John Thomson: From The Fast Show to Cold Feet & Life in the Spotlight
4/21/202642 min
This week on A Night In with Sally Lindsay, Sally sits down with actor and comedian John Thomson for a chat full of laughs, honesty and brilliant impressions!
They revisit John’s early days, from meeting fellow impressionist Steve Coogan at Manchester Polytechnic, to launching his career on Spitting Image and later becoming a household name on The Fast Show.
John reminisces about the Cold Feet years, the chemistry of the cast and the chaos of filming in their twenties. He reveals how playing Pete Gifford changed his life and the pressure that followed the hit role, reflecting on tabloid intrusion and how it affected him behind the scenes.
John also speaks openly about his journey to sobriety, looking back on the past and describing how much his life has changed over the last 20 years.
With plenty of laughs, standout impressions and heartfelt moments, this episode is a warm, honest look at the highs and lows that have shaped John’s life and career.
New episodes drop every Wednesday on Spotify, Apple or wherever you get your podcasts - plus you can watch each episode on YouTube!
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Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsSpeaker 00:00
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John Thomson· Guest0:15
[upbeat music] I got to do, uh, President of the United States, Bill, Bill Clinton.
Sally Lindsay· Host0:21
People can't remember a time before reality TV, can they? And w- that's when we started.
John Thomson· Guest0:27
If you do make it, how to deal with fame.
Sally Lindsay· Host0:30
Yeah.
John Thomson· Guest0:30
And the other thing is ambition.
Sally Lindsay· Host0:32
And is that when the press got you?
John Thomson· Guest0:34
There was a gang of them outside the house. They were following us, you know. [upbeat music] I'm really into James Bond.
Sally Lindsay· Host0:40
You wanna be Bond?
John Thomson· Guest0:41
No, not Bond. I'm not right.
Sally Lindsay· Host0:43
Oh, I don't know.
John Thomson· Guest0:43
No. Too short, too fat, too northern. In the rehearsal, she threw it so hard, it stuck in the back of me head- [laughs] ... and dropped off, and I put me hand to me ear and there's blood coming out. [gasps] It was like a dart. The beat was sharp.
Sally Lindsay· Host0:56
Honest to God, the fire went over us that much, and then we all just got on with it. We just carried on.
John Thomson· Guest1:01
Nice. [laughs] There you go. Everyone loves it.
Sally Lindsay· Host1:06
[upbeat music] Today's guest is a familiar face from some of our best-loved TV, from the lightning-fast characters of The Fast Show, to the long-suffering lovable Pete in Cold Feet. He spent years making audiences laugh and occasionally cry. Actor, comedian, and proud Salford lad, please welcome my darling friend, John