S11 EP37: Jason Donovan

24:43Josh Widdicombe:And by worldwide, we mean two countries, but they couldn't be further away from each other. Yeah. I'll cut to the chase in some ways. Firstly, I never got into this business to be famous. It was a byproduct of what I did. I wanted to be an actor. I did a lot of shows in my teens. I still always went to school, but I always dabbled a little bit. In fact, a little bit of history and a little bit of stuff that obviously your chat gbt or whatever it is gmb or whoever it is or the bbc it's wikipedia it's wikipedia kylie and i played brother and sister in in a thing called skyways in 1980 so you know and you can see that on youtube it's quite a funny watch actually and so how old are you then like 12 12 wow anyway i sort of you know once i got into neighbors I think the thing about being an actor is and working in a TV series and working in Australia in quite a sheltered sort of studio TV drama environment is as an actor you're dealing with real life.

25:47You're dealing with older, younger people, directors, costs. Do you know what I mean? It's not like I suddenly found when I got on the Stock Ake and Waterman and sort of music bandwagon, the whole distortion of fame became completely different. Do you know what I mean? It became sort of crazy in a way. But I guess even as an actor, we were sort of pop star material. And, you know, how do you process that? How long have you got? Rick Astley was similar. He talked about, like, being flown to and from promo events. But that's symptomatic of being a pop star. You know, you very much, it's all about you.

26:32It's all about flying around different territories, trying to break those territories. I think the foundations of keeping your feet on the ground for me were firmly set in the craft of acting and the people that I worked with and keeping, as an actor, you sort of have to be real. Otherwise, it sort of doesn't work, you know. I mean, it can. And, you know, look at Hollywood and stuff. But it starts with the music industry. It starts to take you in a different direction. Well, you always knew you as a proper actor and that was what you loved. It was almost like the music was sort of like a little extra fun bonus that was like, do that as well.

27:10And then you could always go back to your acting. Was that the sort of thought process? It was. I was watching what was happening with Kylie. You know, this was 1988. She had a number of records come out. Locomotion was a big hit in Australia. you know it's no surprise or no mystery anymore that her and I were a couple so yeah you know there was there was a lot of sharing of stuff and yeah so was you launching sort of pop careers at the same time whilst in a relationship as solo artists well she was sort of head of the game and I was very competitive you know and very ambitious um I love music I think music is magic and I love a pop song and you know god I can remember listening to Rick Astley's Never Gonna Give You Up and going, what the hell is that?

27:58That is just fucking beautiful. You know, it's just such a great record. And I want a little bit of that. And I was, I guess, smart enough through my dad's advice is to, you know, mate, just learn your craft, learn to sing, to dance, to act. And if one currency is going up, you can lean on the other. And I guess that's sort of the way it panned out for me. Yeah. What about when the kids were like younger and going to concerts and you had to take them? What was your favourite gigs or did you have to sit through stuff that you thought was a pile of shit but they loved it? That must be hard when you know the inner workings of being a pop star.

28:36Well, I mean, High School Musical was the big one for my kids. Yeah, that was the big one. That's a tough song like that, isn't it, as the dad? I mean, for them looking at me, God, I did Chitty Bang Bang at the Palladium in 2004 or 5. You know, they would have been 4 or 5 at the time. I mean, that was an incredible show to watch with the car, Palladium. You know, so I guess that was one of those magical moments where they sort of started to get it a little bit. But, you know, I mean, of course they're aware of their dad being a performer and that's all they've ever known. They've just grown up with it.

29:18Josh Widdicombe:Let me ask you about this tour, Jason. It's Doing Fine Encore, because you did the Doing Fine Tour, which is obviously the name of one of your big hits, and it went so well last year that you basically have added dates, the Doing Fine Encore. I'm going to run you through these, Rob. Tell me if you've played these places. Oh, this is a good little plug. And do you want my opinion on them? Yes, please. Okay. Cross-collateralisation here. Tunbridge Wells Assembly Hall. Have played that. Can be quite tough. They're very middle class and everyone goes there. Just being honest. Wolverhampton, Wolfram Hall.

