The Cleaner

The Cleaner will air weekly on BBC One from 9.30pm on Friday 10 September and will be available as a box set on BBC iPlayer.

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Greg Davies Q&A

The Cleaner is a comedy about a man who has made it his job to mop up the horrible aftermath of crimes and accidents. To Wicky, a bloodbath is just an obstacle between him and his next pint."

What can viewers expect from The Cleaner, and why should they tune in?

The Cleaner is a comedy about a man who has made it his job to mop up the horrible aftermath of crimes and accidents. To Wicky, a bloodbath is just an obstacle between him and his next pint. Each week he attends a different ‘crime scene’ and meets a new character associated with whatever had happened. Each episode is totally different the only constant being a man with an everyman curiosity and a determination to leave things spotless. It’s also very silly at times and I hope funny.

I think it’s a unique show in that the cleaner is the only constant character. The bizarre life events that have led to him being called unfold differently every week, and he finds himself in strange situations talking to people he has no frame of reference for.

This is a departure from your previous writing style, how was that for you?

Each episode is generally a two-hand ‘play’. I mistakenly thought this would be easier than writing for multiple characters. It is not! It was nice to just focus on Wicky and the person he encounters each week though. It’s a challenge to make them rounded and to give context to the dreadful events that have led them to be spending time with a crime-scene cleaner.

Do you see any of yourself in Wicky, are you a bit of a gossip?

Oh I’m even nosier than he is, but I generally don’t get access to crime scenes. He gets to dip in to bizarre lives, which I’m a bit jealous of to be honest. He also likes a pint and his friends are the friends he has had for a very long time, which is true of me.

You attracted some brilliant co-stars for the series. When you were writing their episodes did you have them in mind, and how was it working with them?

I didn’t dare imagine that people like Helena [Bonham-Carter] would say yes, so I just wrote them, but the scripts certainly evolved once the parts were cast.

Each of episodes are stand-alone with a new case and new people, did you have a favourite and why?

It’s such a cop out answer but I genuinely didn’t. They are all so different and each actor brought new and brilliant things to the part.

Having played Wicky, how good do you think you would be at cleaning up a crime scene now?

As anyone who knows me will testify, I would be the worse crime-scene cleaner on the planet. My home/car regularly look like crime scenes because of my incompetence in the field of domestic work.

Are there any funny anecdotes from filming you can share?

I generally laughed a lot through the series. There was one incident I would love to tell you about, but for now I am sworn to secrecy. Until I establish how much the actor is prepared to pay me not to tell you.

If you ever met a real crime scene cleaner what would you ask them?

I’d apologise and then ask them if we can get together and design a more breathable SOCO* suit for a fat middle-aged man working under lights.

*Scene Of Crime Officer

A word from Helena Bonham Carter

How was it working with Greg Davies?

It has been brilliant fun working with Greg and the team on The Cleaner. I thoroughly enjoyed playing Sheila, one of the eclectic (and sometimes murderous) mix of characters that ‘Wicky’ comes across during his gruesome but necessary work.

Before this job, thanks to my children, I knew Greg as the really tall man on Taskmaster, but now I know that not only is he genuinely very tall but he is also a brilliant writer, and as nice as he is funny. And he has a lovely mum.

David Mitchell Q&A

Tell us a bit about your character in The Cleaner, and what attracted you that the role.

I play an irascible and self-involved writer apparently oblivious to the gory family tragedy that just happened in his living room. When I read the script, the character's lines really leapt off the page as immediately funny and speakable. That’s extremely rare, so I was immediately keen to be paid to say them on TV.

What was the most enjoyable part of filming for you?

Breakfast. On location filming shoots, there’s always a fried breakfast available at the start of the day and, having not done any location filming for ages because of Covid, I felt justified in really tucking in. The whole experience of filming a funny script in a house for a few days was such a lovely return to pre-pandemic life all round. We were shooting in April and it was one of the first things that made me believe that life really could get back to normal.

How was it working with Greg Davies?

Excellent all round. He’s an extremely funny and talented man, but also really good company. I was really chuffed that he wanted me involved with the project.

If you ever met a real crime scene cleaner what would you ask them?

What’s the best way of getting blood splatter off a tapestry seat cover.

Ruth Madeley Q&A

Tell us a bit about your character in The Cleaner. What attracted you to the role?

Helena, my character, is a very proud vegan. She's proud of her vegan life, and she's a very ballsy character. She has so much about her, and I personally absolutely love her dry wit. She doesn’t suffer fools and is very aware of who she is and how she wants to live her life.

He's going to get such a big head after I say this, but the pull for me, mainly, was Greg. We’ve followed each other’s work for quite a while and he was definitely on my bucket list of people who I would love to work with. Also, the fact it was a comedy as well - I do so much drama, and doing an out and out comedy role was an absolute dream. Ican’t think of anyone who I'd want to do that with more than Greg, I was very honoured and very flattered to be asked.

