in. Don't put that bit in.

And I don't want anyone to know about that either. So there's some bits. And she said, you haven't... It's funny when it... You're very honest about her? Yeah, yeah, yeah. About her illness and... Yeah, yeah.

A crones. I think she doesn't mind me talking about Crohn's because not many people are aware of Crohn's and how horrendous it is. Yeah. But yeah, yeah, Jill nearly died with Crohn's. And it's horrible. It's horrible thing.

I'm reading that. Not many people know about Crohn's a lot thing. They just think, oh, you've got a bowel condition that makes you go out of the toilet quite a lot or something. No, we, yeah, it's wonderful that you talk about it. And it's also very harrowing to read about her, how bad she got. I mean, she's been good for many years. She's a good girl, Jill.

Yeah, she's tough. But you two were so young when you met. There's lovely, there's photos. And do you know what? I did the thing that. People do. I looked in. And I looked and I just thought,

oh, you two just... Well, you know, because of dyslexia. I've not read many books. I can tell you what books. I've read... I've read Back to the Future. I've read Gremlins. I've read Return of the Jedi,

lost boys. I've read Jerry Hallowell's biography, which I told her this morning because I sent Jerry a copy of the book and she sent me a picture saying, thanks for your book and some nice words. And I said, I've only read three biographies. Yours, Vic Reeves and Andy Cox.

I've read eight books because it's so, I get such a panic to read. You go, I'm kind of bothered. So I often, yeah, when by a book, straight to the centre to look at the photographs. So look at the photo. Everybody does. And my daughter panicked because of one of those photographs because there's a picture of me and Jill in there. I'm 19 and she's 16. And she's, you can't save that.

I don't, why? Because you're too old to go out with mummy. Oh. I said, no, I says, we're three years. There's three years age gap. And my mates did give me stick when I was a kid. Cradle snatcher, that's what he used to say. And I said, no, but Matilda, I said it works

because we're still together, so there's nothing sinister there. Oh, bless. But it's that weird. And then my daughter is 15. So she's almost the age. Yeah, almost. I mean, when she's walking down the street, and if she's got one of Jill's dresses on,

I'm like, oh my gosh, it's like same size as Jill now. And the idea that she went out with 19, I'd go mad. Have they read the book? No, I'd be probably too embarrassed. And they won't be bothered. They know about me, don't they? Because I talk all the time. You are an open book.

Yeah, yeah. I've never been about a book, but you are an open book. And you love, one of my favourite things in the book, I love the honesty, I love the laughter, but also I love that you say, don't tell me anything because I do. So that is your life. You are an open book.

You talk about you, to your friends and now to everybody, but also you just don't tell you any gossip, because you love a gnatur. Yeah, I do, do. We've been gossiping before we did this one. But you don't say anything again. I'm going back to what I said before.

You're not nasty. Well, I think fun gossip's fun, in it. You know, if it's not... The essence is secrets. You do keep secrets. Well, I can remember when Emma Bunton was pregnant with her first child and she said, don't tell anyone. And I didn't tell anyone.

I didn't tell anyone until obviously she was showing and everything. And then we'll, oh, you can't keep secrets. Yeah, but you've got to say, do not tell anyone. If you don't say that, I'll tell everyone. But I'm going to go back to what I said at the beginning. You don't want to hurt people's feelings. No. And you wouldn't do it.

There are some people from their own stuff. Yeah. Because of their own stuff. But because you've been so open, and I think because of the relationship that you have had with your dad and have with your mom and your sister, and you and Jill have been together for 2,000 years. I was lucky.

I met the right person, you know, straight away. So I've got anything about adult dating and stuff. You know, people telling me about their problems about dating and going on dating websites and stuff. I don't have got a clue what we're talking about. That's very sweet. I mean, I had lots of girlfriends before Jill. But that's like two-week relationships.

They weren't girlfriend, girlfriends. They weren't proper. I think long as I were now with someone before Jill was probably six weeks or something. And you do mention their names, all these people's names and the teacher's names. I haven't put their surname. I can't remember putting a surname. But they were asking,

the book publishers were telling me to put surnames in. I don't know. Someone might be embarrassed the fact that they've been out with me when I was a kid. Would they? Why would they? Can we just talk about the other thing you talk about it, which is being ginger? Now, you and I've had this conversation because I was ginger as a child.