29:49I don't think I've done Wolfram Hall, but lovely. Good crowd, Wolverhampton. Watford Coliseum. That is a beautiful venue. Great venue. Had to shut it a bit to repair the ceiling, but it's all done now. Yeah, good. High Wycombe Swan Theatre. Great. You'll love it. Yeah. Tough to sell tickets at, though. It doesn't shift very well there. That's because they have too many options. Because it's close to London, everyone plays there. and all the big arena racks go there for warm-up shows. So they're a big sport for choice. That's why it's hard to sell a ticket. Don't get in your head, Donovan. It's that M40 corridor.

30:19Yeah, exactly. All those Buckinghamshire people that sort of just don't know which way to go. Do they go left or do they go right? It's like one of those political sort of, you know, moments, really. Which way am I going to go today?

30:32Josh Widdicombe:Jason, you're really struggling after this budget. It's really high in your mind. Fairham, Fairham Live. I've done Fairham. Have you done Fairham? It's a new venue. I did it on this tour. I don't know why, but Fairham, which I didn't even know existed, has suddenly spent£30 million on a venue or something mad like that. It is. It's absolutely beautiful. Well, I know exactly why that's happened. Yeah. Because I know the people that own it. I've been working for them for the last, you know, four or five years. Thank God I didn't slag it off, Jason. Lovely people, Trafalgar, the Trafalgar group. Fairham has been put there because Southampton is not their venue and Portsmouth, I think, is.

31:12So you've got one that's sort of in the middle. Do you know what I mean?

31:15Josh Widdicombe:It's sort of. Well, I had a lovely time in Fairham and then I did Portsmouth as well and they both sold so they're not eating into each other, Jason. Okay, nice. Wokeston, Leescliff Hall. That's good. Good gig. Rob, Yeovil, Westlands. Right, you might want to brace for this one. It's a refurbished working men's club at the end of a private airport in a cul-de-sac of residential houses. Oh, God. Nice people. The room might spin you out a bit. Rob, describe how big the wings are. The wings. There is no wings. You have to kind of shimmy onto stage, Jason. Are you doing a lot of dancing on this tour?

31:50No, no dancing, but I do skateboard across the stage. I need some wing space in case I fall off, which has happened. Do you actually skateboard across? I do, yeah. What's happening in the show? The basic line of this show is it's a sort of a celebration of 35 years of live work for me. To put it into context is, you know, coming out of Neighbours, going into, you know, a recording career. Suddenly, I didn't just go into the recording career at the bottom. I had, you know, the highest selling album of 1989 and touring across Europe and, you know, doing lots of TVs. But I sort of came in the music business, you know, the back end.

32:28I felt I hadn't really done like Jews as it was. As an actor, I'd worked since I was in my teens and then in my early 20s with neighbours. So I felt I had that groundwork. As a singer, I hadn't really gone in there and, you know, got dirty with it. So the idea was we did a tour and it was a world tour just to sort of start to get that traction with live work. And that really has been a love affair for many, many years. So I called it Doing Fine 2025. You're doing it especially for you. Too Many Broken Hearts. Correct. Any Dream Will Do from Joseph. Yeah, all those songs. Plus I have... Skateboard.

33:10Skateboard. You know, I like to put a lot into my shows. I like to, because I work in theatre, I sort of treat it...

33:18Josh Widdicombe:Is it just you, Jason, or is there... Yeah, it's just me. Oh, wow. So you've really got to hold it like... Proper one-man show. Yeah. That is good news because I don't think anyone else could fit in the wings at the Oval Westlands, Jason. Right. Well, I hopefully won't be spending a lot of time in the wings. In any of the venue. In any of the venue. I like chicken wings, but I won't be spending a lot of time. I'd bring your own food to the Oval. You're also in New Brighton, Floral Pavilion, and then you've got some beautiful rooms. Grand Theatre, Blackpool's incredible. Park Hall, Warrington, the Stone Roses filmed a show there.

