DCI John Barnaby actor Neil Dudgeon recently shared a poignant reflection on his family life, revealing a bittersweet change in his Saturday nights. Gone are the days of bonding over the glitz of Strictly Come Dancing, a favorite family ritual that has faded as his children, Greta and Joe, have started their own weekend adventures.
In an interview with the TV Times, Neil spoke candidly about this evolution. “I was a great fan of Strictly Come Dancing, but then my kids started going out on a Saturday night and I didn’t have the heart to watch it without them,” he lamented, the nostalgia evident in his voice.
However, Neil hasn’t let this shift dampen his spirits. He’s found a new outlet in the form of Stacey Solomon’s hit BBC show, Sort Your Life Out. With a mix of admiration and hope, he remarked, “She’s absolutely wonderful, and I’m hoping that she’ll inspire me to clear out our house and tidy up a bit!”
“There’s stuff that’s been up in my loft for 20 years. What’s the point? I might as well have shot it into space!” he added, his enthusiasm for organization a humorous contrast to his previous Saturday night plans.
Despite his fondness for Strictly, Neil is unlikely to ever hit the dance floor himself. In a playful admission, he confessed to the Daily Mail, “It would ruin it for me and my family. We wouldn’t be able to watch if I was in it.” His self-deprecating humor shines as he reflects on his dance skills, or lack thereof. “I can’t dance and I’m very bad at being told what to do!”
Learning to drive was nothing short of a disaster for him, as he humorously recalled, “Whenever the instructor said, ‘Do this, do that,’ I’d think, ‘What if I don’t do that… Oh crikey, I’ve hit that car!'” This playful side of Neil gives fans a glimpse into his candid personality beyond the screen.
The actor also shared the heartwarming story of how he met his wife, Mary Peate, through their work in theater. “We were doing a play, she was directing, I was in it. One thing led to another as it does, and 20-odd years later we’re still here,” Neil reminisced, revealing the depth of his emotional connection to Mary.
With fond memories of their wedding day, he said, “We got married about 12 years ago. We’re both very emotional and were in bits at our wedding. We both said our vows through a veil of tears.”
Neil Dudgeon is appearing on James Martin’s Saturday Morning today from 9.30am on ITV1.