What happened? How did it change colour? It got darker and darker and then suddenly a bottle exploded on my head when I was about 22 or something. I don't know. But it's weird. And my elder daughter's ginger. I've always loved ginger hair. But it's funny how people, it's, people are strange about that. You know what's weird, it's funny.

I'm not on a campaign to say, don't mock Gingers, because I mock everything. And, you know what I mean? So if somebody in my position can't say, don't say this about Gingers, because I say anything about everyone as a joke. Although sometimes ginger mocking becomes more than a joke. You know, people get punched.

I got punched for having Ginger Hound at school. It's just so ridiculous. But it's a weird thing. When you are ginger and you're not bothered, to someone to say it when they mean it to offend you, it doesn't offend me. It's like someone going, hey, you brown hair. It's a rubbish slur.

It's a really odd thing. You don't mean anything to me. I remember when I was about 14, so just at that age, you know, Piri's just started the whole thing. I remember being on a bus and all these boys going, you, ginger, you've got ginger hair. And I remember just thinking, I don't know what to say.

And I went, yes, I have. Yes, I have. Well, I can remember seeing Mick Hucknell on top of the pops and I thought I'll be him. I like him. And so when you've got a hero in your life, someone that you admire and they've got ginger. You like you cool with it, aren't you?

I guess that's why people say there was nobody in that film that looked like me, so I could I connect with it or whether. Although I always think it's stupid because I'm like, well there's rarely anybody that looks like me on anything. When I was a kid, no one ever looked like me. And I liked that as well. But again, when I saw Mick Hocknell, I thought, yeah, I'll be him. Even though I wanted to be Michael Hutchins.

But I thought I'd be Mick Hocknell. He's good as well, isn't he? There's many people that you wanted to be. Yeah. But you really, your big thing was you wanted to be in telly. And it's wonderful reading about how that all happened. And you really take us through each step and the pilots and all the things that you were a part of

and then that moment. I thought doing pilots was my job at one point. If you don't want a pilot, because many people don't know what a pilot. Yeah, explain. It's a tryout. A try out of a TV show to see if it works. You know what?

We never did a pilot for Celebrity Juice. Didn't you? We did it live to Peter Fincham who was the then commissioner of ITV. Did it live? So to me, he was the camera, me just posting celebrity Jews right to his face. To the boss of ITN.

To the boss. So I guess we knew pretty quickly whether or not it was going to get commissioned, rather than doing the pilot, sending it to the channel, then waiting to see if they get it back to it. Well, that's what happens to you with Channel 4, because I love the way you talk about that you were at this meal with Channel 4, and there's Graham Norton. I sat next to Graham Norton.

That was a big deal, you know, because I was, anyone on television, I was this new kid that got lucky enough to do a pilot for Channel 4 and sat next to Graham Norton. And so I probably had certificate smile then all the way through this meal, just like, God, I sat next to Graham Norton, this is crazy. But he said to you, you wouldn't be at this lunch if you... Yeah, he said, what do you do then?

I said, oh, I've just done a pilot. It's called Bo Selector. Well, it wasn't called Boe Slector. It was called Popelganger then. But we waited so long to find out if it was going to happen. Another show came out called Popelganger, so we have to change the name. That's a good name. And he said, if you're here, it is going to happen. All right. And then I, yeah, when I went home, I told you a little woman.

Graham Norton said, if you're at this meal, it is going to happen because why would they be in violent? And then was it two weeks or something later? It felt like a long, long time. And actually, a guy who I'm still friends with, Paul Young, I still film stuff with him because I filmed stuff not for telly, just because we do it as a hobby. He couldn't work on it because we were waiting so long.

He said, I've got to go off and get another job. So he never worked on bus, I did the pilot. But I film things with him now. I do a thing called here, bear and everywhere. We just go out for a day as the bear. we have a bit of fun filming the bet because you're filming it they let you do it for free

not weird am I listening that if you go into like an office and just went can I just take this computer and they go what it's for TV they go oh yeah

you just walk out of a computer so bizarre so we phone places up and say oh can we come and film there and it's just me and my little camera and my mate Paul and we film the bear experiencing whatever it is

and then we go for a pub lunch and a shandah afterwards and that's but that's what we're We do just to hang out. But that's what you did in the early days and you're still doing that. And you get so much enjoyment

from all of those things. You love television. You and I could talk television until the cows come home because we love it. It's ingrained in us. It's the only thing that both of us have ever wanted to do really.

