EXCLUSIVE : ROBSON GREEN ON JAMES NORTON, THE FUTURE OF GRANTCHESTER AND HIS NEW AUSTRALIAN ADVENTURE
The versatile star reveals exclusively to BT TV how he got injured in the Outback for his latest show and admits to having doubts about his presenting abilities.
Until a few years ago, Robson Green was still arguably best known for playing Dave Tucker in 1990s drama Soldier Soldier and for the string of hit singles he enjoyed alongside co-star Jerome Flynn.
Now he’s an adventurer and presenter as well as an actor, and no sooner has the second series of Grantchester finished on ITV that Robson is back on our screens this week in an altogether different setting.
Robson Green’s Australian Adventure sees the 51-year-old taking on a whole range of tough, dangerous and back-breaking jobs across the Outback as he discovers what it takes to survive in this remote and difficult environment.
“I meet some extraordinary people who live a genuinely happy life in a very brutal environment,” says Robson in an exclusive interview with BT TV.
“They live by the law that you don’t own the land, you belong to it. And if you look after it, it’ll look after you.
“It’s quite a wonderful tale. They’re people who have courage and tenacity, knowledge, skill and craftsmanship and by telling that story hopefully the audience will not only learn a lot about an area that they think they know a lot about, but also might learn something about themselves and the life we lead.
“Everything’s available for us – be it a telephone, be it food in a supermarket. We’re connected. But for them those things are difficult to come by. So you have to look and hunt for your food – you have to do the things that we used to do a few hundred years ago.”
Among the jobs that Robson does during the four-part series are opal mining, snake catching and cattle rustling.
“I think the toughest was probably one of the most dangerous things I’ve ever done on TV - camel mustering,” explains Robson, who says that he “craves” adventure.
Hit play below to see Robson tackle one of Australia's deadliest snake !
“I don’t know if you’re aware but Australia has more camels than anywhere else in the world and they export them to the Middle East. So believe it or not, shepherding camels is big business, and they do it with helicopters and jeeps –basically it was camel mustering, Mad Max style. It was dangerous but it was such a highlight.”
Coming face to face with camels wasn’t half as terrifying as his encounter with one of the most deadly animals in Australia. Although when he got up close to a crocodile in the Outback it wasn’t actually the crocodile that caused him injury…
“In Darwin, crocodiles pose a problem to the inhabitants and there have been a lot of fatalities. There were four people taken by crocodiles in one year, and so they had to deal with that problem of enabling this large reptile and human beings to get on.
“We went out and discovered one that had been trapped in a cage, but the cage had a gap in it and this 11-foot crocodile decided to go for my foot when I was standing there. It was never going to get me but it was probably the fastest I’ve ever moved !
“I jumped, but sadly onto a bow and it was so quick I hit my head and bust my forehead. There’s me screaming like a Jessie – ‘What am I going to do ? My career is at an end !’ – but I kind of sobered up very quickly and realised it wasn’t that bad !”
Despite presenting numerous fishing shows, including Ultimate Catch and Extreme Fisherman, Robson is still adamant that he wouldn’t be able to survive if he found himself lost in the wilderness.
“Let’s be honest – I really couldn’t survive anywhere,” he chuckles. “I wouldn’t have lasted five minutes in certain areas of the Outback if I hadn’t been alongside the people. That makes you think – maybe I should start learning a bit about that ? How to eat well and live well, you know ?”
It would be easy to think that Robson would regard himself now as both a seasoned actor and presenter, and so it’s a bit of a surprise to hear him say the opposite.
“I don’t think I’m a great presenter,” he admits. “I think I’m a half-decent actor. I think presenting is a huge skill but people offer me work and that’s very, very nice. It’s just storytelling and it’s about listening.
“I haven’t got that skill mastered yet in any shape or form as I don’t listen enough. If there’s a gap I fill the gap rather than just allowing the space to breathe and allowing that person to tell the story. That’s a real skill in itself, but I am learning and I do like presenting. In fact, I love the balance.”
It’s clear that maintaining that balance is crucial for Robson, who reveals that he recently turned down a job on a BBC show in Manchester in order to do more presenting work.
“It’s kind of a no-brainer,” he explains. “I get cabin fever when I do drama. I’ll do, tops, two dramas a year. Especially a series – they’re long. And you spend a lot of time in a caravan. The acting’s free – you get paid for waiting around.”
One role that fans will be more than eager for Robson to reprise is that of Geordie Keating. Alongside James Norton, the pair have made Grantchester one of the must-watch dramas on ITV.
“It has the light and shade and I think that’s why it’s very popular and a hit,” reflects Robson, now that the second series has wrapped up. “It’s well-written and very likeable – and James Norton is amazing to work alongside – one of my favourite actors !
With over seven million people tuning in each week, surely a third series must be on the horizon ?
“I don’t know,” says Robson, earnestly. “It’s a minefield. It’s done well – but who knows? I know how important viewing figures are and they seem very happy with them. But I’m just so happy to be working – honestly I am !”