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Not exactly Bette Davis in her prime: CHRISTOPHER STEVENS discusses Holly Willoughby’s acting debut in Midsomer Murders
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Holly Willoughby still has a lot to learn about making a grand entrance. Instead of sweeping down a flight of stairs like Bette Davis, or even emerging from the sea in a bikini a la Ursula Andress, she just coughed and said, “Excuse me.”
No wonder feng shui expert Felix (Tristan Sturrock) imperiously silenced her and held a hand to her face as he bored DS Winter (Nick Hendrix) during a paranormal fayre in Midsomer Murders (ITV).
As an opening line, “Excuse me” isn’t very quotable. Holly, who has waited 20 years and more for a cameo on her favorite show, doesn’t have to worry about fans shouting it like a catchphrase in the street.
We had already seen her in a busy public hall, when Winter and his boss DCI Barnaby (Neil Dudgeon) visited the fayre. Holly sat on a throne, wore a pink and white dress and was surrounded by admirers.
Holly Willoughby shared behind-the-scenes clips and images from her Midsomer Murders performance
As an opening line, “Excuse me” isn’t very quotable. Holly, who has waited 20 years and more for a cameo on her favorite show, doesn’t have to worry about fans shouting it out as a slogan in the street
Winter couldn’t quite believe his eyes. “Is that the queen of the day?” he marveled.
Gloria Hunniford? Are you sure?’ mocked Barnaby.
Midsomer is known for squeezing unlikely guests into the queue of victims and suspects. Claire Bloom, Edward Fox, Donald Sinden and Sian Phillips are among the theatrical giants who have graced the series, as well as countless television heavyweights. Every episode is guaranteed to have a few stars that make us say, “Good lord, isn’t that…?”
This time it was Colin Salmon, once a contender to become James Bond, and the delightful swinger Janine Duvitski from Benidorm.
Holly landed her role over two years ago when Dudgeon appeared on This Morning. “You’ll have to kill me real quick,” she warned, “because I suck at acting.” For the first hour it seemed that “excuse me” might prove to be the limit of her capacity for dialogue. But she reappeared next to Felix’s shoulder as he explained to the detectives what he had in the back of his car.
“Two beavers,” Holly said, her expression so innocent the phrase sounded pretty cheeky. “Nature’s feng shui experts.”
John Barnaby (Neil Dudgeon), Holly Willoughby and DS Jamie Winter (Nick Hendrix) on set
Holly behind the scenes of the show. She got her role over two years ago when Dudgeon appeared on This Morning. “You’ll have to kill me real quick,” she warned, “because I’m bad at acting”
She handed DS Winter a pebble, a kind of psychic aid for coping with grief (the poor fellow had just lost his dear Grandpa Jimmy).
“It brings emotional trauma to the surface to heal and release,” she said. That’s the kind of waffle she does every week on This Morning, and she sounded very convincing too.
Here’s an alarming thought, though. Suppose it hadn’t been Holly who jumped at the chance to appear in Midsomer, but her colleague at the time, P***l*p Sc**f***d – he who cannot be named. ITV bosses might have had to cut an entire episode.
For once, everyone involved in Midsomer Murders has dodged a bullet. That’s a first.