Tamsin Greig has revealed she urged her Friday Night Dinner co-star not to take part in the show’s 10th Anniversary Special because of his poor health.
The air date for the special was revealed last week, with the one-off documentary set to air on Friday 28th May, just over a month after Paul tragically died from a brain tumour aged 54.
And the actress, 54, reflected on the loss of her co-star, who played her husband Martin Goodman, and she told Metro on Monday how she’d tried to persuade him to reconsider doing the interview when he was so unwell.
Candid: Tamsin Greig said on Monday she urged late co-star Paul Ritter not to film Friday Night Dinner’s special because of his poor health (pictured with Simon Bird and Tom Rosenthal)
Tamsin explained: ‘Sadly at the time of making the documentary, Paul was pretty unwell and to be honest – and don’t tell the producers this – but I did try and persuade him not to do the interview.
‘But it is testament to Paul’s courage and generosity and dignity and complete lack of vanity that he wanted to participate in the documentary, to do an interview, and to really celebrate this little world that he’s been a part of and that he’s enjoyed so much over the years.’
She added that Paul would want viewers to ‘sit back and laugh’ at the show, as she added: ‘We all miss him terribly, an incredible actor, a true friend and a lovely human being.’
Advice: Tamsin explained, ‘Sadly at the time of making the documentary, Paul was pretty unwell… I did try and persuade him not to do the interview’
Friday Night Dinner, which focused on the middle-class Jewish family The Goodmans while they met for a weekly meal at their home in north London, first debuted on screens in 2011 and has won an army of fans over its six series run.
Much of the show’s cast including Paul, Tamsin, Simon Bird and Tom Rosenthal are expected to appear in the special documentary.
Friday Night Dinner – 10 Years And A Lovely Bit Of Squirrel will take a look back at some of the show funniest moments, and will no doubt see appearances from the comedy show’s most beloved catchphrases.
Coming soon! The air date for the special was revealed last week and it is set to air on Friday 28th May, just over a month after Paul tragically died from a brain tumour aged 54
The show is set feature interviews with the show’s cast and crew, as well as the series’ creator Robert Popper.
Speaking ahead of the show, Robert said: ‘This one-off documentary celebrates the 10-year anniversary of Robert Popper’s iconic comedy, Friday Night Dinner, which gave us that infamous catchphrase, as well as the beloved Goodman family and their even more surreal neighbour Jim, who together have become the heart of one of Channel 4’s most popular sitcoms of all time.’
The special was first announced back in January after Friday Night Dinner aired its sixth, and supposedly final, series last year.
Loss: Tamsin added Paul would want viewers to ‘sit back and laugh’ at the special, as she added: ‘We all miss him terribly’ (pictured in 2019)
Speaking about the exciting announcement, Robert said: ‘I’m delighted that the cast and crew’s amazing work is being recognised in this documentary – unless, of course, everything in it is entirely negative.’
Kenton Allen, Big Talk CEO: ‘For the first time ever Friday Night Dinner Night will reveal the true story of how a tiny idea became a massive hit.
‘In these incredibly difficult times, I couldn’t be more delighted that Channel 4 have decided to take fans of the show behind the scenes to discover what it really takes to make a lovely bit of squirrel for millions of viewers.’
Funny: Friday Night Dinner – 10 Years And A Lovely Bit Of Squirrel will take a look back at some of the show funniest moments and feature interviews with the show’s cast
Fiona McDermott, Head of Comedy at Channel 4, added: ‘Over the past ten years Friday Night Dinner has become a critically-acclaimed, ratings and award-winning smash hit, with viewers loving our dysfunctional family as much as we do.
‘We’re looking forward to spending an evening giving them the celebration they deserve, so we hope you can virtually gather your Mum, Dad, Auntie Val and your socially awkward (and distanced) neighbour and enjoy a lovely little night with The Goodman’s.’
Series six came to an end with main characters Adam (Simon) and Jonny (Tom) discovering their girlfriends, who were portrayed by Rebecca Humphries and Pearl Mackie respectively, were both pregnant, much to the lads’ surprise.
Paul, who became known for his catchphrases ‘s**t on it’ and ‘that’s a lovely bit of squirrel,’ passed away at home with wife Polly and sons Frank and Noah at his bedside after battling a brain tumour.
Tribute: Last month a spokesperson for Paul announced his passing, after playing dad Martin Goodman in the sitcom (pictured with Tamsin as his wife Jackie)
Last month, a spokesman for the actor announced his passing and said: ‘It is with great sadness we can confirm that Paul Ritter passed away on Monday night.
‘He died peacefully at home with his wife Polly and sons Frank and Noah by his side. He was 54 and had been suffering from a brain tumour.
‘Paul was an exceptionally talented actor playing an enormous variety of roles on stage and screen with extraordinary skill. He was fiercely intelligent, kind and very funny. We will miss him greatly.’
After Paul’s death, Simon paid tribute to his late co-star and shared a touching message via his onscreen sibling Tom’s Twitter, writing that he will ‘always aspire to be like’ Paul and went on to heap praise on him.
Friday Night Dinner – 10 Years And A Lovely Bit Of Squirrel airs on Friday 28 May on Channel 4.
Surprise! Series six came to an end with main characters Adam (Simon) and Jonny (Tom) discovering their girlfriends were both pregnant, much to the lads’ surprise