BBC Three: Interview with Bad Education’s Charlie Wernham and Layton Williams

It seems that BBC Three has made me their go-to guy for interviewing people about their scripted content, and I’m not mad at it. As a latchkey kid mostly raised by TV (my mother hates when I say that), I’ve long had a fascination with how TV is made, so any chances to talk to actors, writers and directors is always a treat.

This week, my interview subjects were Charlie Wernham and Layton Williams. They were both in their mid-teens when they first starred in Bad Education a decade ago, and now they’re back for the 10th anniversary special which, naturally, is streaming now on iPlayer.

For the interview, I looked at their experiences on the show then and now: How their first audition went, what it was likely effectively growing up on set, and what it is like to return to the show for the upcoming series four as the new leads. Some choice quotes:

Layton Williams: “I do recall my auditions. I remember being in my school uniform. I was maybe 15 or 16, and I had to Google Jack Whitehall because I didn’t have a clue who he was!”

Charlie Wernham [asked about his favourite moments from the show]: “Throwing a pig off the roof [in series three, episode one] and hitting Ethan [Lawrence] who played Joe was really funny, especially as he was vegan. I also really enjoyed hurting Jack [Whitehall]! I got to throw a bucket of water over him, and hit him with a fire extinguisher. But he came back with a vengeance in the reunion. I was covered in bruises!”

The full interview Bad Education reunion interview with Charlie Wernham and Layton Williams is available now over at BBC Three (follow the link).

My other recent interviews with BBC Three include:

• Cara Delevingne, discussing her gender identity, sexuality and new show Planet Sex
• Drag Race UK season 4 winner Danny Beard, who revealed how many times it took them to get on the show
• The founders of UK branches of AIDS activist group ACT UP, who discuss protesting then and now