Interview with Keith Lemon for The Real Dirty Dancing

17 February 2022

Interview with co-host Keith Lemon for The Real Dirty Dancing

Articles using this chat must credit The Real Dirty Dancing starts Monday 21st February at 9pm on E4 and All 4

 

What did you think when you were approached to host The Real Dirty Dancing?

If a project has anything to do with movies, I say yes! I’m obsessed with movies. I love everything about them. When it's your job but it's also your hobby at the same time it's a lovely feeling.

Did you fancy any of the characters?

When the film first came out and I had no interest, I didn't fancy anyone. Then as an adult,  it was Jennifer Grey! I fancied her when she was in Ferris Bueller as Ferris Bueller's sister. She was so cute, especially when she was on the bridge in the denim shorts, very Kylie-esque!

You’ve got history with this movie, haven’t you?

Me and Paddy McGuinness did it maybe 14 years ago, I think. He phoned me up and says, "Do you want to do this thing for Comic Relief? It's about Dirty Dancing." I went, "Yeah." He went, "Cool, I'll tell them you said yeah." Then I phoned him back an hour later, I went, "What we doing again?" He says, "We're going to learn the dance that they do at the end." I went, "I thought we were going to do a sketch. I don't want to do the dance, it's going to be too hard. You won't be able to lift me." Then we went into rehearsal and I hated it. I said, "If we're going to do any good in this we're going to have to fall in love, but not touch each other." So we fell in love and became best mates! Then we did a show, Keith and Paddy Picture Show, and we did a half hour special of Dirty Dancing. So when I got the call for this, it was just obvious.

So were you channeling Patrick Swayze during the series?

Totally, yeah, but we did a couple of sketches called Johnny's hobbies, “Johnny’s the name, Dirty Dancing is the game. But I also do other things”, there's a series of things that Johnny does when he is not dancing like painting!

How amazing is Ashley as Baby?

She's good. But I mean she can dance as well, you know? She showed them how to do the mambo and she learned that dance in half an hour and they were just mesmerised. I think she goes deep into character when she's dancing, you could have thrown a fish at her and she wouldn't have looked at you! You can imagine me at the side pulling faces at her, but she didn't even look at me! Do you know what? She's got no ego at all. Just the loveliest person.

She turned 40 while you were filming, did you do anything to celebrate?

Yeah, we had a little birthday party. She had some video messages from her American friends and family. I can't believe she's 40 for a start, she doesn’t look it. Do you know what? With people on telly I never know what to get them for presents so I often draw them a picture. I knew it was going to be her birthday when we were there, so I drew her a picture before we went. It was a nice one, not a rude one!

Apparently everyone fancied Anthea?

Yeah, everyone fancied Anthea. First of all, I think they were just in admiration of her because she's a TV legend, but she still looks she did when she was hosting Top of the Pops. She doesn't age. She did really well as well. She was an amazing Baby.

You threw them all in the deep end on day one making them show off their dirty dancing skills, what was that like?

Some of them are really good! I can remember that first day, we just got them in the staff quarters and said, "Right, put your watermelons down and let's see what you've got!” They had to dance with each other, which is terribly embarrassing. But they started off diabolical and then by the end of the show I was blown away.

How impressed were you with Arg, who admits that just a few months before filming this show he couldn’t even tie his own shoelaces and now he’s dancing?

I’m super proud. I think that's why I teared up because I knew that he meant business as well. Of course, I’m not allowed to show any favouritism, but I could see he was doing his best. I can remember one round, he overheard me. I didn't know he was still in the room. I went, "Arg didn't do much, did he?" But what he didn’t hear me say is, because I don't think he needed to in that particular dance because he was partnered with Anthea. It was all about Anthea that dance, and if he had taken over it would have been a battle. I think he got all disappointed, because he heard me saying he wasn't doing much but didn’t hear the rest of what I was saying. Bless him, but actually he came back stronger and did himself proud.

It’s not all about dancing though, is it?

No, we get them to do a series of masterclasses too. They recreate some of the iconic scenes from the movie, like the log dance and holding the watermelon. And we make them do a screen test, which is basically like an audition using lines from the show. That really put them on the spot and I was the director! They also did a bungee jump in pairs because if they can get over the fear of doing that together then they can handle dancing together. I hosted a thrusting lesson, because we needed to teach them how to thrust and be sexy not raunchy!

The celebrities all had to tackle the iconic lake lift, what was that like?

They all attempted it, and they all ended up in the water, put it that way!

Without giving too much away, what was it like filming the big finale?

It was quite nerve-wracking at the end because they did it in front of an audience of Dirty Dancing super fans. I think that was quite nerve-wracking because they were nervous at the beginning, I guess, doing it in front of camera crew and me and Ashley. Then their nerves went. But then I guess their nerves came again when they had to do it with outsiders.

What can fans expect when they tune in to the Real Dirty Dancing?

What a lovely show, I mean everyone looks like they're in love! I don't know what they've done, because it looks like a movie all the time. It's a lovely show. I feel so lucky to have done it, because I'm a big fan of the movie. Then to do it with one of my mates [Ashley] in real life. It's lovely! But to coin a phrase from the show, we really did have the time of our lives.