Reading how the character develops in the scripts, and how funny it was, was the icing on cake. It was funny on paper but then it's even funnier when you are interacting. I loved the fact it was just us two and loved that set up. It was such a nice way to watch Wicky with different characters and to see how he navigates through the world.

What was the most enjoyable part of filming for you? 

That's such a hard question, there wasn’t one day where I didn’t enjoy it. I loved the big comedic scenes when Wicky jumps over Helena, I genuinely cannot wait to watch it on screen. Or the bit where they are really bonding when they are having a cheeky spliff - it’s just those moments and the little nuances that are really funny.

Our last day on set was when Greg was in the wheelchair, and he had to do a race, and I’ve never seen anybody so exhausted in my entire life, it was so funny to watch! He said, “How do you do this every day, it’s such hard work!”

I can’t think of one thing that wasn't enjoyable. The team behind the camera was wonderful, a brilliant group of people working on such a fun project. There wasn’t one day that I didn’t want to be there, and I was very sad when it ended.

How was it working with Greg? 

His writing is so clever - the way he puts a story together, and the way he constructs characters, he was an absolute dream, he really was. And there was so much comedy, but he was very sensitive to making sure it was told in the right way. There was also no crassness. There was no, “let’s just throw a disability joke in here for the sake of it”. It was really clear he wanted to make sure it was funny, but also not offensive, and he was a bit of a genius like that.

People often think they can’t make certain jokes about disability, and Greg kept saying, “I want to get this right, I don’t want to upset or offend anybody”. If people are asking those questions it’s a good sign, that they want to get it right. The way he wrote the script and the way he created the character was such a beautiful way to tell the story of every single disabled person who has a non-disabled person constantly thinking about saying the right things and saying the wrong things. 

It genuinely was such a wonderful experience to be able to hear Greg’s thought process around that, and as well as the BBC and Studio Hamburg UK, they really wanted to make sure they got it right and they absolutely did. Every day on set was hysterical, and it was a lovely way to do it, because you could tell that production really cared about representing disability properly but in a really funny way. We need that and the world needs that, especially when we are living in such chaotic times - we just need some out and out comedy! I think Greg's writing is incredible, and, let’s face it, his acting’s not bad either! He is a wonderful person to work with. 

Are there any funny anecdotes from filming you can share?

The days always started on such a wonderful note in the make-up truck, every day I would say “are you alright?” he’d go “I’m knackered, I’m so tired” - he’d be writing until God knows what time and he would say, ‘I don’t know any of my lines!”, but every day he had me in stitches.

There was a woman who came up to him when we were filming in the park, and asked what we were filming for, Greg replied it was for a BBC One TV production, and she asked him if there was anyone famous coming, and Greg replied “Nah”’. It was the most satisfying moment for me on set, honestly it was so funny, and it was just hysterical, he had a crowd of children watching him and laughing at him trying to race a wheelchair.

If you ever met a real crime scene cleaner what would you ask them?

Everybody who knows me, knows I am a little obsessed with crime, I will watch every crime documentary going, I would probably have a file full of questions for them. I think I’d ask: “what’s the most random body part you’ve had to bag up at the end of the day?” I’ve watched so many things online about crime scene cleaners and one of them said they had to put a human ear in a bag and I thought, goodness me, what a strange way to earn a living!

Stephanie Cole Q&A

Tell us a bit about your character in The Cleaner. What attracted you to the role?

My character Vivien is a frightful old woman, and she’s not a very nice lady at all! She doesn’t care about anyone else, is very selfish and very upmarket. I loved the craziness and the over the top-ness of it - not that we played it over the top, but I think they are all stories that are huge fun to read and to watch.

I had the most wonderful stunt double who did an extraordinary job. They so rarely get praise for their work, and I think the public don’t realise what an amazing job they do.

What attracted me to the role was working with Greg again, who I’d worked with several times and always enjoy hugely because I think he is terrific. It is a wonderful series, and the writing is good, Greg is wonderful and the whole team were absolutely fabulous. It was great fun to do!

What was the most enjoyable part of filming for you?

The most enjoyable part was working with Greg again, which is always a huge delight because he is great fun and he also takes the works very seriously and is extremely good and is a joy to work with. When you do television it is very rare you get somebody who’s not very nice, so it’s usually an absolute joy, but this was joy upon joy because Greg was wonderful to work with and indeed so was everybody else, all the crew, we did laugh a great deal.

I’ve worked with Greg several times now, and I just love it, he is so good at what he does. He is meticulous and great fun, and he appreciates your input. He is just a lovely man.

Are there any funny anecdotes from filming you can share?

I remember it was a very cold day when we filmed with the Aston Martin. It was in the garage, and Greg was in there with the car and I was stood outside and I remember thinking to myself, "there must be an easier way to earn a living". I also did a lot of laughing when I kept throwing myself over the sofa, we had a giggle about that. The overall feeling was one of great pleasure and fun.

