Bruce Jones
Over the years Bruce Jones has been involved in stand-up comedy and is best known for his role as Les Battersby in Coronation Street, but in an exclusive interview with Designer Magazine there was only one phrase that was fitting and that was "Man Of The People". A few minutes after the interview took place at the North West Comedy Awards Bruce said "That was the most open and honest I’ve talked to anyone" before asking us not to let him down. How could we ever let a man down that talks openly about his upbringing in Collyhurst, the guilt he feels about leaving the area and how his human outlook keeps him grounded. Read Bruce Jones most honest interview to date below in full
Q:
The North West Comedy Awards are just coming to a close. How were they
for you?
A: It's been a brilliant night. John's
(Lock) done a great job organizing all this. It's up here in the North
West and we're not used to it. But it's not in London, it's in Manchester
- lets keep it here in Manchester. It's a great night for Manchester and
let's hope it happens every year. When I see what's happened tonight I’m
proud to be part of Manchester.
Q:
As you said it's a Northwest event in Manchester. Manchester really is
the place to be in terms of comedy, television and music
A: Manchester is the place to be for
everything at the moment whether that's music or comedy. Even the Cockneys,
the Midlanders and the Geordies are all coming to Manchester to work. You've
seen it on the Awards screen there and you see Geordies, the Scottish and
Cockneys. You've seen it all. And then you've got great Mancunian comics
like Johnny Vegas and Dave Spikey. And the reason people want to come here
to work is because if you make it in Manchester you'll make it anywhere
else in the world. That's the beauty of the North.
Q:
There's been talk of the BBC moving up more of its programming and production
to Manchester. How do you feel about that?
A: Good luck to the BBC; they know where
the talent is. You only have to look at Sammy (Chesney) in the Street.
His drama school was on TV last night and you saw the talent that was there
in that drama school. Those kids are going to make something of their life's
being actors.
I've
just been talking to Les Dawson’s wife and I grew up knowing Les Dawson
when he played at the Cheshire Cheese on the Oldham Road. I told Les Dawson
I wanted to be a comedian and an actor. Les Dawson told me when I was a
kid "You go for it son. You're a Collyhurst lad. Don't let em put you down"
and they've never put me down and I became an actor. When I had those words
from Les Dawson he was playing in a pub and he knew he was going to be
famous and he told me the same, if that's your dream you'll get your dream,
and I got my dream.
Q:
What advice would you offer to any kids out there?
A: If any kids are out there listening
and they want to be a comedian, get down to these comedy clubs, put your
name down and get up there and do your stuff. No-one's gonna boo yer, no-ones
gonna knock yer. If it goes wrong, go back and re-write it. My first year
in comedy was crap so we went back and wrote it and I was one of the Top
Double Acts in the Country. For 3 years running, me and Eddie Clark were
two of the top comedians in the country. Dave Spikey worked with us ye
know!!!
Q:
That's the thing. People think Dave Spikey's relatively knew on the circuit
if they only discovered him after Phoenix Knights, but he's been honing
his act for about 10 years now hasn't he?
A: I remember Dave when he was in Spikey
and Mikey and we were in Clark and Jones. I tell you now Manchester is
the up and coming place for comics, musicians. Whatever you want to be
come to Manchester and you'll make it. Manchester will give you that chance.
Q:
I guess that's why Corrie is the funniest soap around. You grew up in comedy,
as did Sally Lindsay (Shelley) and various other cast members
A: There's nothing wrong with Eastenders,
just put a smile on yer face. You know what I mean. My favourite soap is
Emmerdale, but I’ll watch Eastenders cos my wife loves Eastenders. When
I sit there and watch Eastenders I just think it wasn't broke before two
years ago and I always think if it isn't broke, don't touch it.
You've
also got Family Affairs, which is coming up now. My mate Jimmy who's here
tonight is in Family Affairs and I grew up next to him and I’ve worked
with him in so many shows together.
Q:
When you look in the tabloids you see the glamorous aspects of Corrie (Nikki
Sanderson, Bruno Langley). Bruce Jones is the man of the people. The people’s
actor. Would you agree?
A: I hate the word star and I hate the
word celebrity. I am just Bruce Jones, a kid from Collyhurst who had a
dream.
I've got a beautiful wife who I love more than anybody else in the world and I sometimes let her down by not being there cos of work. I have four beautiful kids and I have 10 brilliant grandchildren. Believe if it or not I’d rather spend time with them than be here, but because The Street was nominated I was asked to come down by my boss and I'm here and enjoying it.