33:50That's amazing. Then you've got Peter Bernou Theatre. That's solid. Skegness Embassy. Skeggy. What goes to Skeggy stays in Skeggy. Exactly. And then Nottingham Theatre Royal, Swansea Grand Theatre is beautiful. Leicester de Montfort Hall. I'm doing that tonight. That's incredible. Aye. And then London Indigo at the O2. This is a great, great venue, Jason. Well, give me a plug tonight at Leicester. Well, I'll tell them you're coming. Tell them I'm coming, mate. It's a mad thing, though, for me to slip in the show when they don't know that I've just interviewed you yet. If you liked this, you'll like Jason Donovan.

34:23Yeah, exactly. If you like this, you like Jason Donovan. If you didn't like this, you'd like Jason Donovan. Get your ticket. You do do a meet and greet, though. I've never done one of those before. So what do you get for the meet and greet? Like, is that before the show, after the show? Is that a photo and a chat? Yeah, photo, chat. I mean, I have done that for a while. It helps with the budget, I mean, I have to say, and making sure everyone's looked after, and particularly my pension fund. Yeah, I sort of do 20 people a night and just gives people an opportunity to get better seats normally, although this time around I don't think it's including seats.

34:59It's a separate package. Yeah, it's a separate package. So that's sort of part of what we do these days. Yeah, it's a big thing. People love it. So, oh, that's cool. Good luck on it. It's going to be amazing. And your kids come and watch? No, I couldn't think of anything worse.

35:13Josh Widdicombe:They couldn't think of anything worse. I find that also, from my point of view, I couldn't think of anything worse in the sense of it's stressful people you know coming let alone your own kids that's why london's always tough i find playing to a home crowd and i still guys you know i'm 57 i've been doing this a long time you know and i've always sort of said the adrenaline the anxiety is sort of like a drug it's what we live for you know working life it keeps us alive it keeps me interested it keeps me excited but i I still get anxious, you know, because as a human, we're not guitars. You can't just tune it up and it plays the same chord.

35:56You know, you might have not slept well because the kids haven't slept or, you know, you've taken someone to school or you've been doing promo or you're not feeling great. It's, you know, as a performer, particularly a solo artist. Yeah, when it's just you because you haven't got a band, have you, when you're there to rely on. No, I mean, I do have a band, but I still, you know, no disrespect to the band. I think they're not really there for that. They're there for. You can't go do a quick drum solo, mate. Yeah. So I feel that pressure sometimes. It's, and have done since I was younger. The good news is if the tour goes well, you end up making a little bit more cash than having to split it between the band members.

36:39Yeah. That is the payoff of the one man show. The bigger the risk, the bigger the reward. Exactly. And it is a bit like a drug, But then when you get to the middle of the tour, it's not like sort of like a party drug. You're basically just stood motionless on Spice in the middle of your hotel room. Wow. Waiting to go on again, you know. But, yeah, that comes towards the end of the show. That'll probably be just before the Skegness one. At the moment, you're flying. Yeah. I mean, I find, you know, particularly, you know, doing your own show, the travelling. I mean, we spend most of our days just waiting to go on stage.

37:11Josh Widdicombe:Yeah. What do you do with your days on tour? I do keep fit, you know. I do a lot of walking. I'll swim. I do steaming, try and eat well in the middle of the day, deal with work stuff. Drop to Space NK. Drop to Space NK. So what do you need to know? Because when you get to like Stoke or Yeovil and they're like, are you just doing like a delivery takeaway? You're making your own lunch? No, no, no. I normally now take all my own stuff, you know, particularly if I'm doing dailies or nightlies, as probably we call it. It's a bit different when you're doing a show like a Rocky Horror and you're in a town for eight weeks.

