The Real Full Monty brought lots of festive joy as it returned to our screens on Monday night. And, as part two airs tonight (Tuesday, December 12), there's once again a very serious message behind the latest group of celebrities' decisions to bare all on ITV.
Among the stars coming together - alongside Diversity’s Ashley Banjo and Loose Women’s Coleen Nolan - for a festive feast of fun and frolics to raise awareness of life-saving cancer checks are fellas TOWIE's Pete Wicks, former royal butler Paul Burrell, ex-footballer Ashley Cain, ex-England rugby star Ben Cohen and actor Nick Collier (best known as RuPaul's Drag Race UK's Ella Vaday).
Then for the ladies, there's TV presenter Julia Bradbury, Death in Paradise's Victoria Ekanoye, TV personality Gemma Collins, Dancing on Ice pro skater Vanessa Bauer, and ex-Benidorm and Loose Women favourite Sherrie Hewson, taking part in memory of her late brother Brett, who died of a brain tumour in 2020.
In an exclusive interview with What To Watch, Sherrie tells us more…
What motivated you to want to take part in The Real Full Monty: Jingle Balls?
"After losing my brother to a brain tumour, I take every opportunity to raise awareness for The Brain Tumour Charity, which gets just 3% of the funding other cancers get. If my doing this show helps one person, that’s all that matters."
What was more nerve-racking - learning the dance routine or getting naked?
"Having to dance in front of Ashley Banjo and Diversity was very intimidating. I got really nervous about that; bringing shame upon Diversity by not being good enough. Everybody else seemed quite happy about being a bit rubbish. I wasn’t. I wanted to be good."
Did you have any reservations about baring all?
"I didn’t care about taking my clothes off, the only thing I didn’t like was showing the tops of my arms! Yet my good friend Coleen, who’s done this show five times, says the ‘big finish’ still terrifies her! I loved watching Paul Burrell. He couldn’t do the dancing but he got naked as much as he could… we had to keep telling him to put his clothes ON!’"
You and Coleen also join Nick Collier’s alter ego Ella Vaday on stage at London’s New Wimbledon Theatre for a fun song, encouraging people to check themselves…
"I've been in this industry since I was four and that skit was the silliest thing I’ve ever done - Coleen and I are the biggest ‘twits’ you’ve ever seen! Then Pete Wicks comes on dressed as part of the male anatomy saying: ‘I’d rather be doing anything at this moment than this.’ Pete became very special to me. He’s a generous person, who has love for everybody. Yes, he can be cheeky, acerbic and sarcastic but you also see his vulnerability: that’s the real Pete."
There’s a special moment where each celebrity tells the gathered audience why they’re taking part…
"I never speak about my brother’s death as I still can't cope that he isn't here but, on this show, we spoke about losing loved ones every day. I watched the others give their reasons but, as I stepped forward on stage, I couldn't speak, I cried lots and Coleen came to stand with me, so I could get through it. Everyone was really supportive."
What was it like hearing everyone else’s stories?
"The night we all had a lovely Christmas dinner together was very emotional, especially when we heard Ashley Cain’s tragic story [Ashley lost his daughter Azaylia to leukaemia at eight months old]. Ashley revealed how Azaylia played with his beard right up until she died and, because of that, there’s no way he’d ever shave it off. Hearing that completely broke us."
Has doing this show made you more aware of checking yourself?
"Losing my brother has made me more aware of my own mortality and everything that’s happening in my own body. I actually had a breast cancer scare myself about three or four years ago, and needed a biopsy. Fortunately, it wasn’t cancer."
How nervous were you before the final, big performance?
"We did Benidorm Live at New Wimbledon Theatre, so it was great to be back. I wasn’t nervous at all. I found it quite liberating. Besides, that’s what we’re here for. If it makes one person ring their GP or check for lumps, then we've done our job."
Do you like Christmas? What are your plans this festive season?
"I love Christmas! I’ll be with my daughter and grandchildren on Christmas Day. Then on Boxing Day, I'm taking the grandchildren to see Jason Manford in Jack & The Beanstalk at the Opera House Manchester. I must’ve done about 27 pantos in my time but these days, I enjoy just sitting in the audience and being able to boo, shout and say, ‘that was fabulous’!"
The Real Full Monty continues on Tuesday at 9pm on ITV1.
