The first series of The Charlotte Church Show was your first foray into TV. How did you find it?
I didn't really know what to expect, because I'd never really done anything like that before. I loved it! It was really hard work, and I'm a little bit averse to hard work - I've been working hard since I was 12 years old, which is pretty strange to think of. So now I like to take things at a little bit of a gentler pace. I've got a life of my own as well. So I used to come up to London for the rehearsals and go straight back home that evening, and come all the way up again the next day and do the show. And there was loads of hard work to do - I had a lot to learn - but I loved it. I love stand-up comedy, and learning how to deliver jokes and stuff was really interesting to me. It was a lot of fun, and I love the people I work with - all the writers and producers. I really enjoyed the guests I had on there.
And you managed to squeeze a bit of singing in there as well.
Actually I was really worried about having the singing in there. I thought that to have a funny, lively, chaotic show and then get all serious and sing at the end would be a bit strange. But actually now I think it's a really nice end to the show, it went really well.
You've been performing since you were 12, but all of a sudden you found yourself standing in the wings waiting to go on and film your first ever TV show. How did that feel? Were you nervous?
Incredibly nervous. I have been more nervous once, when I was doing Have I Got News For You?, when I was 17. I'd never really watched the show, I didn't really know what it was about, I'd had a bit of rehearsal but not much, and I thought "I'm 17 and there's four really funny people out there with me". My mic was on my chest and I thought "They're going to hear my heart!" It was literally jumping out of my skin it was beating so hard. It was the same with this show, there was a lot of pressure, to try and get everything right.
It's a pretty fast-moving show, isn't it?
It's really fast-paced - that's what I like about it. If there's a bit you don't like, it's over in two minutes. And if I ever watch my show and then turn over to another channel, it feels really slow. I like the speed of the show. I've got a short attention span, so things like that suit me anyway.
Which bits from the last series are you most proud of?
A lot of it, really. In terms of doing the VTs, where I'm going undercover, I find that really hard to do. Simply because I'm quite a nice person and I don't like lying, or making other people feel uncomfortable for comedy. But it is funny. I do like the hidden camera stuff. We're doing lots of it at the moment, like CCTV – Remote Control [where Charlotte encourages a volunteer, via an earpiece, to behave extremely badly in front of an unsuspecting audience].
And you've been working on some for this series?
Yeah. It worked so well when we did it during the last series that we're going to do one each week this time. So I did one just recently at a wedding. I was talking to the best man during his speech. The bride knew about it, because I'm not about to ruin a bride's wedding day by secretly filming without permission. But only the bride and the best man knew. It was the groom's brother who was best man. This guy was brilliant - he did everything I told him to. It was bad. Really bad. But so funny.
Can you reveal anything about the guests you've got coming on this series?
We’ve got Billie Piper and Gwen Stefani confirmed for the first show. In the first show, I’ll also be singing with McFly, which I'm really happy about, because I think they're brilliant - really good live musicians, performers and singers. And in terms of interview guests and comedians, we've some more exciting names coming up.
Who did you enjoy singing with on the last series?
Nelly Furtado - everyone, really - The Feeling, Orson, really, really good people. Nerina Pallot, The Brand New Heavies - she had an amazing voice, brilliant sound. Who else? Aleesha Dixon, she was lovely, really good voice. I was quite surprised at her. Amy Winehouse was wild, very different and really nice. She was lovely, a little sweetheart. But singing with her was an experience.
If you could choose any guest from across the world to appear on your show, who would be your ideals?
Lee Evans. But apparently he doesn't really like appearing on TV, he's really focused on his comedy. And it's not like he needs the exposure. I'd love to sing with Sting, or Prince, or that guy Mika, he's really good.
Who's the most exciting person you've met through showbiz?
Oh God, I've met everyone. Name someone? Actually don't, because I won't have met them. But I've been lucky enough to meet loads of people.
Have any of them been a bit funny with you?
Christina Aguilera was a bit offhand, as was Britney Spears when I met her. But I think Christina looks cool now. I think she's probably much nicer now, she seems really sorted. Back then I think she was in a bit of turmoil. She wasn't rude, she just wasn't very interested. And the same with Britney. I feel sorry for her, she's having a tough time right now, particularly with all the press intrusion. It must be a lot of pressure.
What ambitions do you have left?
I've never really been ambitious. I had goals - like when I was younger I wanted to sing Madam Butterfly at La Scala, but I haven't really got big ambitions, I'm quite happy to plod along. I'll always go back to singing, in the end. For now I'm just enjoying working on the show. I was really surprised how much I enjoyed it, how successful it was - I won a Best Female Newcomer at the British Comedy Awards, which I was really chuffed with. I wouldn't have predicted any of it a year before, so I'll just keep on plodding along and see where life takes me.