If you ever met a real crime scene cleaner what would you ask them?

Oh, I think I’d have a million questions about how they would go about it, and if they had watched The Cleaner, and also ask how similar a real crime screen cleaner is compared to Wicky in the show.

Layton Williams Q&A

Tell us a bit about your character in The Cleaner - what attracted you to the role?

My amazing, beautiful, talented lol character ‘Home Alone Hosea’ is an influencer and is social media obsessed. He got left by his parents in a big house all by himself when he was younger and he became an internet sensation. But with that of course comes a lot of tougher moments because he didn’t get to see or do much in the real world.

This is why I think the relationship between Hosea and Wicky is so amazing, because they are two very unlikely friends, people you wouldn’t think would get along but they do. But Hosea has a really good heart and by the end of the episode you feel for him and realise he is a good kid. He thinks he is doing these things for the likes on social media, but comes to understand that life is not about the double taps.

When I read the script I remember thinking, this is a bit of me. I kept reading and reading and it was a time when I was taking a break from everything because of the pandemic - theatres were closing and I was free! So it was amazing having a whole episode as a guest ‘star’, even though I don’t like to call myself a star! The line-up is iconic! I mean if Helena Bonham Carter is getting an episode, I wanted one!

When I went to my chemistry read with Greg I saw a medic who was getting all hyped, and I knew they had a story to tell that they wanted to get it off their chest, so I was like, "go on what do you want to say?" and they said "I just had to put a swab down Helena Bonham Carter’s mouth!" I was like, "OH, what’s she doing here?!" and then I realised she was in the cast too and I was like, oh my God!. I am so excited to see everyone else’s episodes and I’m just really privileged to star alongside such a stellar group of people. 

What was the most enjoyable part of filming for you?

The location - it was unreal. The crib we were filming in was iconic, it was all very eco-friendly and everything was self-serviced by natural movements of the light. I don’t know the science behind it, but it was lit and I was really bouncing around the place as if it was mine. Every day was a new fun experience. One day we are on space hoppers, another we are on bicycles, I know it sounds weird, but I don’t ride a bike very often so it was so much fun. Next thing you know we are playing sports games with bats! We were really put through our paces but it was so fun and I was constantly surprised by what was going on in that moment. I beamed all week!

I also loved the costume, the make-up and the set designs - the team was a whole bunch of huns, we were all on the same page and it all just pops on the screen! 

How was it working with Greg?

Working with Greg was iconic - he is an absolute star, and such a lovely guy! You never really know what people are like when you see them on TV, we all put on a persona when we have to, but he is just amazing. We were laughing so much on screen and off screen, and had an absolute lol, we’d be singing all day, it was an absolute pleasure. He was really patient and open to letting me try different things and if I said "Can we try it like this?" or "I think the kids would like this", that’s not me thinking I’m young, but if I thought something might work he’d say "Yeah go for it!". So we had lots of improvisation moments which I hope make it in! 

Are there any funny anecdotes from filming you can share?

It was so much fun spraying the jam, even though I did some accidental sprays when I shouldn’t have. I did a pirouette with the syringe in my hand and said "Oh my God, maybe I should try this" and I literally squirted the blood the whole way around the room and it was a clean squirt! I thought, oh no, what am I gonna do! So they had to make me repeat the squirt a few days later for continuity! It was amazing, but don’t go running round doing pirouettes when you are squirting blood because things will get dirty! 

If you ever met a real crime scene cleaner, what would you ask them?

I would ask. "How do you sleep at night?" because I would be traumatised! When I walked in and saw all the blood, it made me feel sick even though it was fake! So ‘How do they turn off from work life and not think about the dead bodies they’ve been cleaning up all day?

Jo Hartley Q&A 

Tell us a bit about your character in The Cleaner - what attracted you to the role?

I play Maggie, the one that got away. Wicky's first love and long-term ex-girlfriend. She ran off, married another man, and became an artist, of sorts. Wicky never got over Maggie, she comes up in conversation throughout the series. She's sassy and ambitious. I turn up in episode six, let's just say it's an unexpected reunion. Oh, and she hates blood.

What attracted me to the role was Greg, his hilarious script, the people involved and Tom Marshall [director], who's super talented and a long-time collaborator.

What was the most enjoyable part of filming for you?

All of it! We had a lot of fun, we filmed in an old cottage in the countryside. Myself and Greg star in the episode, it's a two-hander, so it was great to just jump in and challenge myself.

How was it working with Greg?

Superb, he's truly wonderful and very very talented - down to earth, funny and very smart. Never met him before but always admired his work.

If you ever met a real crime-scene cleaner what would you ask them?

Do you take your work home with you?

 

Programme Information

• Episode one

Related Media Centre Links

• Greg Davies set to star in new BBC One comedy series The Cleaner