I caught up with Kerry Howard about her new BBC Three pilot Kerry.
Earlier on this year, we learnt that BBC Three had commissioned eight new online pilots one of which were to be made available on BBC iPlayer. One of these is Kerry, a sketch show from Him & Her favourite Kerry Howard. Kerry will air on iPlayer on Monday 1st July.
Last night I saw a clip for the pilot and I enjoyed it so much so that I got in touch with Kerry as I wanted to find out a bit more.
First of all, how excited are you about having your own sketch show?
I can’t believe it! I’m so lucky to be given this opportunity. I had such a blast with objective developing the show, it didn’t feel like work, more like jumping around an office having fun.
How did the idea for the show come about in the first place?
I have always wanted to do my own sketch show, but didn’t have the confidence to go alone, until Ben Farrell my executive producer on the show talked me into it.
He introduced me to the witty Joshua Buckingham and we went about creating a world in which my sketches could exist.
They brought in a brilliant team of writers to help me write the show. I have never had so much support to create something that is mine, it is a wonderful feeling.
Where do the ideas come from for the characters and the sketches? Claire for example, is she inspired by somebody you saw on The Great British Bake Off?
She came out of a writers meeting, we were throwing ideas around and then the brilliant David Armand wrote this sketch for me.
David has been my right hand man during this process, helping me find my funny and my voice.
I have written 3 of the 7 characters, it’s very much an assemble piece. I’m getting to work with the best writers in the UK and I have learnt so much, it’s invaluable.
We've seen the clip of Claire from the show, who else can we expect to see?
Oh be prepared to expect everything. We have 7 strong reoccurring characters and they are all bonkers. Let’s just say I’m not afraid to play anything be it a man or a woman. Although I don’t play any animal characters, maybe if I get a series I can do my dolphin impression. It’s very good.
The show's called Kerry, which is obviously your name, is there an element of you in some of the characters?
This is certainly the first show that has my stamp on it, I’m quite a loud personality when I perform, so sketch acting is a natural genre for me to show off in. I love playing all these characters, it’s quite a frenetic process but you never bored.
So, Kerry is just a pilot for now, but are you hoping for a full series? - Have you already started writing more?
I would love a series of Kerry, I’m not writing yet as I have the 4thseries of Him & Her to get through first, also I don’t want to tempt fate. You never know.
Am I right in thinking it's a BBC Three pilot that will air on iPlayer? - How did that process come about and will it be shown on BBC Three at a later date?
Objective approached me first about doing my own sketch show, originally we were going to do try out nights and a readthrough of the show in front of bbc three peeps, we sent them a few sketches and they offered us a pilot. And yes, it will eventually go onto BBC Three, I don’t know the date yet.
Earlier you mentioned Him & Her, back for one final series. Do you think the time was write to end it? - Have you read any of the scripts yet and what can you tell us?
What Stefan has done is beautiful and so funny, the whole series is based on Laura and Paul’s wedding and I have read 3 scripts and they are brilliant. Laura just get bitchier and bitchier. It’s sad that it is the final series, but it feels like the right thing to do, we all have other projects that are taking off.
But I will miss working with the cast for sure, what we have is very special and rare.
As well as Him & Her, you're also in Give Out Girls for Sky Living. You play Marilyn, what can you tell us about her and the series?
Oh Marilyn is a great character and she is soooo different from Laura, I was worried for a moment that I would only play bitches because Laura is such a stand out character. But Big talk had faith in me and gave me a chance to play Marilyn who is so fun and likeable. I had to put on 1 stone and half as they wanted Marilyn to be a bit more cuddly. So I spent 2 months eating carbs and protein shakes it was fun fun fun.
Give Out Girls is about a group of promo girls who go around the nation promoting brands, every week the girls rock up to a different venue giving samples out, from booze to dog food. Marilyn is the oldest of the troupe and she should of got a better job 10 years ago but she has stayed living her life which is pretty carefree, until she starts to try and change things then life doesn't tend to go her way.