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| King of the heap: Robert Llewellyn |
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| A man of many disguises |
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| Et tu, Robert? |
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Rob's biog
King of the 'heap
Robert Llewellyn's career was kick-started when he was kicked out of school. His expulsion, he concedes, was partly his own fault. 'I was a ghastly, horrible kid at 16,' he says. 'But the head master was pretty terrible, too.' Realising he had to get his act together, Robert became a professional hippie.
The rest, as they say, is history. Today, Robert not only presents the best scrap-related programme on television, he is also a successful comedy actor, probably best known for his role as the rubber-faced robot Kryten in Red Dwarf.
Plug the product
Robert also spends a good deal of his time on literary activities. He wrote the seminal Behind the Scenes at Scrapheap Challenge about the 2001 series. Other factual books include The Man in the Rubber Mask, a comic memoir of his time in Red Dwarf, and Thin He Was and Filthy-Haired, about the first year he lived away from the parental home, when he was just 17, doing the washing-up for the future rulers of England at Oxford University.
His first novel, The Man on Platform Five, is now in paperback and is being developed into a film, set in London. His second, Punchbag, received rave reviews. A third, Sudden Wealth, was rapidly followed by a fourth, Brother Nature, set in the world of cybernetics. All the books are published by Flame. Robert is now well into his fifth novel, Rumble Strips, and is also experimenting with an online novel, you can read the first twelve chapters at Blue Helmet.
Robert's most recent comedy show, WomanWizard, is now available as an Indy DVD through his website. WomanWizard is a comedy software launch for a product that is supposed to help men understand women.
You can find out more about Robert's books and other projects at his own website: www.llew.co.uk
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About Robert
 How's the writing coming along? What are you working on now?
 The writing was coming along well, working on a new novel and a screenplay – but then I got very involved in the development of my house, which means I am now a labourer, lugging concrete blocks.
What's tickling your eardrums at the moment?
Okay, it's sad but I quite like Busted's Year 3000, which I downloaded, 'legally' for my daughter – and that sad song by The Streets and a bit of old Joni Mitchell. And a song with a rude title by Denis Leary which is very funny. We have become download junkies, using iTunes.
And your eyes? What visual treat did you last enjoy (film/TV)?
Actually, Spiderman 2, which I was dreading seeing, but it wasn't half as bad as I expected. Went with my 10-year old. Really want to see Fahrenheit 9/11 but we just don't get the chance somehow.
Bodged anything at home recently?
An embarrassing amount, I have become a master of timber bodging and more recently, an earth bodger as I've moved many tons of earth and rocks using a very well-worn digger belonging to a wonderful farmer called Martin. In some ways, though, our house is being de-bodged by professionals, as I have been bodging it for the past 12 years. It might look quite smart when it's finished but we live in a Scrapheap at the moment.
So, you've had a hard day's scrapping. How do you unwind?
Mostly by sleeping and walking around in a daze. Whenever we have a 'day off' from the heap, I plan to do all sorts of things but mostly I lie still and eat small amounts of fruit. Tragic really.
When were you last surprised by something? What was it?
This afternoon when a wild chicken came screaming into our kitchen. We discovered later that it was a runaway chook from our neighbour's farm, a new arrival that had escaped along with its sisters, only to be savaged by their dog. Other than that, on the heap, I am still constantly surprised that the teams manage to make anything, and when they have put in a monster day's work, they still seem happy and full of beans.
Do you look at vehicles in everyday life and imagine the modifications that could be made to them on Scrapheap?
I do, yes, weird isn't it? And also, when you do see vehicles that have been specially adapted for different tasks, I can now see the engineering that's gone into them. I can understand a lot more about complex machines than I could when I started working on the heap. I'm particularly partial to hydraulic diggers, having now spent considerable amounts to time using them.
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About Scrapheap Challenge
What can people look forward to in this series?
A refreshing bunch of totally new challenges. Each year I think, 'well, we've done everything now, what new thing can we possibly produce? Well this year, the team behind the show came up with some very clever ideas, real challenges for the teams.
Lisa Rogers is back for the third series running. Does she get her hands dirty or prefer to sit back and watch from afar?
Lisa is definitely a hands-on type of lady. Having been brought up on a farm, she's not averse to getting stuck in.
What was your favourite challenge this time around?
As always, that's very hard to say, but Bowling Bangers stays in the mind, just for its sheer barking madness.
Any memorable moments from this year? Any explosions or catastrophes?
Bouncing bombs, that was daft and very funny – and quite catastrophic. Don't want to spoil it, but there is a bit of a disaster and proof that with enough effort, you can bend the back axle of an old Jaguar into a giant, greasy soup ladle.
What is your favourite part of the show and why?
I have to say, I always look forward to the tests. As the machines come together in the build and we are pontificating about the possibility of them working. Then obviously, the moment of truth as they face the actual test is always exciting.
What advice would you give to anyone considering applying to be a team on Scrapheap Challenge?
Make sure you get on well when under inordinate amounts of stress and disappointment. Make sure you can cope with completely changing your plans when you realise that the vital bit you really need to make the machine work just isn't available. Possibly don't drink 18 pints the night before as it's a very long day, although not many teams seem to follow that guideline. And be prepared to say the amusing quip you made for another five times as the cameras get the right angle. It may seem daunting but it's very obvious the teams really enjoy being on the show.
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Rob's biog
