Comic Lee Mack previously revealed that he had to be careful writing sex scenes into his hit series Not Going Out for fear of getting into trouble with his real-life wife Tara.
The comedian – who previously gave a stark warning about the future of sitcoms – told Dermot O’Leary’s The Nightly Show back in 2017 about a rule he sticks to when writing the show.
However, it appears the rule may have landed the TV favourite in hot water with his better half…
The BBC renewed Not Going Out for its 14th series last year (Credit: The Nightly Show/YouTube)
Lee Mack on Not Going Out’s ‘number one rule’
The star revealed that everything that takes place on the show has to have happened in real life. This means, if it hasn’t happened to one of the writers in real life, it can’t go into the show.
“The number one rule is it has to have happened,” he told Dermot. “The problem is that can cause friction at home when you’re doing a scene involving an act in bed.
You might be sitting at home watching it with your wife, and she’s saying: ‘I cannot believe that you’re talking about this. On screen.’
“And your wife’s going: ‘No, you can’t do that.’ And you might be sitting at home watching it with your wife, and she’s saying: ‘I cannot believe that you’re talking about this. On screen.’”
But Lee explained that he and his co-writers have a plan for this very situation. They simply pass that particular narrative development off as having been inspired by one of the other writers.
“The awful thing,” Lee added wryly, “would be to give that away on a nightly chat show,” before staring wide-eyed at the camera.
The comic shares three kids with wife Tara (Credit: The Nightly Show/YouTube)
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