37:47I, you know, do a sort of a package for the week, you know. So you prep for the week? Yeah, I do. Tell me for your prep. Tell me what Donovan's eating. I'm lucky to live in West London. There's some great food shops and, you know, how they package stuff, like soups, like rice. This is how you keep looking so good at that age, Jason. Sushi is a wonderful thing as well. You know, if you can get good sushi. You can stoke or Yeovil. I understand. I understand. So lots of hummus, lots of hummus. Yeah, that's a good one from this show because it's what you can get from a Marks & Spencer's garage or a Tesco.

38:22I was in Hull once and I said, because Wagamamas is a good option. Wagamamas is good. You get like a grilled chicken ramen. But I said, have you got a Wagamamas? And she went, Wagaroo. And I was like, do you know what? I might just get a sandwich. Wagaroo. Wagamamas is good because you can get your juices. Grilled chicken ramen. Yeah, you can. But as I've got older, I've got a little bit of sort of, you know, IBS, Yes, a little bit of the old irritable bowel. Don't need a belly full of broth. And sometimes if we are touring, well, not all the time, but most of the times if we're touring as a band, we normally have catering as well, which you guys don't do, do you?

38:56No, no, no, no. Come on. Yeah, you cheap buggers. Think about the overheads. I know, I know, I know. Well, we're looking at that one for the next tour, hoping that this podcast will bump up the seat so that we can pay for the catering. You'll be able to cater. so you'll be able to cater for the next tour. After this goes out, mate, this is going to change the whole spreadsheet.

39:17Josh Widdicombe:This is a huge game changer. I'll be honest, you're bringing it. We've had some guests come on to promote, and I've thought, that's not shifting tickets. You're going to have to rename the tour the Doing Fucking Great Tour. Yeah, you're not doing fine. I'm doing fucking great on core tour. Can I ask, Jason? Yes. Humor me on this. Can I ask a couple of questions about Neighbours? Because I was, A, a big fan back in the day, but b you then came back how old are you i'm 42 that would make sense yep yeah you look at oh you need to pop the space nk what was it like coming back for those that final episode which turned out not to be the final episode but the final episode with kylie yeah when you reprise scott and charlene well look it was great jason for the viewers it was great for the viewers and And that's why we did it.

40:09You know, we recognised. Did you finally have a phone call where you were like, should we do this or are we? Jason, who is not me, is the executive producer of the show. And he'd reached out to me six months or eight months. I think Gemma, my daughter, was still in the show at that point and said, look, the show's coming to an end. It would be great, you know, if we could get a big finale. And I sort of parked that in my mind. And then he started to put a little bit of pressure on the end. He sort of said, listen, I have this great idea of, you know, you guys, Scott and Charlene, sort of coming back into the street as everyone is leaving, sort of going, we're home.

40:50And I quite like that idea because it was a gentle nod rather than sort of, it just felt quite stylish and quite cool.

40:59Josh Widdicombe:Yeah. Guy Pearce was heavily like, had a storyline and everything in it, didn't he? Guy went in pretty hard. He went in pretty hard. But I'll be honest with you, Josh, it was probably his commitment in a text and a WhatsApp to Kylie and myself and said, look, I'm definitely going to go ahead with this. And that probably gave everyone a bit more of a green light. But going back to the lobbying, as I would have said, the soft diplomacy to my cast members of that era was like, guys, this changed our lives. And there's a lot of people out there that like to push the past, that it's not cool or not.

41:43And I said, this is a different generation. We need to recognize, we need to honor what this show did to us and not just to us but to Australia as a whole because up until Neighbours came along in the 80s, you know, we were just known for putting a shrimp on a Barbie and calling ourselves Crocodile Dundee. It's a stereo, this stereotype Aussie. neighbours sort of brought middle-class Australia to the world and probably changed the balance of payments along the way, you know what I mean, with tourism and interest in that country. And my father fought really heavily. I know this is a little bit boring for your listeners, but my father fought.

42:23Josh is about to ejaculate with all this inside, by the way.

