Bradley Walsh has admitted that the wonderful food on the set of The Larkins caused him to gain weight.
The actor and TV presenter, 61, plays Pa Larkin in the ITV1 family drama The Larkins, currently airing on Sunday evenings.
And he’s told ED! that the weight gain has caused havoc with his wardrobe for The Chase…
Read more: ITV releases first trailer for The Larkins starring Bradley Walsh
Bradley Walsh weight gain
Bradley Walsh has revealed he’s gained eight pounds since filming series one of The Larkins.
Filming takes place on a working farm in Kent, and the food laid out in the family scenes is REAL!
Chatting to us during a press launch for the upcoming series, the cast including Bradley Walsh and Joanna Scanlan, revealed the food on set is delicious and reminiscent of nostalgic food from the 1950s.
Bradley said: “I’ve put on eight pounds during filming.
“And that’s despite the training I’ve been doing too.”
He continued: “Jo [who plays Ma Larkin] would bring the food to the table and I would just stay there eating it all!”
Bradley then revealed that he’d been measured for new outfits for The Chase!
He said: “Just today, they’ve taken my new measurements for The Chase outfits.”
The Larkins series two
Bradley revealed he would happily film a series two of the Sunday night family drama, but things would have to change.
He laughed: “I’ll do a series two, but I have to calm down on the eating.
“I can’t keep going out and buying new clothes that are bigger.
“I’ve got to cut down on the eating.
“What we’ve now got to do, is go and live somewhere by the sea and have a Mediterranean diet.”
Read more: The Larkins: Bradley Walsh seen in first look image released by ITV
Bradley Walsh weight gain as Pa Larkin
Bradley Walsh was keen to stress he loved working on the set of The Larkins, and that agreeing to play the character of Pa Larkin was a “no-brainer”.
In fact, he told us: “Ask anyone who knows me, I am actually Pa Larkin.
“I can get anything for anybody.”
He also revealed that he had based the character of Pa Larkin on two people he knows very well, although he wasn’t planning to tell them until the series had aired to see if they guessed!
Bradley Walsh said: “When I was asked to play Pa Larkin, I said yes immediately.
“It was a no-brainer.”
Perhaps one reason was the fab toys Bradley gets to play with on set – including a 1933 Rolls Royce!
Bradley Walsh on co-star Joanna Scanlan
Bradley also joked that the bed scenes with Joanna were not as romantic as they seem on screen.
He says: “That first episode when we were filming the bed scenes were some of the most frightening scenes of my life.
“Because Jo would wear a Nylon nightie.
“I needed a crew member with a lightning conductor in case I needed to earth myself.”
However, actress Joanna insisted it was all for authenticity.
She revealed: “The Nylon nighties were in the books.
“Ma wore Nylon nighties and, in the books, it’s part of what Pop was so attracted to.”
The Larkins Christmas special
Bradley also confirmed there WILL be a Christmas special of The Larkins on ITV1.
But we’re told it’s “not what you would expect” from a Christmas special and has lots of “twists and turns”.
The Larkins starring Bradley Walsh as Pa Larkin airs on Sundays at 8pm in October on ITV1.
Are you enjoying watching The Larkins on ITV1? Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix.