Paul Merton and Suki Webster aren’t only the new faces of motorhoming — the viewing figures show they’re bigger than Harry and Meghan…

Motorhoming with Merton and Webster All episodes available now on My5

Ed Grenby - 22 February 2023

We might be in trouble if Harry and Meghan decide to make a show about motorhoming,” muses Paul Merton, who has now fronted two series of his own travelogue on the subject. “But then again, maybe not. Episode two of our series went out the same night as Harry’s ITV interview, and we didn’t lose any viewers. So I’m not saying we’re bigger than Prince Harry… but if Radio Times wants to say that, that’s fine with me.” Although it might be a while before we see the Sussexes behind the wheel of a campervan, Merton and wife-cum-co-presenter Suki Webster have a few tips for them (and the rest of us) anyway…

Now that you’ve completed two series of Motorhoming, would you put your money where your mouth is and choose it for your own actual holidays?

SUKI We’re not such converts that we’d go and spend 50 grand on our own motorhome, but we definitely want to rent one. It’s a glorious way to holiday: you’ve got the beautiful English countryside, you can explore new towns and villages, you meet lovely people – it’s like stepping back into the 1950s, with everybody chatting and playing frisbee together and it’s perfectly acceptable to say, “Ooh, can I come in and see what kind of kitchen you’ve got?”

PAUL Yes, my only slight worry would be that among motorhomers, we’re now very famous. Although, like Suki says, people are much more interested in the sort of kitchen your motorhome has than in, say, that time you met Roger Moore.

Motorhome sales have risen 22 per cent in the last year. Is that down to you guys?

PAUL Absolutely totally.

SUKI Do we get a 10 per cent commission?

PAUL I mean the pandemic probably helped, but our postman said that after watching the series, he bought one. Of course, if our milkman then said, “I saw your series and it put me off,” I’d be reluctant to tell you that.

What have been your greatest motorhome holiday highlights?

SUKI The old gnomes’ home in Devon was pretty memorable (gnomereserve.co.uk). It’s a collection of 2,000 rescued garden gomes, some of them dating back to the 19th Century. They’ve been restored, and we had a go at repainting a few so they presented us with Norman, a four-foot gnome who now lives in our garden. We said to our gardener, “Can you put him somewhere to surprise us?” So now he pops up behind a different bush each week.

PAUL Though as you’ll see in the show, he does intrude on our private life. The other place I loved was the Cotswolds. We were in Jeremy Clarkson territory, but they don’t boast about it as much as you’d think. There isn’t a sign saying, “Welcome to Clarkson country! Leave your sensibilities behind…” We did some dry stone walling, which is like a vertical jigsaw with no guide. I thought I was doing quite well until the bloke teaching us kicked it over in disgust. He knew precisely the vulnerable point… which was all of it.

There seems to be a “diminishing” trend to your Channel 5 output, Paul. You did programmes on China, India, Europe and now motorhomes. What’s next?

PAUL Britain’s favourite sheds. Then a spin-off series on toolboxes. Then – fingers crossed on this – a show on what I’ve got under my floorboards.

SUKI What we’re actually doing next is some improv shows on a special comedy-themed sailing trip round Scandinavia with the cruise line Princess [see right]. We’ve both always wanted to go to Denmark to see what they’re all so happy about all the time.

PAUL Yeah, I like cruise ships, and I’ve always wanted to take that trip from Southampton to New York, but it always clashes with recording Have I Got News For You. I could do it the other way, I suppose, but what a disappointment it would be to leave New York and arrive in Southampton. It’s the city that’s so good they named it once.

You’ll have a lot of competition for an audience on board. Julian Clary and Ed Byrne are also on the bill — and then there’s the buffet…

PAUL If they’re serving sausages, we might have a bit of bother.

SUKI If they’re serving sausages, I’m not turning up to our gig. But luckily, Julian and Ed are playing different nights from us, otherwise it would be a real, um, sausage fight. Where whoever has the biggest chippolata wins.

PAUL I’m so glad that Julian’s not in on this conversation because I don’t think he’d be able to contain himself with those last two sentences, Suki. Anyway, it’s going to be a great week – despite the competition from whatever hot food is being served.

ED GRENBY

Comedy Stars Themed Cruise

1 July 2023, 7-Day Scandinavia on Sky Princess®

Chuckle, chortle, giggle and snigger your way around Scandinavia with comedian, actor and entertainer Julian Clary, improv duo Paul Merton and Suki Webster, and stand-up comedian, actor and writer Ed Byrne*. You deserve to do more of the things you love so bring a little laughter in to your life on a great value Princess cruise.

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