I thought that TV is not what it was anymore, is it? But don't be sad. It's just ever changing. Yeah, I guess so. But I just, that the box, well, now that flat screen on the wall was the window to entertainment and it's not seen as that anymore

because not many other. People don't watch stuff like they used to do they? No. Adam, again, I'm sorry, Adam who did the tour with me. Who you talk about it in the book as well? He'll say that people will go, because he's been in my sketch show, he's been in all sorts.

He was playing Keith Fleming's brother, Gregory. But he says, you know, friends and family will say to him, I haven't seen you on TV for a long time and he'll say to him, when it was last time you watched tell him, oh, I don't watch telly anymore. You can't see me on TV, then have you? Because people don't watch it like the user.

But it's different. There are different ways to get entertainment. My kids don't watch it. No. They don't turn the TV on. I'm the only person in the house that turns the TV on. Mine don't. They watch it all on the phone or the biped.

Yeah, no, I say, come on, we're going to watch together. Damn. Will we watch movies together? Yeah. 80s films. Yes, the best. We love our 80s films. I always say that when anyone's feeling down,

just lock yourself in the house and put some 80s movies on. Yeah, but we'll, we go. to a different 80s movie. Yeah. I go to When Harry Met Sally. It's a wonderful film. Yours is... Is that 1988?

Yeah. 1980. Is it 88? Oh, I'm going to look it up. I'm actually going to look it up because I want to know now. 88, the year of Beetlejuice, which again is now popular again.

I'm actually going to look it up because that's... I think it... Harry... 89. 89, if it was. Because that was a special year for me. It's when I became a man.

As you can read in your book. Sharing. Sharing again. But now you've done it. What's sex? Yeah, now you've had sex. Only twice. Twice.

Got two kids. But now you've got the book out. And now it's out there. Is it scary? Yeah, I was talking to a friend. I said it's exciting. And I'm a bit nervous. I mean, you've had loads of books before, isn't?

This isn't your first book? But this is you. They're all made up nonsense. Yeah, but this is you. This is Lee Francis. Yeah, yeah. So, yeah, you know, have you done a biography? No.

Would you do one? No. Why? Because my life's really dull. Spread the joy was fine. I'll do that. No. No.

We're boring to one of your fans. It's interesting how you became Gabby Roslin. Because I talk about it everywhere I go. I guess I never did. I never did. Exactly. That's the thing. You're now unmasked.

Yeah, it's weird. Even someone saying about Jill that they know her name, I guess. And another friend of mine. Yes, because you're saying your girl's names as well. And you never say their names. In the book? No, you do in the book, but outside, you never did.

You never were Lee. You never talked about Jill. You never talked about the girl. Why I always thought to promote the character, the best way to do that is to be in character. And that wasn't my idea. That was my then-agent, John Null, who came up with the idea.

He saw me presenting on TV and thought it was rubbish. And he said, but I like it when you do your characters because I used to review computer games and films in character. He says, why doesn't Lee Francis just be dead? And we just focus on the character. And I'm 20 whatever then. So I just said yes. You know, any advice given I'd take it.

And so I said yes. He went, okay, next week I want you to come into the office in character and I'll try and throw you out of character. Which character can you do that you can stay in character? And I went, all of them? And he says, okay, come in in character. So I came in character. I didn't have the confidence then to leave the house stressed in character then.

So I got changed in a phone box outside his office like a rubbish Superman. And then I went in character. And he was just asked me a million. questions and then I'd leave and he'd go good come with someone else tomorrow and then I'd do again get changed in the phone box hope no one can see me getting dressed as whatever and then go in and he just asked me loads of questions and good and by the end of the week he said right this one this one and this one let's focus on them then he would arrange meetings with commissioners but the commissioner didn't know I was coming so um Aldo Zilli had a restaurant called Zillyfish

and he would arrange it there and I would get a text sat in John Noel's car that would just say, now, and I get all dressed up, and then go knock on the window at Zillifish, and then John would tell me to come in, signal to me to come in. I come in, and John would introduce me to the commission, and said, oh, this is one of my new clients,

blah, blah, blah, and he said, and he goes, what are you up to? And I'd make up some nonsense what I was up to, and you want to sit down, have a drink with us? Oh, okay, then. And then I'd sit and have a chat with him, and then cause whatever havoc, and then go, right, I've got a girl,

because I'm doing this thing. and we did one of those meetings with a commissioner called Stuart Murphy. I think John plied him with plenty of booze because we did three characters that night. I had a bag in the toilet so I could get changed. Just like Mrs. Doubtfire, which was one of John's favourite films,

so I guess that was all inspired by that, I guess. And I did three characters in one night and then, and he says they're not. And actually, it's one person. He said what? Yeah, he says those three people were one person. He said he's got his own show then. and that's what happened.

