What made you agree to take part in The Real Full Monty?
It took a bit of time to decide, I’m not going to lie, because it was quite a prospect, but I think ultimately it was just the fact that it was for such a great cause. Just doing it randomly would have felt weird, it would have felt a bit like, ‘Why am I doing this? It just feels a bit like showing off.’ This is like, right, this is intense, if someone said to you, ‘Mate, would you get naked? Would you strip in front of people?’ You’d be like, ‘No way’, but after a lot of um’ing and ah’ing I eventually said yes.

What has the process been like building up to the performance?
I’ve done a lot of strange things in my life, just by chance, and this is up there with the strangest. It’s constantly in the back of your head that I’m going to get naked, which is quite strange really. It’s been intense but it’s been fun, and I’ve really enjoyed working with the other guys.

Did you feel any extra pressure learning the choreography due to your Strictly success?
A little bit maybe. I’m not worried about the dancing, that’s kind of in my comfort zone, but it’s the stripping, that’s the intense bit really. So the dancing is fine, it’s very different to Strictly.

What has been the highlight or funniest moment from filming?
For other people yes, but so far so good for me, touch wood! But there have been some comedy moments, and there are some really great characters within the group. Wayne is hilarious. We’ve gelled well as a group.

Are you nervous about getting on stage at the Palladium for the performance?
I’m feeling like I do with most performances I do with the band, I’m okay. I get nervous literally a minute before we go on, so right now I’m fine. And then when I get on the stage, it’s adrenalin, it’s kind of like you’ve just got to perform, you’ve got to focus on what you’re doing.

What do you hope the outcome of the documentary will be?
I hope it’s uplifting for people, I hope it makes them aware of the facts about prostate cancer, and I’ve certainly learnt a lot myself. So hopefully people will think, ‘Good on them’, and hopefully it will stick in their memories and make them think, ‘You know what, I need to get myself checked.’ So that’s the aim. And hopefully it’ll put a few smiles on people’s faces.

Have you seen the original film?
I have, I remember it vividly when it came out in the 90’s, because there was a big buzz about it. I remember watching it and I don’t think I quite understood the essence of it back then, and I’ve since watched it again and I get it.

NOTES TO EDITORS

Prostate Cancer UK 
For further information, please contact www.prostatecanceruk.org

Orchid Male Health 
Visit www.orchid-cancer.org.uk or call the National Male Cancer Helpline 0808 802 0010

Movember 
For further information, please contact www.uk.movember.com 

About the prostate

What is the prostate?

Only men have a prostate gland.
It is about the size of a walnut and may get larger as men get older.
Its main function is to help make semen.
The prostate is underneath the bladder and surrounds the urethra (the tube that men pass urine through).

Key Headline Statistics (UK)

•  More than 11,000 men die from prostate cancer in the UK each year – that's one man every hour.

•  It’s the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men, with over 330,000 living with and after the disease

•  Prostate cancer is set to become the most commonly diagnosed cancer of all in the UK by 2030

  Risk:

  Only men can get prostate cancer and the risk factors associated with it are:

  • Age: Men over the age of 50 are at higher risk of developing prostate cancer
  • Family: you are 2.5 times more likely to develop prostate cancer if your father or brother has had it.
  • Ethnicity: Black men are more likely to get prostate cancer than men of other ethnic backgrounds. In the UK, about 1 in 4 Black men will get prostate cancer at some point in their lives. The reasons for this are not yet clear but might be linked to genetics.
  • Body weight: Research shows that being overweight or obese increases your risk of getting cancer that’s more likely to spread (called aggressive) or advanced prostate cancer (cancer that has spread outside the prostate

  Anyone with concerns about their risk of prostate cancer should discuss them with their GP.

  Symptoms

  Some men with prostate cancer have no symptoms at all. When symptoms do occur, they can be similar to non-cancerous prostate problems such as an enlarged prostate (also called benign prostatic hyperplasia or enlargement).

  Symptoms to look out for include:

• Needing to urinate more often, especially at night – for example if you often need to go again after two hours

• Difficulty starting to pass urine

• Straining or taking a long time to finish urinating

• A weak flow of urine

• A feeling that your bladder has not emptied properly

• Needing to rush to the toilet – you may occasionally leak urine before you get there

• Dribbling urine

  Less common symptoms of a prostate problem include:

• Pain when passing urine

• Pain when ejaculating

• Problems getting or keeping an erection – this is not a common symptom of a prostate problem

  and is more often caused by other health conditions

• Blood in the urine or semen

If you have any of the symptoms above you should think about visiting your GP.

Anyone with concerns about prostate cancer may contact Prostate Cancer UK's Specialist Nurses in confidence on 0800 074 8383 or online via the Live Chat instant messaging service: prostatecanceruk.org.

prostatecanceruk.org