42:26Josh Widdicombe:There's a reason I've got the cameras turned off before I ask this question. But I'm going to say, because I can, And my dad fought pretty hard for Australian content in the 70s. And so rather than the Aussies importing American stuff or English stuff, it became law in the 70s through parliament and legislation that you have to have 50 percent. The networks had to have 50 percent Australian and 50 percent imported, which is the backbone of our culture and why Aussies make great films. They make unique, quirky product. Neighbours was part of that legacy. I fought hard to try and say, listen, come on, let's fucking do this.

43:13This is cool. This is a good moment. What I didn't envisage was the success and the subsequent recommissioning. When you guys get in the way, it all starts to change. Hence our friend Jeff Bezos and his Amazon commissioning editors coming along, having to fill a little bit of a content gap, thought it was a good idea to bring the show back after it had sort of been deceased. And look, the bottom line is that's showbiz. Are you going back? No, I'm not going back. Just waiting for the great night from PSE. Yeah.

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44:42Rated PG. That must be annoying, though, a little bit. They're like, you know, okay, we'll all go back, we get it, we appreciate what it did for us, and then they whipped it out again. You're like, fuck, oh. Well, I mean, look, you know, it is what it is. There's not a lot you can do about it, and it brought more work to people there. You know, it's a very small industry, Australia. It must have been a nice reunion, though, as well, to see you all and reflect on that, because like you say, you know, like it had such an impact on, you know, culture in Australia and the UK and launched so many big careers.

45:14So it's nice to sort of appreciate it. Listen, you know, Ben Mendelsohn, Russell Crowe, you know, The Hemsworths, you know, Margot, you know, notwithstanding the directors, the technicians, the people that learnt their craft, half my family, you know, managed to sort of...

45:31Josh Widdicombe:Three generations of Neighbours actors. Yeah. Your family. Yeah. So, you know, it changed my life and I'm very grateful for that. And you know what? It's sad that it's leaving the TV screens again. But listen, you know, that's showbiz. It was mental. It used to be on twice a day, the same episode. It was bigger over here than over there, really, wasn't it? Yes, it was. Was it just wild to come over here in the late 80s and go, what the fuck has happened here? It was wild. And I've sort of probably forgotten just how crazy it was. Yeah, and I was just, you know, quite a young man at the time, trying to figure out my life.

46:12I knew I had to ride the wave. I was sort of ready for it professionally. You know, fame is a funny thing. It's sort of quite claustrophobic and quite exciting, but it's a currency, you know, it goes up and down. How do you measure success? What does it all mean? You know, I've seen really a lot of very successful, unhappy people and lonely people. We're not going to interview him on something. I'm talking to two of them now. Tell me about it, mate. Oh, dear. Rob's looking forward to Leicester.

46:46Josh Widdicombe:Don't throw that in his face. it's a good room left there's certainly ones i don't look forward to sometimes jason what's your christmas looking like now because obviously you've got a teenager and then some adult kids have they got partners boyfriends or girlfriends are they splitting time between houses or are you all together what's christmas looking like christmas will be you know a sort of a country affair we spend a bit of time out of town which is nice open fire you know my wife is big on traditional Christmas. Zach and his partner, Gemma, she'll be with us. And Molly, you know, I'm just looking forward to switching off.

47:25I'm looking forward to that time of being able to have a few drinks and not worried about doing podcasts and making sense on them rather than just waffling.

47:35Josh Widdicombe:Yeah, you don't need to worry about that. I had two gins this morning. I find the older I get, the clearer I need to be. But it's quite nice to have a Christmas blowout. And I can see that coming in a few days. So will that be on Christmas Day or will it be like the first day, you know, you finish work for the year? When's Donovan getting on it? When are you kicking back and having a blowout? I've been pretty good, actually. When I work, I'm not a big drinker and I'm not really a big drinker, but I do like to, you know, I do enjoy my lunches. I enjoy my long lunches, I have to say, particularly on the weekends.

