THE CHIC OF IT - ‘I WOULDN'T DARE TELL ADELE HOW TO DECORATE HER HOUSE!'

IT’S DOUBLE THE FUN FOR ALAN CARR WHO IS BACK ON OUR SCREENS TO HOST A SECOND RUN OF HIS HOME MAKEOVER SHOW WHILE HITTING THE ROAD FOR A MAJOR STAND-UP TOUR

- STEVEN MURPHY

Alan Carr admits he learnt a lot from his first series presenting reality show Interior Design Masters With Alan Carr last year, although he’s still not convinced he’s getting it exactly right. “You’re supposed to have a coffee table book out, and someone gave me a big pop-up 3D penis book, so I used that,” he laughs. “It should be more like Homes & Gardens, but I’ll tell you what though, it’s the most-thumbed book on my table!”

It hasn’t been all laughs for the star, however. He recently announced his divorce from husband Paul Drayton, after 13 years together, explaining in a statement that they had, “Jointly and amicably made the difficult decision to divorce and go their separate ways.”

But the ever-cheerful 45-year-old is in good spirits when we talk to him about the return of the BBC series. He’s chatting from Edinburgh, where he is currently on his first stand-up tour since the Covid pandemic. For Alan, writing and performing his often quite personal comedy routines is definitely a coping mechanism when it comes to life’s trials. “That’s the way I deal with things, through comedy,” he tells us. “That’s where I get my lift.”

And there’s a lot of fun to be had in his role of presenter on Interior Design Masters With Alan Carr, which sees amateurs making over various interiors before facing the scrutiny of the judges. The show was a big hit last year, and the series switches from BBC Two to BBC One this year. “It’s a great compliment but a lot of pressure,” Alan says of the move. “I’m just really pleased that it’s really good – imagine if the series that goes out BBC One is a really ropey one!”