Comedian Omid Djalili tells Roz Laws about the benefits of making a splash on TV.
THE critics called it 鈥渦tterly awful鈥, 鈥渁 new low for television鈥 and 鈥減robably the worst programme ever screened in primetime鈥.
But for Omid Djalili, the derided TV reality show Splash! changed his life.
The single act of diving off the terrifyingly high 10 metre board has left the comedian scared of nothing.
鈥淪plash! was much pilloried but it has been transformative for me,鈥 reveals the 47-year-old British-born Iranian.
鈥淚t was the most frightening thing I have ever done, but now I have no fear.
鈥淚 stood on the 10m board and said 鈥楾here鈥檚 no way in hell I can even jump off that, let alone dive鈥.
鈥淏ut Olympic diver Tom Daley talked me into it. He has that whole Team GB ethos of total positivity and not a shred of negativity. He never said anything like 鈥榊ou wuss, come on, you鈥檝e got to do it鈥. He said 鈥楯ust think how good you will feel and how well you will sleep afterwards鈥.
鈥淎nd I did, I felt great, even though it was painful when I hit the water and my organs shook.
鈥淚t鈥檚 broken down a barrier within me. There are so many fears in life which stop you doing things, but now I feel calmer and that I can achieve anything.
鈥淚鈥檓 much more relaxed on stage. Fear was holding me back, but I鈥檓 actually enjoying it now.鈥
Omid was the last contestant in the first Splash! heat in January and the first to attempt the 10m board. He gained plaudits for his bravery in attempting a swan dive, which he claims has now been renamed 鈥楾he Omid鈥.
He then performed a forward pike dive off the 10m board in the semi-finals but was eliminated.
Omid says: 鈥淓veryone was abusing Splash! on Twitter until I went off the 10m board, then there were 28,000 tweets about me, mostly going 鈥榝air play鈥.鈥
But although Splash! has brought Omid, star of the films The Mummy, Gladiator and Casanova, to a whole new audience, don鈥檛 expect him to be appearing in other reality shows.
鈥淚 turned down Pro-Celebrity Suicide Bombing with Abu Qatada,鈥 he jokes. 鈥淚鈥檝e had a few requests but I鈥檝e done the only one I wanted to do.鈥
Omid is back on dry and familiar land on a small stand-up comedy tour, which takes in Birmingham鈥檚 New Alexandra Theatre on May 30.
The choice of venue is deliberate, as he prefers more intimate theatres than arenas and says Birmingham is one of his favourite cities.
鈥淚鈥檓 not good looking enough to do an arena tour,鈥 he chuckles. 鈥淧eople don鈥檛 want to travel a long way to see a fat middle-aged man on a big screen. I鈥檓 not Russell Howard or John Bishop.
鈥淏ut I prefer smaller venues as you can connect with the audience and banter with them.
鈥淢ind you, that got quite hairy at one recent show in London. I was telling a story about how I鈥檇 been abused by Chelsea football fans at a match, and it turned out some of them were in the audience!
鈥淚 had taken a friend and we sat in an area full of hard-core Chelsea fans who can get very aggressive, so away fans are removed.
鈥淟iverpool scored and my friend, who was neutral, went 鈥榳oo, this could get tasty鈥. The people around us misunderstood and were screaming at me for bringing a Liverpool fan into the area.
鈥淲e had a running verbal battle, with me trying to appease 900 people, who I really thought were going to killing me.
鈥淪ome of them turned up to the show and there was a real frisson in the theatre that night, which you wouldn鈥檛 get in a larger venue.
鈥淭his show is partly an introduction to me for those who鈥檝e never seen me before, except in a swimming costume, and partly a sneak peak at next year鈥檚 tour. I do a major tour every two and a half years and I鈥檓 now preparing for the 2014 one. I鈥檓 giving a couple of cities a sneak preview.
鈥淚 started off having a warm-up guy that I paid 拢150 to do a few minutes. But he told old jokes and then told the audience off for not laughing, and I thought 鈥業 could do that myself鈥. So I do.鈥
After the mini-tour, Omid鈥檚 next project is appearing for four weeks at the Edinburgh Festival in a stage version of The Shawshank Redemption.
People may be surprised to see him playing the role of Red, taken in the iconic 1994 film by Morgan Freeman, but he points out: 鈥淚n the book, Red is an Irish guy. It鈥檚 not ethnic specific.
鈥淚t鈥檚 very exciting, it鈥檚 directed by Lucy Pitman-Wallace from the Royal Shakespeare Company and we have a great cast of 10, who I can鈥檛 reveal yet. But every single role is someone you wouldn鈥檛 expect, like comedians playing nasty roles and a 1970s sitcom actor who will blow people鈥檚 socks off.鈥
* Omid Djalili plays Birmingham鈥檚 New Alexandra Theatre on May 30. For tickets ring 0844 871 3011 or go to聽www.atgtickets.com