48:09So this weekend's looking like it's going to be going off. Going off. I've been working for the last six weeks doing European dates with Rocky Horror and doing some press in the last sort of two weeks too. So I'm quite looking forward to it. I like a long lunch because I don't like getting drunk in the evening. I quite like getting drunk daytime so that I can have my hangover about 2 a.m. Yes, yeah, I'm with you. and I like my rosé, although rosé should really begin with Eurovision and end with Daylight Savings going back. Yes, that's a good plan. The problem is it just keeps going. You know what I mean?

48:47Alcohol. Alcohol is the worst, you know.

48:51Josh Widdicombe:Yeah. With Christmas, Jason, you must be asked, I know obviously you've been to Rocky Horror and stuff, but you would have been the golden age of people coming over doing Panto and stuff. Did you enjoy Panto? Would you do it again? I abstained for many, many years. You have done it, though, haven't you? I have. I've done it twice. I did Birmingham and Southampton. That's hard not being at home, isn't it? If you're doing it near your house. Do you know, guys, I love the people. I love doing it. Well, did I love doing it? Two shows a day. It's very financially rewarding. You're telling me people aren't doing Panto's passion projects?

49:32But I just, I don't like working at Christmas. Also, I'm going to be really honest, and it's not, I think Panto serves an incredible purpose in this country. It's great to watch. It's just doing it every day for three fucking months. Correct. And then it helps bring a new generation into theatres. It's, you know, it's part of your culture. But I just find doing a show that sort of takes the piss out of yourself is not really the creative thing that I want to do in my life. Do you know what I mean? I don't mind having a nod towards neighbours or especially for you or all those things, but you've got to create another story to be able to go back to those things if you need to do those things.

50:17Panto is all about nailing in on that one thing that the collective will know. It is. And again, it serves a purpose and it's, you know, it can be fun, but I've got young kids and particularly with Molly, I just want to enjoy my time. So if it's not your culture, if you didn't grow up with it, I'd grow up with it and feel like it's mental. So imagine not having it at all and then coming to the UK and like, do you want to do this? You're like, what the fuck? Do what? For the whole of Christmas. The only way I'd be tempted is if I were to do it like at the theatre that's 20 minutes from my house.

50:51That's the only way. But even then you're still out to 10, 11 in the evening on Christmas Eve. It's funny you say that because I did Southampton, which I've done the two sort of biggest ones outside of London. Is that Mayflower, the Southampton one? Correct, you know, and that's a huge theatre. It's like 3 ,000 people. Yeah, it's a big one. You must have earned a fortune. It was a good tax declaration, that one. But I managed to get the family into a pretty cool hotel down that part of the world, you know, that cost me an absolute – We'll cut it out, but Chute and Glenn. It wasn't Chute and it was Limewood.

51:28Oh, nice. They're both lovely. Very nice. And, you know, it cost me a fucking fortune, guys.

51:34Josh Widdicombe:When you're doing Panto, not to get too deep into this, I was presumed in Panto that part of the deal would be that you get your accommodation. Well, yes, yeah, but I don't think Limewood. And, you know, with all due respect, I think family and, you know, three rooms or a cottage, a cottage in Limewood with bed and breakfast and Angela Hartnett thrown in as a sort of half bored. It's not an easy negotiation for my agent, that one, notwithstanding the fee. The funny thing to this story is, you know, I spent a fortune and, you know, the kids are like, and it's an amazing hotel and blah, blah, blah.

52:14And, of course, just leading up, I started to get a cold and flu. Do you know what I mean? Yeah, it's a lot of effort. It takes a toll on your body, that kind of schedule. I came into like the 23rd, I was so ill, mate. I absolutely didn't enjoy the day off that then turned into two days off. So I was losing cash by the thousands and having to fuck for this expensive hotel. I'm thinking, what the fuck am I doing? What am I doing? I prefer to work harder during the year and just have time out. Yeah, I think it's... That's what I'm doing, doing fine on Court Tour. And I'm coming to Leicester, Yeovil, Warrington, London, O2.

