The Fattest Man in Britain

Last updated

The Fattest Man in Britain
THE-FATTEST-MAN-IN-BRITAIN-2009.jpg
Timothy Spall in The Fattest Man in Britain
Written by Caroline Aherne
Jeff Pope
Directed by David Blair
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
Original release
Network ITV
Release20 December 2009 (2009-12-20)

The Fattest Man in Britain is a comedy-drama written by Caroline Aherne and Jeff Pope, and directed by David Blair, which aired on ITV on 20 December 2009. It starred Timothy Spall, wearing a fat suit for the title role, [1] Bobby Ball, Aisling Loftus and Barry Austin. The plot is loosely based on a real-life event when Britain's then self-styled 'Fattest Man' Jack Taylor was defeated in a 'weigh off' by Barry Austin in the 2001 television documentary The Fattest Men in Britain. [2] [3]

Contents

Synopsis

Taxi-driver Morris Morrissey (Bobby Ball) is the manager of Georgie Godwin (Timothy Spall), the self-styled 'Fattest Man in Britain'. Morrissey feeds Georgie who hasn't left his house in years and stays in watching Jeremy Kyle shows and programmes about distant places in the world, which he marks off on a globe. He relies on Morrissey and Janice (Frances Barber) to provide him with everything he needs to live. Georgie's garden is overgrown after 23 years of neglect, and Social Services send a community service worker to clean the garden, which Georgie is not too sure about. When the community service worker turns up, it is 18-year-old Amy (Aisling Loftus). While Amy pulls weeds, cuts the grass and hedge and plants flowers, Georgie watches her and tells Janice what she's done that day. One day while Amy is working in the garden, her abusive boyfriend Joe turns up and shouts and pushes her. Seeing this, Georgie bangs on the window and Joe hurriedly leaves. Amy goes inside and Georgie offers her various types of chocolate but Amy says she is pregnant to which Georgie replies "If you're as good as a mother as you are with my garden, you're gonna be a great mum". One night while Morris and Janice are round Georgie's, Amy turns up with cuts on her face and says her drug addict boyfriend Joe kicked and punched her. Georgie says Amy can stay at his, in his Mum's old room. In return (and because she sees Georgie as a father figure), Amy cooks his dinner, cuts his hair and redecorates the house.

As time goes on, Amy dislikes the way people "disrespect" Georgie and offers to cook him low fat meals, but Georgie tells her that Morris takes care of that. It comes to a head when, after coming back from seeing rival manager Morley Raisin (Tim Woodward) Morrissey tells Georgie that there's going to be a live weigh-off between him and rival 'Big Brian' (Barry Austin). But Amy says they should be helping Georgie to lose weight, not gain it, and is told it has nothing to do with her by Morrissey.

After being given fatty foods by his friends and neighbours to 'bulk' him up ready for the 'weigh off', Georgie comes to believe he is the 'fattest man in Britain'. But during the live weigh-off, Georgie weighs 42 stone while Big Brian weighs 54 stone. After the weigh-off, Georgie tells Amy that without the title of 'Britain's fattest man' he's 'just another fat man'.

"When I went out I’d always get the same… 'Michelin Man' or 'Mr Wobbly' or Fuckin' Fat Twat'. I heard 'em… And then along came Morris with his enthusiasm and panache. And suddenly people were paying to come and see me, all right, mainly foreigners, but I didn’t have to be ashamed of me size no more – do you see?

So that’s why that title is so important to me: The Fattest Man in Britain. Because if I’m not the fattest, Amy, then what am I, eh? Just a fat man, Amy."

Amy goes into labour and Georgie calls 999 but falls over while trying to get her bag. Whilst on the floor Amy and Georgie sing Moon River in a bid to comfort Amy as he is unable to get up. The next day, still lying on the floor, Janice rings Georgie and tells him that Amy lost the baby and that it was a boy.

When Janice goes round to Georgie's, she is unable to get him up and rings 999. While waiting for the fire brigade, Georgie tells Janice they need to record all the Jeremy Kyle shows so Amy can rest when she gets back, but Janice gives Georgie a letter from Amy. After being helped up by the fire brigade, Georgie reads the letter in which Amy says she won't be coming back because she can't bear to watch Georgie eat himself to death and also adds that she had called the baby 'Georgie'.

