Comedian Alan Carr tells What's on TV about his new star-studded Channel 4 summer party, and reveals his plans to convince Vin Diesel to play swing ball, while wearing an Hawaiian shirt!
What can we expect to see from this one-off Chatty Man Summer Special?
"It's a mix of what I'd normally do for my Summertime Specstacular and Chatty Man shows. But it's longer – at an hour and a half – and bigger. There's more of a summertime feel, with a barbecue, water fights, swing ball and me in Speedos! It should be a lot of fun."
So who's invited to the party?
"We've got Vin Diesel coming on. I've interviewed him before and he's got a great sense of humour. Miranda Hart, she’s always a laugh. The Inbetweener boys - Simon Bird, Joe Thomas, James Buckley, Blake Harrison – are chatting to me, plus Rizzle Kicks will be performing their new song for us. They're all good fun, plus it's an excuse to drink Channel 4's budget dry!”
Is it going to be a boozy affair?
"There's loads of alcohol! We've got a bar in and will be serving cocktails like Sex on the Beach and Pina Coladas, or a cheeky tequila if they fancy it. It's nice to see stars having a laugh and throwing their heads back, getting a bit drunk on Lambrini. We want them to be fun, not just blatantly plugging something. And who wouldn't want to see Vin Diesel play swing ball with me?"
What else can viewers expect?
"I'm encouraging guests to dress in Hawaiian shirts and imagine they're on holiday – but in a massive studio with an audience! I'll be throwing myself into the games and getting the celebs to join in. It's got a real beach party feel to it – though I don’t know whether the C4 budget will stretch to sand. Knowing them, it will be gravel!"
Do you worry Hollywood stars don't get your sense of humour?
“It's always the worry that they'll come on and look at me thinking: 'Has he won a competition?' You see them looking at their agent off-camera mouthing: 'Help' when I offer them fish and chips or a green drink! Sometimes I worry about pushing things too far, but I don’t want it to be one of those chat show hosts that are really sycophantic. I like to sail close to the wind!"
Watch Alan Carr's Chatty Man Summer Special on Friday 25th July at 10pm on Channel 4.
