Dennis in Auf Wiedersehen, Pet
do you have any crazy fans?
us about her sons’ Simon and Mikey. We thought
What would you love to work on in the
About 20 years ago a woman used to follow me
she was doing a great job setting the charity up,
future?
everywhere, but she stopped when I got married
so we became patrons and we’ve supported her
I would love to have done more movies. I’ve
to Denise. She once sat outside a film set for 12
and The Gem Appeal ever since.
done a few, but I’m mainly a television, theatre
hours waiting to see me and she used to be on
and radio actor.
the front row of my plays. When I wasn’t on
Will you and denise still be hosting the gem
stage she’d take pictures of me out of her
appeal Ball?
handbag and start looking at them and when I
Yes we’re still great friends. Same as normal,
Nah, nah, nah, I’m too much of an Englishman
walked back on she’d start watching the play
nothing has changed there. We’re hosting the
now!
again. She was a bit strange!
You could still go to Hollywood?!
Winter Ball and I’ll try and make the Summer Ball if I’m not filming Benidorm.
What do you get up to when you’re not
Your private life has been in the spotlight a lot recently, how do you cope with it all?
working?
Well Denise is, you never see me. She talks
I do a lot of charity work. I’m ambassador of
about me a lot but I don’t talk to the press. I like
Children North East [helping children & young
to have a private life, so any publicity you see
people in the North East who live below the
about me is either about my work or it’s what
official poverty line] and we’ve been given some
Denise has said.
funding from the People’s Postcode Lottery.
To me it’s just a job that I love. I’m still
We’ve transformed a terrace house into a
passionate about it and still get excited about
fantastic drop-in centre. Yesterday I was teaching
it now.
them all how to cook! My hobbies are clay
I’m the same person that I always have been.
pigeon shooting, snooker and golf.
Fame can change a lot of people. What happens is, when you get famous, the world changes
are you a good golfer?
towards you. That’s what happened in my
Not bad, in the middle! I’ve won a few British
situation, I’ve just stayed the same person.
Celebrity Tours. My handicap is 17.6. I’m lucky if I get to play once every six months though. one of the charities you support is the gem appeal in rochdale; how did you first become involved? Denise and I met Karen [Johnson] and she told 8
www.rochdalestyle.com
Tim at The Gem Appeal Ball
Ruth Meredith