NEIGHBORS legend Alan Fletcher has criticized reality shows and vowed to avoid tacky celebrity versions when the soap ends next month.
The 65-year-old actor is looking for new roles after playing Doctor Karl Kennedy on the Australian soap since 1994.
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But a “testing and grueling” stint with Soapstar Superstar in 2007 left him determined never to sign up for anything like Strictly Come Dancing or I’m a celebrity… Get me out of here!
Speaking of sixth place on Soapstar Superstar, he said, “That was an interesting experience.”
“It was pretty testing and grueling, and it gave me a taste of what reality TV can be like.”
“It wasn’t necessarily the best experience I’ve had in my life. It made me a little apprehensive. These things are designed to make people cry.”
alan, who shaved his head after staring at alopecia areata earlier this year, says the shows take “enormous fortitude.”
He said: “I respect the people who do shows like that because you have to have a huge determination to do them, but I just don’t know if I have the resources to put myself through those kinds of shows.”
“I find it too difficult. I have to focus on fictional roles and playing music and I leave reality TV to the people who are pretty good at it.”
Alan wouldn’t even consider Strictly Come Dancing, despite his good friend Jason Donovan make it to the final earlier.
He said, “I haven’t been approached, but I can tell you something, I have two left feet.”
“For a year I did panto and I watched Strictly and there was an old actor on the show who was horrible, couldn’t dance to save his life.”
“And the judges kept saying, ‘We need to get rid of him,’ but the audience kept voting him back for the comedy and it drove the judges crazy. I think I’d be that guy.”
Instead, he hopes his new bald look will help him land more acting roles.
He joked, “I’ll probably be able to pick up a lot of roles from it because I suddenly look like Patrick Stewart.”
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