 | | Tommy Walsh is working on new projects |
One of the first things you notice when you meet Tommy is his height – the full impact of his 6ft 5ins frame doesn't quite come across on the telly. It was pure chance he got into television in the first place, a lucky conversation whilst restoring the house of one Carol Haslam, a producer at the BBC. "She asked me to look at a couple of pilots. One of them was the precursor to Ground Force, called Over the Garden Wall," he explained. "It was like watching paint dry - it was terrible." Tommy initially turned down the role - three times - and it was his eldest daughter Charlotte who finally convinced him to do it, telling him about a bet she had with a boy at school that her dad was going to be on TV. When he asked the then 8-year-old how she was planning to pay the £10 she had wagered, she answered confidently: "Daddy, I don't intend to lose." Screen test What could he say? Within days he was doing a screen test with another unknown face, the lovely Charlie Dimmock. His first impression of her wasn't entirely accurate: "She looked like a librarian," he said. "I couldn't tell for sure whether she was wearing the infamous undergarment or not," he added with a cheeky grin. Right away they started the playful bickering that had the crew wondering if they might be married. "It's a bit dangerous if you start a bit of swordplay with me 'cause you normally end up losing," Tommy joked. In the eight years since then, Tommy has been in a whole host of programmes, all of them drawing on his skills as a builder. Trading Places holds the fondest memories for him. "It was just so interesting to be involved with all these traditional skills which at the time were very much on the wane - there's been a revival now." And it’s not just other people's houses and gardens that benefit from Tommy's skills - he has a couple of his own restoration projects on the go. He is busy doing up an old schoolhouse built by renowned British architect Sir George Scott, and a five-storey structure in Hackney which he has practically demolished and rebuilt. New project Tommy's passion was obvious as he talked about his work, launching into great detail, leaning forward and gesturing with a forgotten biscuit in his hand. Of course now you too can benefit from Tommy’s wisdom in his new book, part of a series that also includes Outdoor DIY and Kitchen DIY. I wondered if there was any work he would suggest people leave to the pros. "It depends on the competence of the individual, their experience… most building work is common sense," he said. "Always get a surveyor involved in structural work and always consult an electrician or a plumber for those kinds of works." Even though he has now left Ground Force (never fear fans, there are still two series 'in the can' and ready to be aired), Tommy is not short of things to do. As well as writing and doing up old buildings, another series of Challenge Tommy Walsh is on the cards, as well as a secret new project from his own production company. "It could be the Southfork of the DIY world," was all he would say when I asked him for more details. Apparently he is a big Dallas fan. Film role But the most curious project is the feature film that Tommy has just finished shooting, an independent British film called One directed by up-and-coming producer Rob Brown. In it he plays a hitman - "a thinking man's hitman, more profound than profane" apparently. Always mindful of young viewers, he played the character with menace rather than violence. At the moment the film is doing the festivals circuit looking for a distributor and Tommy is hoping for the chance to drum up support in Cannes. "I can sell a rabbi a pork chop," he said confidently. Let's hope so. But fame hasn’t gone to Tommy’s head one bit. When I asked him what he thought of his sex symbol status, he replied: "Well, it’s flattering isn't it, but we all know the reality don’t we? Women just think it'd be useful to have me packed up in the spare room in case anything needs fixing!" Such a down-to-earth bloke - that's why we love him.
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