Friday Night Dinner star Tamsin Grieg has revealed she told the late Paul Ritter to not film the show’s anniversary special due to his illness.
Ritter, who played Martin Goodman opposite Grieg as his wife Jackie in the Channel 4 sitcom, died last month after suffering from a brain tumour.
Ahead of Friday Night Dinner: 10 Years And a Lovely Bit of Squirrel, Grieg said in a new statement that she tried to convince Ritter to not take part due to his health struggles.
“I’m sure you know that very recently we lost our dear and most cherished friend Paul Ritter, who plays Martin Goodman in Friday Night Dinner,” Grieg said in a statement obtained by Metro.
She continued: “We all miss him terribly, an incredible actor, a true friend and a lovely human being. Sadly at the time of making the documentary, Paul was pretty unwell and to be honest – and don’t tell the producers this – but I did try and persuade him not to do the interview.
“But it is testament to Paul’s courage and generosity and dignity and complete lack of vanity that he wanted to participate in the documentary, to do an interview, and to really celebrate this little world that he’s been a part of and that he’s enjoyed so much over the years.”
Grieg concluded her message by honouring Ritter, saying: “So I know that Paul would all want us to sit back and laugh and enjoy this celebration of the Friday Night Dinner universe and say, as we do, in his memory, ‘Shalom.'”
The 10th anniversary special of Friday Night Dinner is set to air on Channel 4 on May 28, and will feature new behind-the-scenes material and interviews.
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