1. By
AS surreal moments go,
sharing a bubble bath
with England legend
David Beckham is right
up there.
It also happens to be the
ultimate fantasy for most
females the world over.
But Posh Spice doesn’t have to
worry — her husband has only been
cracking open the Matey with James
Corden for the sake of light enter-
tainment in a hilarious intimate
soak for Sport Relief tonight.
The bathroom bonding session
between Becks and comic Corden is
just one of the highlights of an
utterly brilliant Sport Relief sketch.
I was given the exclusive first
showing of the 15-minute clip of
Gavin & Stacey’s unlikely hero
Smithy on another quest to coach
the UK’s finest athletes to glory.
In an exclusive interview with
The Sun, 31-year-old James says:
“Becks and I were both in little
trunks. There was a surreal moment
when we were both in the bath and
they had to move the cameras for
another shot.
“We were just talking about
football as if it was the
most normal thing in the
world. I suddenly
thought to myself that
this might be a good
idea for a chat show.
“Just being in the
bath with different
guests every week,
relaxed and having a
little chat. It was a
very pleasant
experience.”
James is as sick as
every other England fan
about 34-year-old Becks
missing the World Cup after his
Achilles tendon injury.
He says: “I am absolutely gutted.
I was really upset for him. He loves
England so much.
“It’s so sad for him as a player,
for us as England fans, for the
whole World Cup. I feel sure
though that we’ll see him in an
England shirt again.”
Becks is just one of a host of
British sporting heroes sending
themselves up in the Sport Relief
Smithy special.
Ashes hero Freddie Flintoff,
tennis ace Andy Murray, diver Tom
Daley, F1 world champ Jenson
Button and the Manchester United
first team all play ball with tubby
Smithy’s comedy caper.
And when it comes to acting,
James thought Becks and race ace
Jenson were naturals. He says: “It’s
a straight shootout between them
for who was the most natural actor,
it really was.
“Jenson is like an action hero. He
is like a Tom Cruise in the sketch.
“David is more of a thinking
man’s actor. He’s like a Johnny
Depp. David can find the comedy
and the serious.
“I’m not sure where that places
Freddie Flintoff’s performance —
he’s a bit like John Candy.”
Becks’s former Old Trafford team-
mates provide another belly laugh
with a camp aerobics session filmed
at the club’s Carrington training
ground — with England striker
Wayne Rooney taking a starring
role.
James adds: “It was the first time
I had spoken to Wayne. When we
did the England sketch last year he
was injured so he missed out.
“The message came through that
Wayne was really disappointed not
to be in the sketch because he is a
Gavin & Stacey fan.
“It was great to finally meet him
and give him a starring role. I was
so chuffed when he walked in to
the room because I didn’t know he
was coming.
“You feel like you are meeting the
best footballer in the country at the
moment, if not the best in the
world. I felt so honoured to be in
his company.”
He continues: “The bit where we
said to the Man United team to free-
style, we never thought they would
go for it, but if they did we’d
be lucky.
“Before you know it,
Wes Brown was going
for it. Wayne Rooney
was so up for it.
“There’s a bit
where Wayne and I
had to sing together
but when you film
that you have to
have the music off.
So he’s just standing
in a room with all his
mates in there, singing
in front of them.
“We literally had eight
minutes. It was amazing how
within a week from the idea being
suggested we were there in the
training ground. Rio Ferdinand
pulled it together.
“The club said they would make
it happen but they couldn’t guaran-
tee who would turn up and do it.
“Obviously we wanted Rooney,
Ferdinand, Michael Carrick, Wes
Brown — all the people you would
recognise.
“I’m absolutely sure Rio pulled it
all off. The strength of the England
sketch helped.”
Another huge star of the new
sketch was Jenson Button, who took
time out from preparing for a
crucial race during his triumphant
Grand Prix season last year to film
for Sport Relief.
James says: “He was the first one
we shot. The problem we had was
his people, quite rightly, didn’t
want him shooting anything when
he was still in the running for the
Formula 1 title.
“The first option was going to Sao
Paulo, Brazil, which was a long way
to go for a few minutes’ filming.
Then we were told that if he wins
in Sao Paulo we could go to Abu
Dhabi.
“I had never liked F1 really, but
suddenly we were there, completely
engrossed in the whole thing.
“Jenson was just incredible. We
landed, got a message saying we
had to do it immediately, because
GORDON
SMART
Showbiz Editor
ROONEY, BUTTON,
34 Friday, March 19, 2010
we only had 15 minutes in the pit
lane. He just went for it.
“It was proper Top Gun stuff.
Every time those lads go out in
those cars they are risking their
lives — and there’s a lot of money
on their shoulders.
“We were going to fly back but
Jenson got us passes for the race.
He really looked after us, it was
terrific.”
Olympic hopeful Tom Daley
provided James with his biggest
challenge — a terrifying plunge
from a 10m diving board. And the
small matter of sporting a tiny
pair of swimming trunks in front
of millions of viewers.
James says: “Tom’s coach helped
me every step of the way. It was
terrifying but Tom was great.
“What was ridiculous is that he’s
15. He’s the most together and
composed 15-year-old you’ll ever
meet. Then you see his body and
you are like, ‘Oh my word’. It is
unbelievable, you think he must
really look after himself.
“Then we are driving home and
stop at the services and we see
Tom Daley and his dad in
McDonald’s and I am thinking,
‘How is that fair?’
Lovely
“Ordering a double cheese-
burger? I was just thinking, ‘All
you do is jump off a board. You
don’t even need to be that fit. All
you are doing is just falling
through the air’.”
Filming with Andy Murray at
the Lawn Tennis Association in
south London proved the tennis
star’s serious reputation is wide of
the mark. James says: “He gave us
four hours. His sketch was the
most intricate and he was terrific.
There is this perception of him
not being much fun or shy. I
couldn’t see anything other than
him being a really lovely guy.
“His time is precious. For him
to come down to the LTA and
muck about for a couple of hours
was great.
“I asked him to give me a full
serve. A proper serve. It was like
being sat in front of a rifle. I just
didn’t stand a chance.
“That’s what is great about the
behind-the-scenes piece — real
moments when you see the people
behind who these sports stars are.
It’s only £2.99 from iTunes, so
check it out.”
Meanwhile, James has already
started thinking about the next
Sport Relief — and is even consid-
ering getting into shape himself
and taking on a David Walliams-
style sporting challenge.
He says: “I would like to do it,
it’s just finding what it is. If you
are going to go for a run, you’ve
got to go and beat Eddie Izzard.
If you are going to go for a
swim, you’ve got to swim more
than the Channel.
“If you are going to do a bike
ride, you’re not going to beat
John O’Groats to Land’s End.
“Maybe rowing. At least I’ll
be sat down.”
To see all of Smithy’s
sketches tune in to Sport
Relief’s big night of TV from
7pm on BBC1. For more
information go to sportrelief.
com.
g.smart@the-sun.co.uk
MURRAY, FLINTOFF...THEY’RE GOOD SPORTS
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