I'll never let my roots go. I'm a Manchester kid. I'm Welsh kid as well because I was brought up in Wales as well. I had the best of both worlds. My grandparents in Wales looked after me, I lived with them, and then came back to Manchester. You miss Manchester wherever you go in the world. You go anywhere in the world and it's "Where you from?" Manchester "Oh mate I used to live in Ancoats, I've been away 20 years and I wanna go back". You can go back and it's a different city now.
We
could do the Olympics here, we had the Commonwealth, and we could do it
all here. London is no longer the first option now. It always used to be,
but now it's the 2nd option.
Q:
I remember the days when you used to see old school punks hanging around
the clock tower near the Arndale. Don't you think Manchester has become
a bit yuppified?
A: No, I don't think that at all. It's
a safe haven now in Manchester. I'm 52 and came from a great background
of how to learn and how to live and you earned money, saved money and always
looked after your family. That's gone today whether you live in Altrincham,
Manchester or wherever you live in the world. You can no longer leave your
front door open.
We
had great comedians like Les Dawson come from where I lived. Great footballers
came from where I lived. We never got in any trouble. I never got in trouble
with the police. I never took any drugs. And I enjoyed my life. I tell
kids that. If you just enjoy your life, you'll enjoy a great life. I was
lucky to walk out of Collyhurst as a young lad and I do so much charity
work to give something back.
Q:
As you said you came from Collyhurst, went though the tough times and you
had a loving wife to support you when times were rough. There are people
that are growing up now who can't afford to follow their dream, let alone
even by a house in the area they grew up in.
A: That's wrong. This government should
bring out starter packs with £60,000 tops for first time buyers because
first time buyers should have a chance on the market. They've got to give
them kids a starter chance and let them get a foothold in the household,
let em buy a house.
I've
just moved and I’ve broke my neck on what I just bought. The cheapest house
where I live is £600,000 - 900,000. Ok my lifestyle gives me that
and I can buy that, but then I go home and see my brothers and my sisters
and they're living in 3 up / 2 down. It's like I was born in these and
look where I am now. I feel so guilty sometimes. I have a problem with
my guilt sometimes over the way I’m living. My wife is the first to say
I have a big guilt problem and it's cos I'm from a poor background that
I think how can I afford this. I know I’ve worked for it, but I have friends
who can't afford to live where I’m living. When I go to their houses I’m
more at home in their houses than I am in mine, because that's where I
come from. I grew up having a cup of tea on my lap.
Q:
How is it when you come back from the suburbs and have a night in Manchester?
A: I come to Manchester and drink all
the time in Manchester. Everyone loves Les. I don't get any problems in
Manchester. But I never forget that 2 miles from where we are now...I could
walk from where we're sat now, I could work up Oldham Street and 5 minutes
I’d be where I grew up in Collyhurst and Moston.
Q:
As well as growing up in Collyhurst I guess there's an age gap between
my generation (26yrs old), your generation and the younger generation.
My generation grew up thinking when Labour came in we'd have this equal
society
A: There are 2 things you never do -
talk about politics and religion. When you start talking that you're in
dire trouble. Who gives a toss about politicians and who gives a toss about
religion? Politics and religion are not topics of conversation in my world.
I have my beliefs and people have theirs. But I don't believe in all the
death that we have going on in this world. I don't believe in Iraq and
the stuff that's going on in this world. Love and let live. Everybody's
a human being whether you're red, black or white and no one should take
that away from you. It's you the human being that counts, not the colour
of your skin, not your religion or your politics. If someone comes up to
me with politics and religion I walk away. If the rest of the world saw
what I saw or what I see then it would be a better place.
Q:
You grew up in Collyhurst and as many people would listen to you in your
position as they would a politician?
A: Well I'm telling the truth. I don't
see anything but a human being. I wish thousands of other people would
see that. Don't look at the colour of the human being, look at the person
and let the person talk to you. If that man's a good human being, he's
a friend of mine.
Q:
With most actors we wouldn't be able to talk to them like this. I think
that's why so many people admire Bruce Jones, he's just a normal guy
A: I hope I am just a normal guy. That's
all I’m trying to be. I am not a superstar; I’m a human being who got his
dream to be an actor.
Words:
Alex McCann
Photos: Shirlaine Forrest www.shirlainephotos.co.uk
***************
For more information on Coronation
Street
www.itv.com/coronationstreet
***************
*****************
Post
your Corrie / North West Comedy Awards reviews on the Message Board
(NB: The message board opens in
a new window so please disable your pop-up blocker to view)
*****************