That is amazing. And then I think that week I had a meeting with Stuart Murphy and it was a new channel called UK Play which became BBC 3 but on UK play I had a show called Here Is This and it was a sketch show basically but at the end of each sketch

I would just look to camera and say here is this and then a music video would come on because they played music videos but I didn't know what I was linking to so I couldn't say oh here's Madonna so it was just here is this and that's all I did and all the characters were on there, Barry Gibson, who became the bear, he was on there.

Keith Lemon was there, always doing so much stupid, saying, oh, it's my day off work today, so I'm going to go UFO spotting. I love UFO spotting. It's exhilarating, like a ride, on the log flume at Lightwater Valley. And I would just go do stupid things as Keith Lemon, and then at the end of it, go, I didn't see any UFOs today. So here is this. You're going to get really fed up with this question, because everyone's going to ask it. And my lovely late friend, who I really miss, so much. My beautiful savage, Paula Grady,

used to, in the beginning, everyone used to go, where's Lily? What's happened to Lily? And then he just came out with some patter and some lines. I have to say, Lily was sorted there at the funeral, which was very moving. But then... I didn't really know Paul or Grady,

but whenever I saw him, it was wonderful to me, very kind. I went on his show, you know, they used to have on Channel 4 on afternoon. Was that on Channel 4? Yeah, yeah, yeah. And then he went to ITV. And I can remember my agent saying, why are you focusing on just one character

when I became Keith Fleming? I said I like what Paul O'Grady did. I'm going to do that. So how will you feel when everyone says, where's Keith? They've already started doing it online. They go, I miss Keith Lemon on telly when he's going to come back.

And I just say, he's gone on holiday for a while, but I expect he'll be on my next tour. Because I aren't pitching any Keith Fleming ideas as such because there's loads of TV that I want to do that I couldn't have done in character. Yeah, exactly. So I want to do an art program.

I think it's good that people, now see you. I think it's really important that people see you. They might not. They might not. They might bring Keith of them about. You're not boring.

No, I'm talking about you. No, no, that's what I say. Oh, you're funny. There'll be, I have had lots of lovely people saying, oh, I prefer seeing you. But I'm sure there'll be people saying, oh, I hate you.

Which will be hard. You don't, that hard. Normally, if they hate your character, it's easy. It's easier. To go, oh, they just. But this is a big thing for you, because you also, it hurts.

And there are a lot of, keyboard warriors out there who want to say really nasty things to you and you do get some abuse. And people have to remember that you are Lee, Francis. I think what they forget is that you've got a family. You've got a family. You've got a family and, you know. You've got two young kids.

And when they're saying this and that about you, you've got kids and stuff. Yeah, yeah. But they've got to read the book because then they see you. When you do get abuse online, the thing that makes it not matter is that you've got wonderful friends and a family. so you don't care.

I'm just shocked by people's rudeness. I don't care what they're saying about me. You're like, you know what? I've done it right. Everyone, like you said, they can switch off. If you don't like it, switch it off. But it's weird. It's somewhat like Twitter or X,

where it seems like a place to hate things. I have a lot of lovely people on there that say nice things, but especially X, it seems a place where people go to hate things. I just go, how can they be, what a wasted energy to go on there? and say you ate this. I always think that with movie critics or whatever, telling you a film that they think's rubbish, that means I've just wasted my time reading that review.

That's just been for you, that critic, rather than telling me what's a great film to go see. So I don't read critics or anything anymore because I just think it's a waste of time because they don't say this, nine times out of ten, it's films, oh, it's rubbish this film. Just tell me the films that are amazing and I should go see. You love your films.

You love your films. There's never a true phrase, think, and people might think that I'm contradicting myself. But if you haven't got anything good to say, don't say anything at all. And you said that's what you. You put that in book. If you can live by that, you know.

