TV TIMES 17
T
eaming up with a
group of strangers
for a narrow-boat
holiday in the
middle of a cold,
rainy March might not be
everyone’s cup of tea.
But Carry On stars Amanda
Barrie and Anita Harris were all
on board for an adventure when
Channel 5 floated the idea by them!
After a successful first outing in
France last year, Celebrity 5 Go
Barging returns for a new five-part
series this week with a fresh batch
of stars, and this time they will be
exploring England’s prettiest and
most historic canals.
Amanda and Anita’s companions
are broadcaster Michael Buerk,
former deputy prime minister Lord
John Prescott and ex-EastEnders
star Shaun Williamson.
The celebrity crew cast off on the
Caldon Canal, Staffordshire, in two
boats – Esme for the ladies, and
Mollie for the chaps.
They travel through the
industrial heartland of
England, before ending up
in the heart of Shakespeare
country. They may not know
their port from their starboard,
but they are eager to learn
the ropes, discover
the canal’s rich
history and forge
new friendships.
Here, in an
exclusive interview,
Coronation Street
legend Amanda, 83, and
iconic performer Anita, 77, give
us the steer on their trip...What attracted you to this
group holiday?
Amanda: I like doing
reality shows, but when
this one came about,
I wasn’t sure it would
be my cup of tea. It’s
outdoors and I’ve never
been on a narrow boat
before. But then Iheard who else was doing it. It
sounds luvvie but I’ve known Anita
for a long time and knew I couldn’t
have been with a better person. We
were like a little family. There were
so many laughs.
Anita: I was so lucky with this group
of people – gentlemanly Michael,
Shaun and his encyclopaedic mind,
John with his passion for colliers
and canals, and my darling
Amanda! I wondered if I’d find that
tranquillity and lovely feeling of
having nothing to worry about
except handling our narrow boat.Did the reality measure up to
your expectations?
Amanda: Going along at 4mph,
you get to take in everything and
are incredibly close to wildlife.
I loved the sense of achievement
of going into a lock perfectly or
tying the boat up.
Anita: I loved the experience of
driving it. One second of lost
concentration and you’re in the
mud or up somebody else’s barge!
It was a huge learning curve.Were there any mishaps?
Amanda: I did a grand gesture and
my watch went flying into the canal!
We were better than the boys
at managing our barge but
they made me laugh.
Anita: Let’s just say the
boys got stuck! Amanda
and I had to rescue them.
I nearly fell in once – I was
standing on the deck and
stepped back, but there
was nothing there!Did you enjoy
living together?
Amanda: It was
brilliant. Anita and
I have shared dressing
rooms with people andtravelled a lot, so the narrow boat
was easy to get used to.
Anita: We were like two little kids.
There were lots of giggles. We met
in the BBC canteen as young
dancers and both remember it.
Amanda: I remember we sat and
talked to each other for ages. We’ve
met each other at various things
since. It’s special that we ended up
doing this together.Aww! What were your must-have
items to pack for this trip?
Amanda: I have to take my special
hairbrush. I end up looking like
Worzel Gummidge if I don’t! I also
took my two travelling rabbits –
they’re cuddly toys and make me
feel at home wherever I am.
Anita: For me it’s a photo of my
lovely husband, Mike. I also have to
have porridge in the morning!Did you have time to explore the
history of the canals?
Amanda: I learnt so much about
the imagination and ingenuity
of the people who built these
waterways. Without the canals, we
wouldn’t have had the Industrial
Revolution. Visiting Warwick
Castle was one of my highlights. My
grandmother told me that one of
my ancestors was head groom
there, so it was brilliant to see it.
Anita: We were immersed in a
lifestyle from another century. Life
must have been very tough. With
all the joy and fun we were having,
it still made me feel that the
people who’d lived here were
still living here. It’s been a
genuinely special experience.
ElainE REillyReal-life friends Anita Harris and
Amanda Barrieon why holidaying
on a narrow boat was plain sailing
CELEBRITY 5 GO BARGING IS
PREVIEWED ON PAGES 80-All aboard: The
celebrity five got
on famouslyNEW TRAVELOGUE
Celebrity 5
Go Barging
FRIDAY / CHANNEL 5 / 9PM
ALSO ON
BOARD
MICHAEL
BUERK
Former BBC
news presenter
Michael, 73,
is cool under
pressure – which
is just as well as his crewmates
keep getting into sticky situations!
He’s used to living in close
quarters with big personalities
after I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out
of Here! in 2014, but will he make
John and Shaun walk the plank?JOHN
PRESCOTT
Former deputy
prime minister
from 1997 until
2007, John, 81 –
who suffered a
stroke three months after filming- should be used to steering a
ship. But despite his early years in
the Merchant Navy, things get a
little choppy for him as he loses
a coin toss and is forced to sleep
on a sofa bed in the kitchen.
SHAUN
WILLIAMSON
Best known
for playing
Barry Evans in
EastEnders from
1994 until 2004,
Shaun, 53, has had a previous
career in the Royal Navy. However,
when his confidence takes a
battering after crashing their
boat Mollie a few times, he hands
control over to John and Michael
and goes shopping with Amanda
and Anita instead!Early fame: Amanda in
Carry on Cleo in 1964,
and Anita in 1969