Georgie stops eating altogether (unlike when his Mum died, where he didn't stop eating). He is visited by Father O'Flaherty (Brendan O'Carroll) who bluntly tells him to lose weight. When Morrissey goes round, Georgie tells him it's over because he's not 'Britains biggest man' but Morrissey sobs that Georgie has always been 'Britain's fattest man' to him. While looking at the mess in the garden, Georgie gets up and, for the first time in 23 years, leaves the house and starts walking to the hairdressing salon where Amy now works. On the way, Georgie is stared and shouted at. When Amy sees him, they reconcile.

The drama ends with Morrissey driving a batch of tourists, saying they are going to see 'Britain's Greatest Weight Loser' and shows a smiling, slim Georgie getting out of a hairdresser's chair where Amy has cut his hair.

Production details

The Fattest Man in Britain was an ITV Studios production for ITV. The drama was commissioned by Commissioning Editor of Comedy at ITV, Michaela Hennessy-Vass; and the Executive Producer was Saurabh Kakkar. Also it was directed by David Blair and produced by Jeff Pope. [3]

The drama's soundtrack was by Manchester-based artist Badly Drawn Boy, who wrote and recorded new tracks exclusively for the drama. He has released an album, Is There Nothing We Could Do? , which is inspired by his music for the film, his first release since his Born in the U.K. album in 2006. [3]

Cast

DVD release

A DVD of The Fattest Man in Britain was released on 28 December 2009.

Related Research Articles

<i>Auf Wiedersehen, Pet</i> British television comedy drama series (1983–2004)

Auf Wiedersehen, Pet is a British comedy-drama television programme about seven British construction workers who leave the United Kingdom to search for employment overseas. In the first series, the men live and work on a building site in Düsseldorf. The series was created by Franc Roddam after an idea from Mick Connell, a bricklayer from Stockton-on-Tees, and mostly written by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, who also wrote The Likely Lads, Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads? and Porridge. It starred Tim Healy, Kevin Whately, Jimmy Nail, Timothy Spall, Christopher Fairbank, Pat Roach and Gary Holton, with Noel Clarke replacing Holton for series three and four and the two-part finale. The series were broadcast on ITV in 1983–1984 and 1986. After a sixteen-year gap, two series and a Christmas special were shown on BBC One in 2002 and 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lynda Bellingham</span> English actress, broadcaster, and author (1948–2014)

Lynda Bellingham OBE was an English actress, broadcaster and author. She acted in television series such as All Creatures Great and Small, Doctor Who, Second Thoughts and Faith in the Future. She was also known for her appearances as the mother in the long-running series of "Oxo Family" British TV advertisements between 1983 and 1999, and as a panellist on the ITV lunchtime chat show Loose Women between 2007 and 2011.

Kay Mellor was an English actress, scriptwriter, producer and director. She was known for creating television series such as Band of Gold, Fat Friends, and The Syndicate, as well as co-creating CITV's children's drama Children's Ward (1989–2000).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bobby Ball</span> British comedian (1944–2020)

Robert Harper, known professionally as Bobby Ball, was a British comic, actor, singer and television host. He was best known as a member of the comic double act Cannon and Ball, with Tommy Cannon.

<i>Life Is Sweet</i> (film) 1990 British film

Life Is Sweet is a 1990 British comedy-drama film directed by Mike Leigh, starring Alison Steadman, Jim Broadbent, Claire Skinner, Jane Horrocks and Timothy Spall. Leigh's third cinematic film, it was his most commercially successful title at the time of release. A tragi-comic story, it follows the fortunes of a working-class North London family over a few weeks one summer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timothy Spall</span> English actor (born 1957)

Timothy Leonard Spall is an English actor and presenter. Spall gained recognition for his character actor roles on stage and screen. He is known for his collaborations with director Mike Leigh, acting in six of his films: Home Sweet Home (1982), Life is Sweet (1990), Secrets & Lies (1996), Topsy-Turvy (1999), All or Nothing (2002), and Mr. Turner (2014). He was nominated for the BAFTA for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his role in Secrets and Lies, and received the Cannes Film Festival Best Actor Award for his portrayal of J. M. W. Turner in Mr. Turner. In 2000, he was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth II. He won the 2024 BAFTA TV Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role, for his performance as Peter Farquhar in The Sixth Commandment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rafe Spall</span> British actor

Rafe Joseph Spall is an English actor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Janice Battersby</span> Soap opera character

Janice Battersby is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street. Portrayed by Vicky Entwistle, the character first appeared on-screen during the episode airing on 6 January 1997.