52:58Josh Widdicombe:No, we know tickets left for Leicester after this because every one of Rob's audience will already have bought them, Jason. They're just going to feel sorry for me. No, they'll be there. They'll be there. Jason, you are genuinely one of the most entertaining guests we've ever had. Am I? That was an absolute joy. I loved it. I loved every moment of that. It's like therapy for me talking to you two. Is it? We'll invoice you. bills in the post it's like it's like looking back at my past and realizing what i don't want to do with my lives by looking at our lives yes jason oh christ we always end with the same question if your wife was to listen to this are you married you are married aren't you yes i checked that you got married in um bali i did look what happened to him look how many marriages he's If your wife was listening to this, whether she will or won't, we don't know.

53:55Josh Widdicombe:What one thing does she do as a parent that just makes you go that she is just an incredible parent? You know, that is an amazing thing, an honor to be bringing up children with her. And what one thing as a parent does she do that's annoyed you, but you haven't brought up? But were she to listen that would, you know, she could maybe correct that. My wife is, and I'll be absolutely, apart from being a Newcastle United fan, which is a pretty good thing. You know, in fact, she is currently on a train back with my daughter from going to watch Newcastle United. Oh, nice. She, you know, such a selfless mum and an incredible mother.

54:32I don't know where to articulate the one thing that she does, but she always puts them and us first. She's just incredible. As opposed to you who will go and do a pantomime and drag them all to the hotel they don't want to be in. Josh, I'm thinking about the negative. I'm trying. But one thing that annoys me, you know, I'm pretty OCD. I love cleaning. I love my house to be a certain way. Yeah. And I'm not saying she's not, but she's not quite like I am. But that doesn't mean. Don't you know what? I love it when I hear someone flapping around because they're scared. I love it. She's absolutely dominating you and that's the way it should be.

55:12I listened to, it was a Graham Norton show and he was interviewing Dustin Hoffman. and they'd been married, him and his wife, for many years. It could have even been Parky. I don't know. I can't remember. And one of them said to him, look, what's the key to a long marriage? And Hoffman turned around and said, I'm scared shitless of my wife.

55:37And that's the truth. Absolutely scared fucking shitless.

55:44Josh Widdicombe:Perfect. That is the perfect end, Jason. you're on tour February and March next year go to jasondonovan.com that's it oh good luck brilliant thank you so much Jase when you got into the neighbours stuff I was so happy for you yeah and you know what he was cool about it and he indulged you and he really got into it and actually cared and gave you a proper answer I like the fact that Guy Pearce was sending out texts going look I'm doing it you know I'm fucking Guy Pearce how does Charles Josh feel about having access to these people he idolised on TV for so many years in Neighbours and he's just getting the hot goss like the two pals can I let you into a secret you know we're men that say stuff like do you know what in our job the best thing is just making a man in the street sorry oh yeah you spent too long with Jason Donovan yeah sorry yeah I think he might have a tax bill he likes a pound note doesn't he old Jason

56:43Jason Donovan oh yeah there we go there's nothing wrong with it

56:48Josh Widdicombe:there's nothing wrong with that pun there's nothing wrong with wanting to earn for your family yeah you menace the real reward is if the man in the street comes up to you and says I love your show yeah you're making a difference to people's days by making them smile it's tough out there if you can bring a smile to people's faces that's what we do this for it's not Rob it's to meet Jason Donovan yeah and ask him questions about neighbours it's because I've met a lot of the comedians I liked when I was in the 90s that's really what I'm here do you know when people say to me like what's been the highlight of your career and you want to say like oh you know making people laugh or doing live at Apollo or doing tours do you know what the highlight of my career was?

57:23what? meeting Kelly Brook at the NTAs yeah there you go yeah exactly for 13 year old me

57:28Josh Widdicombe:exactly and for 39 year old you yeah alright go and see Jason Donovan bye