Meet Welsh comedy star Mike Bubbins – the man behind Mammoth

Mammoth is back! The hit comedy about PE teacher Tony Mammoth, thought to have perished in an avalanche during a school trip in 1979 and getting a second chance at life, returns to BBC Two and iPlayer on Monday 1 December at 10pm.

Mike Bubbins (Death Valley, The Socially Distant Sports Bar podcast) is Tony Mammoth, Sian Gibson (Car Share, The Power of Parker) is Tony’s daughter Mel who is thinking about a career change, Joel Davison is Mel’s son Theo who celebrates a milestone birthday, Joseph Marcell (The Fresh Prince of Bel Air) is Mammoth’s long-suffering best friend Roger who takes on a new role as Tony’s fitness trainer, and John Weldon (The Tuckers) is Headteacher Mr Cowley.

Joining the cast for series two are Al Roberts (Stath Lets Flats, Starstruck) as Mel’s new love interest Matthew and Dylan Malyn (To Kill a Mockingbird, Lost Boys and Fairies) as Nathan, Mel’s nephew, and new boss!

Tony Mammoth is back! Where do we find Mammoth at the start of the new series?

We find Mammoth settling into family life as a dad to Mel and a grandad to Theo and a best friend of Roger.

What can viewers expect from Tony in series 2?

Viewers can expect to see him trying to get match fit, in a bromance with Mel’s new boyfriend, locking horns with an adversary from the 70’s, being a protective father, a substandard work colleague and a quite frankly disappointing head of department.

The response to the first series was great, what do you think it is about Tony Mammoth and the series that audiences warmed to?

I think everybody knows a Tony Mammoth or someone very similar. Because he’s been stuck under the snow for 45 years, he’s everyone’s granddad, or dad if you’re middle-aged. You love them but you wish they’d keep some things to themselves. There’s a Tony in everybody’s life, growing up it might have been a teacher; or a work colleague or family member you will know.

He’s relatable and I’m biased because I love him, but I’d say Mammoth is likable. He’s a nice bloke who says the wrong stuff, trying to do the right things but using the wrong methods.

There are some real laugh out loud moments in Mammoth, what’s your favourite episode or memory from the new series?

There’s a bromance montage with Al Roberts who plays Matthew, Mel’s new boyfriend, which was very funny to do. We got to take polaroids together, hang out in an art class, throw Frisbee and cycling in my double denim! Riding speed boats in Cardiff Bay and the football training sequences were also a lot of fun.

I think everyone has raised the bar in this series. Sian who plays my daughter Mel is very funny and we made each other corpse quite a bit while filming. I got to hang out more with Joel who plays my grandson Theo and we bonded; he’s such a nice fella and interesting funny bloke. When I look at the montage sequences and the credits which are a nod to the 70’s and 80’s, I can’t believe this is my job, I can’t believe I do this for a living.

Have you had any viewers approach you in the street to talk about the show and what they love about it?

I was in Scotland at a BBC Comedy event and a chap in the bar told me how much he loved Mammoth and asked me to buy him a pint! A woman on the tube in London told me how much she enjoyed Mammoth, she thought I was on my way to filming until I explained this is what I wear in real life. Because Mammoth’s wardrobe and my wardrobe are probably 95% similar and his look is 100% my look, I get spotted a lot. My moustache is very distinctive, and people spot the moustache and see the face and put two and two together. It’s like having a flashing beacon under my nose.

If you could bring any 1970’s icons back to life – fictional or real – to appear in the series, who would it be?

Burt Reynolds, 100%! I absolutely love Burt Reynolds. We did try and get Tom Jones for this series, but he was on tour, so I would love Tom Jones to be in it, and Billie Jean King would be brilliant because of the reference in the first series.

Talking of icons, DJ and broadcasting legend Tony Blackburn provides the voice over for the title sequence in the new series. How was it working with Tony?

Tony was brilliant, an absolute pro. We met in this little mews recording studio in London and we’d booked him for an hour and were finished in about 15 minutes. 82 years old and he is so sharp, he did everything in one take. He’s the perfect voice intro for Mammoth.

What are your fashion favourites from the new series, do you still have a big input in the style featured in the show?

It’s got to be the double denim! Denim shirt/jacket with zipper and denim jeans. Lindsay who does the costume on Mammoth is a genius, I also really love a red and black snakeskin shirt which she found, it was a bit tight for me, but she sewed in some panels to make it look even better and fit me. We work really well together, swapping intel on cool places to buy 70’s clothes. I provide some of my clothes and Lindsay sources the others. It’s great fun and refreshing for costume to get away from greys and navies and work with florals and paisleys, flares and velvet.

Where would you like to take the character of Mammoth in the future?

I’d love to take him abroad, I think he’s a Torremolinos man through and through. I want him to experience more stuff and take him to more places. I was thinking his grandson Theo might go off to university, with Mammoth getting involved there and I can see Mel’s character expanding her life a bit more. Mammoth is a situation comedy, so Mammoth getting into situations is where the fun is.

What do you hope audiences will love or take away from Tony and Mammoth?

Number one is that he’s funny and makes people laugh. If there is a lesson in Mammoth, and I try not to make it too preachy, is ‘don’t worry so much’, it’s a big part of Mammoth’s character. Don’t worry about people being different to you and not understanding things. It’s OK not to know and to change your mind. Mammoth is very black and white about things, he either thinks you’re a berk or you’re OK and more than anything else with Mammoth, it’s fine not to understand stuff and people doing things that you don’t really get, just don’t worry about it. I think we could all be a bit more Tony Mammoth.

Mammoth – BBC Two and iPlayer, Monday 1 December at 10pm.