Barry Austin was a man from Castle Bromwich, West Midlands, England, who was widely reputed to be the fattest man in the United Kingdom.

<i>Vacuuming Completely Nude in Paradise</i> 2001 British television film

Vacuuming Completely Nude in Paradise is a television film directed by Danny Boyle released and produced by BBC in association with Destiny Films for BBC Two on 30 September 2001. A satire on door-to-door salesmen, it stars Timothy Spall, who was nominated for a British Academy Television Award for Best Actor for his performance.

<i>Woman in a Dressing Gown</i> 1957 British film by J. Lee Thompson

Woman in a Dressing Gown is a 1957 British drama film directed by J. Lee Thompson and starring Yvonne Mitchell, Anthony Quayle, Sylvia Syms, and Carole Lesley.

<i>A Room with a View</i> (2007 film) 2007 drama television film

A Room with a View is a 2007 British drama television film directed by Nicholas Renton and written by Andrew Davies, based on E. M. Forster's 1908 novel of the same name. It was announced in 2006 and filmed in the summer of 2007. A Room with a View was broadcast on 4 November 2007, on ITV.

<i>Heartland</i> (Canadian TV series) Canadian family drama television series

Heartland is a Canadian family comedy-drama television series which debuted in Canada on CBC Television and originally in the United States on The CW Plus syndication on October 14, 2007. Since 2010, the series moved first-run to Up TV, but still continues to air in reruns on the latter channel as a part the service's weekend schedule.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aisling Loftus</span> English actress

Aisling Sinead Katie Loftus is a British actress. She began her career as a child actress and first gained prominence through her roles in the BBC dramas Five Daughters (2010) and Dive (2010), the play Spur of the Moment, and the film Death of a Superhero (2011).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trevor Dean</span> Fictional character from Coronation Street

Trevor Dean is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street, played by Steve Jackson. He first appears during the episode airing on 28 January 2010 as a lodger for Janice Battersby.

<i>Straw Dogs</i> (2011 film) 2011 American film

Straw Dogs is a 2011 American action thriller film directed, produced, and written by Rod Lurie. It is a remake of Sam Peckinpah's 1971 film Straw Dogs, itself based on the Gordon Williams novel The Siege of Trencher's Farm. It stars James Marsden and Kate Bosworth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amy Wyatt</span> Fictional character from Emmerdale

Amy Barton is a fictional character from the British soap opera Emmerdale, played by Natalie Ann Jamieson. She debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 8 October 2010, played by Chelsea Halfpenny. Since her inception Amy has been central to main storylines and has been played as the serial's rebellious teenager. Halfpenny has said she enjoys playing the character's mischievous side. Amy's unstable upbringing in children's homes and foster care has impacted on her persona. She is a troubled character and protects herself by creating a hard exterior. Amy's biggest fear is embarrassment and she aspires to lead a normal family life with her foster parents Val Pollard and Eric Pollard. As her storylines have developed she has grown close to the pair, yet rebelled at various stages. Charlie Hardwick and Chris Chittell who play Val and Eric have expressed their delight with the positive impact Amy has had on their on-screen family.

<i>Framed</i> (TV series) British TV series or program

Framed is a British television crime drama series, created and written by acclaimed author Lynda La Plante, adapted from her novel of the same name. The four-part series, broadcast on ITV, ran from 27 November to 18 December 1992 and followed police officer Lawrence Jackson, who whilst on holiday in Spain, bumps into career criminal Eddie Myers, who was known to have been involved a bank robbery committed several years ago, but was never caught. The officer who investigated the original case, Jimmy McKinnes assigns Jackson to go undercover and live with Myers in an attempt to finally bring him to justice.

References