Interview by Benjie Goodhart
I didn't really know what to expect, because I'd never really done anything like that before. I loved it! It was really hard work, and I'm a little bit averse to hard work - I've been working hard since I was 12 years old, which is pretty strange to think of. So now I like to take things at a little bit of a gentler pace. I've got a life of my own as well. So I used to come up to London for the rehearsals and go straight back home that evening, and come all the way up again the next day and do the show. And there was loads of hard work to do - I had a lot to learn - but I loved it. I love stand-up comedy, and learning how to deliver jokes and stuff was really interesting to me. It was a lot of fun, and I love the people I work with - all the writers and producers. I really enjoyed the guests I had on there.
And you managed to squeeze a bit of singing in there as well.
Actually I was really worried about having the singing in there. I thought that to have a funny, lively, chaotic show and then get all serious and sing at the end would be a bit strange. But actually now I think it's a really nice end to the show, it went really well.
You've been performing since you were 12, but all of a sudden you found yourself standing in the wings waiting to go on and film your first ever TV show. How did that feel? Were you nervous?
Incredibly nervous. I have been more nervous once, when I was doing Have I Got News For You?, when I was 17. I'd never really watched the show, I didn't really know what it was about, I'd had a bit of rehearsal but not much, and I thought "I'm 17 and there's four really funny people out there with me". My mic was on my chest and I thought "They're going to hear my heart!" It was literally jumping out of my skin it was beating so hard. It was the same with this show, there was a lot of pressure, to try and get everything right.
It's a pretty fast-moving show, isn't it?
It's really fast-paced - that's what I like about it. If there's a bit you don't like, it's over in two minutes. And if I ever watch my show and then turn over to another channel, it feels really slow. I like the speed of the show. I've got a short attention span, so things like that suit me anyway.
Which bits from the last series are you most proud of?
A lot of it, really. In terms of doing the VTs, where I'm going undercover, I find that really hard to do. Simply because I'm quite a nice person and I don't like lying, or making other people feel uncomfortable for comedy. But it is funny. I do like the hidden camera stuff. We're doing lots of it at the moment, like CCTV – Remote Control [where Charlotte encourages a volunteer, via an earpiece, to behave extremely badly in front of an unsuspecting audience].
And you've been working on some for this series?
Yeah. It worked so well when we did it during the last series that we're going to do one each week this time. So I did one just recently at a wedding. I was talking to the best man during his speech. The bride knew about it, because I'm not about to ruin a bride's wedding day by secretly filming without permission. But only the bride and the best man knew. It was the groom's brother who was best man. This guy was brilliant - he did everything I told him to. It was bad. Really bad. But so funny.
Can you reveal anything about the guests you've got coming on this series?
We’ve got Billie Piper and Gwen Stefani confirmed for the first show. In the first show, I’ll also be singing with McFly, which I'm really happy about, because I think they're brilliant - really good live musicians, performers and singers. And in terms of interview guests and comedians, we've some more exciting names coming up.
Who did you enjoy singing with on the last series?
Nelly Furtado - everyone, really - The Feeling, Orson, really, really good people. Nerina Pallot, The Brand New Heavies - she had an amazing voice, brilliant sound. Who else? Aleesha Dixon, she was lovely, really good voice. I was quite surprised at her. Amy Winehouse was wild, very different and really nice. She was lovely, a little sweetheart. But singing with her was an experience.
If you could choose any guest from across the world to appear on your show, who would be your ideals?
Lee Evans. But apparently he doesn't really like appearing on TV, he's really focused on his comedy. And it's not like he needs the exposure. I'd love to sing with Sting, or Prince, or that guy Mika, he's really good.
Who's the most exciting person you've met through showbiz?
Oh God, I've met everyone. Name someone? Actually don't, because I won't have met them. But I've been lucky enough to meet loads of people.
Have any of them been a bit funny with you?
Christina Aguilera was a bit offhand, as was Britney Spears when I met her. But I think Christina looks cool now. I think she's probably much nicer now, she seems really sorted. Back then I think she was in a bit of turmoil. She wasn't rude, she just wasn't very interested. And the same with Britney. I feel sorry for her, she's having a tough time right now, particularly with all the press intrusion. It must be a lot of pressure.
What ambitions do you have left?
I've never really been ambitious. I had goals - like when I was younger I wanted to sing Madam Butterfly at La Scala, but I haven't really got big ambitions, I'm quite happy to plod along. I'll always go back to singing, in the end. For now I'm just enjoying working on the show. I was really surprised how much I enjoyed it, how successful it was - I won a Best Female Newcomer at the British Comedy Awards, which I was really chuffed with. I wouldn't have predicted any of it a year before, so I'll just keep on plodding along and see where life takes me.
Interview by Benjie Goodhart
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