Lucy Beaumont has revealed her surprise that some fans of Meet the Richardsons still don't realise the show is a spoof.
The Dave mockumentary returned for its fifth series on Monday night, with married comedians Lucy and husband John Richardson playing exaggerated versions of themselves, inviting viewers into their funny and frustrated lives once more.
However, after five series of Meet the Richardsons, it seems some viewers still can’t tell where parody ends and real-life begins…
"I think it’s hilarious when people get really bothered by it because they think the show is real," says Lucy. "It is a scripted sitcom but lots of it is based on real life, so I’d say it’s about 50/50. It wouldn’t be the same if it wasn't rooted in reality but I guess the result is very blurred — sometimes even I'm confused about what's real and what's not. What I do know is this is the funniest series yet!"
In the first episode of the series, Lucy's star is on the rise following last year’s BAFTA nomination and she’s being offered all kinds of shows.
"My 'character' gets a real taste for fame and wants to go all out, so is saying yes to every TV job… even one show hosted by Stephen Mangan involving pop duo The Cheeky Girls! I got locked in a room with them and their mum for two hours but they were so lovely," says Beaumont, who co-writes the show alongside Tim Reid, who penned Peter Kay’s Car Share.
Lucy also has a run-in with Sunday Brunch host Tim Lovejoy... "I accidentally swore once on Sunday Brunch and they had lots of viewers messaging into the show saying they thought it was terrible," recalls Lucy. "So the idea is that Tim comes onto our show and starts swearing profusely to get his own back. You get to see him in a whole new light!"
Among the other famous faces in this series of Meet the Richardsons are Inside No.9’s Steve Pemberton and Pussycat Doll Kimberly Wyatt.
"Lucy’s turning 40 and is having a midlife crisis," teases Lucy. "Our neighbours on one side are having some issues and, on the other side, we get Pussycat Doll Kimberly Wyatt and her husband Max Rogers move in, so that causes a bit of a rift."
And it's not just Lucy who struggles with ageing this series — in next week's second episode, John is transformed into a grey-haired pensioner, to see whether the public treats him differently...
"Seeing John as an old man really freaked me out, it was weird," admits Lucy. "But he enjoyed it more than being himself - he's got old man vibes anyway, so it was like he'd found his true destiny!"
Meet the Richardsons continues on Mondays at 9 pm on Dave (box set, UKTV Play).
