Alan Carr has defended joining ITV’s new musical theatre talent search, MAMMA MIA! I Have a Dream, which he described as the “perfect job”.
The comedian joins Jessie Ware, Amber Riley, Samantha Barks and Mamma Mia creator Judy Craymer as they search for the stage production’s next Sky and Sophie as it celebrates 25 years on London’s West End.
Speaking at the launch of the series, Carr quipped: “This is really tragic and I’m going to sound like a wuss, but when they asked me, I started crying.
“I ugly cried because I love ABBA, I love Mamma Mia and I love Greece. It was like the perfect job. Honestly, I cried and cried.”
Some may be surprised to learn of the 47-year-old’s involvement with the series given his lack of musical theatre credentials compared to his peers on the judging panel.
However, Carr knows a thing or two about performing, given his 22-year-long stand-up career, and while he may not have threaded the boards, he insisted his role is even more important as he represents the viewers at home.
“I’ve only ever been a judge on Ru Paul’s Drag Race UK, and I end up slagging off their outfits,” he joked.
“I know I’ve never sung but I get what it’s like [to perform]. I know people at home might ask, ‘Why is he doing musical theatre?’ but I’ve been on stage more times than people have had hot dinners with my stand-up, so I know what it’s like [to perform].
“But we all go to the theatre and we’re all on Twitter, we all have opinions so I’m that person at home. I know what charisma is, and I know what I like, and you’ve got to have that [on a judging panel].
“[The other judges are] all technical and I think you need that one person to go, ‘Oh, I just like that. That’s the filled me with joy’, you know?”
Reflecting on his experience filming the series in Greece, the funnyman hilariously likened the production’s time in Corfu to “a celebrity holiday camp”.
He joked: “It was so funny there because we’re in this hotel for a month it was like a celebrity holiday camp.
“I’d come out and look to my left, I’d see Zoe’s [Ball] knickers drying on a sun lounger and I’d see Samantha [Barks] with a yoga mat walking along, doing star jumps.
“Every time you looked out the window you just saw celebrities, it was strange.”
