The Real Marigold Hotel Interviews: Paul Nicholas

With the second season of documentary show The Real Marigold Hotel back on BBC One, Paul Nicholas, one of the second batch of celebs tells all about his time in India.

72 year old actor Paul is best known for his character Vince in the BBC series Just Good Friends, which aired in the 1980s; being the first to play Jesus in the musical Jesus Christ Superstar, and, more recently, for starring in EastEnders.

Paul is fascinated by music, dance and theatre – and while in India he is keen to go to an Indian wedding and wants to explore the arts. Paul has a great appetite for learning about India. He’s very interested in the divide between rich and poor so would like to meet people who have escaped from poverty to understand how they did it.

Tell us about your favourite moment of the experience
I enjoyed the Hindu wedding, which was a very colourful and happy occasion, very much the marriage of two families. I enjoyed dressing in traditional Indian clothes and great to be part of a special day for the bride and groom. The music, colour and tradition made it a wonderful day.

What can Brits learn from Indian culture?
The Indian people are very family orientated and seem to have a lot of time and respect for the older members of society. Most families have their parents and relatives living with them. There aren’t as many care homes so the elderly remain part of the family and continue to be involved with all aspects of family life.

What did you think of the rest of the group and others you met?
I marvelled at the older members of our group who were up for everything and who remained as alert and fun as they always were. A terrific example of how to live life to the full and not be constrained by the years.