But I know we slip now and again, don't we? Yeah, but no, I love that because you talk you talk about that in the book and how important it is. And I do believe that's how you think. And that's why I said earlier that you would hate. But probably people think that I am contradicting myself saying that by the nature of something like both selects where they go, oh, you've took the piss out of that person

or whatever else. And you go, yeah, but it was just a joke. You know, and if people came up to you that were offended by it back in the day and just said, oh, don't do that because I don't like it or whatever. I would have gone, oh, right, then. Yeah, that's what I said. You don't want to hurt somebody's feeling. I guess back in the day, the rules were different.

So you just, I say, play by the rules. And when the rules change, you just changed, don't you? But you also, you really love life. Yeah. You love life. You know, your favourite things on the planet. You have this room that I've never experienced anything like that room. I mean, it's a world of toys and movies and...

Well, Jill always says it's my mind. That room is my mind. And it is? Explain the room. Explain the room. I have a room that's filled with TV and film memorabilia, mostly in the form of 12-inch plastic men. And costumes.

Actually, not many of my costumes are in there. in the loft and stuff. But yeah, I can remember my sister having this same sweater on as Sarah Green when she was doing going live. And it bemused me so much. Like, how have you got the same sweater as Sarah Green? Where did you get it from?

From Top Shop and it was nothing to her. But I didn't understand. Same when I was ill on the sofa once and I was wrapped up in a blanket that was the same blanket as Roseanne had on Rosanna over. You know, Roseanne's crocheted blanket? She's got on her sofa. We have that?

I don't know. How have we got that? And I think ever since then, I've been obsessed with trying to get hold of replica or the same jacket as whoever in that film. So you've got quite a few. Yeah, yeah, I've got... Actually, I've got Michael J. Fox's blue corduroy jacket he wears in Team Wolf,

not his varsity jacket with the yellow sleeves. He's blue cordorite. It's the real thing. It's rubbish. It's rubbish. And it's so old, you can see that the sun has faded it because in the film it's a bit bluer. And I got it from the production manager. of Teen Wolf who was selling it on eBay

and he researched who I was because it was up for quite a lot of money but I have a cut off price I'm not going to tell you how much I pay for it but I have a cut off price for everything that I buy that's nonsense and so I offered that cutoff price and he got back to me and said

oh research to who you are it was an American guy obviously and he says you're a big fan of Team Wolf isn't it weird that you can research to find out if I'm a fan of Team Wolf? That is so amazing. I said yeah he says I'll give you it for that price because I know it's going to someone

who loves Team Love. And I researched who he was because I wanted to make sure. And it came with a certificate and everything. And he also gave me a crew t-shirt that he had from Team Wolf, which had a stain on it and stuff. And another one of Michael J. Fox's shirts

that he, I couldn't get S out then, shirts that he were on Team Wolf. Have you ever told Michael J. Fox that? I've never met him. Never met him. Never met him. I've met Bob Gale, who he invented Back to the Future. And Claudia Wells, who was Martin McFly's girlfriend,

he's good friends of mine now. Don't you tell, well, you should let Michael Dave's off. I've met him, he's a lovely, lovely, lovely man. Only as lovely, have you seen Still, the documentary still? No. No. Have you Apple TV? Yes.

Watch Still tonight. I'm telling you. I've already cried it out about Michael J. Foxx, so I can remember watching Still going, I'm not going to cry at this. I didn't cry, actually. I was just amazed at the editing, which even the amazing editing will make me cry,

because anything that's amazing I sometimes tear up. When I come out of a film that's been so good, I can't speak. Jill go, that was a good one, and I go,

yeah. Keep it in until I can speak. Oh, okay, I'll watch that. Oh, you've never seen him? I'll message you. I'll message you. But yeah, yeah, I've got a team wolf jacket. Is that your favourite?

No, in that room. No, because I've got Team Wolf costume. When he's playing basketball. Oh, yes, yes, yes, I suppose you have. His hairy bodysuit, which I've worn at Jonathan Ross's name drop. I've worn at his Halloween party.

Jonathan Ross is renowned for his Halloween parties that used to have back in the day, which were amazing because I got married on Halloween, so I always used to thank Jonathan for our anniversary party. The anniversary party, it's quite generous of him. If you're getting married, get married on a special day like Halloween, and then you'll never forget your anniversary as well. That's one way to remember. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Lee Francis, congratulations on your book. I want everybody to buy it because then they get to see the kind, lovely you. Oh, thanks.