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God knows everything were thinking.
Thats a data-privacy nightmare, isnt it?
she asks one expert in religion.
Every life form is made of cells, like a prison, she narrates at one point.
Which is probably why existence is so depressing.
Its a life sentence.
Just like the sentences I say in this program about life.
How are we going to top that?
she says the team asked themselves after the success of the last series.
Get some puppets in!
Just throw everything at it!
The trouble is you have to keep thinking up more and more highbrow topics.
They sort of only work the deeper they are.
At the end of the show, I get abducted by aliens or something, dont I?
I was going to ask about that!
Was that meant to be a finale for the character?Do you know what?
But then we thought,We cant do that, because we want to do another one.
So, now, at the end of this one, IthinkIve been abducted by aliens.
Im not quite sure.
It wasnt discussed with me.
In previous iterations ofCunk, you werent a credited writer, but on this special, you are.
How was it different from your perspective?
Did they bring you in earlier in the creative process?It wasnt different.
I think Charlie just thought,Oh, poor woman.
We should give her a credit.Because Idoadd things.
When youre doing the interviews, its more like a conversation.
But thats what I like.
I love being able to improvise stuff in those interviews.
Its my favorite bit.
In those moments, what are you probing for reaction-wise?I really want them to say something stupid.
You want to see a big reaction from them.
And its nice watching them struggle, isnt it?
Its like pulling the wings off a fly.
And he says, Ill save you the bother.
Everything is made out of atoms.
And I say, Well, are thoughts made out of atoms?
And he was like, Well, all right.
That gotsucha big round of applause in the screening, because shed caught one of the experts out.
It speaks to things youve said in the past about how youre a lot like Philomena.
Where do you notice the similarities most?I think, in many ways, its the real me.
If I didnt haveanysocial skills at all, Id be totally Philomena.
I can be as rude as I like.
Im not allowed to do that in real life.
[Laughs] I mean, I never give a shot to find out about a topic.
I never even read up on the experts who are coming in.
I think,The less I know about a thing, the better.
If youre grasping at a topic, its funnier.
People can identify with that more.
People knowbitsof history; they dont know the whole thing.
And its probably the same bits that I know.
I cant remember anything else.
I see her as sort of a Mr. Bean figure, just bumbling around on her own.
But I dont see her having normal emotions like other people.
I think shes perfectly happy on her own.
In the new special, Cunk covers a few topics shes covered previously, albeit in more detail.
Do you think she learns things over time?Yeah, I think some of it must go in.
But I think its like any of us, you know?
I take things in for a bit and then forget them again.
I only remember things that are weird.
They have to be totally outrageous.
If its a date or a place, Im not that interested.
It happens to me a lot with podcasts.
Youll read a book, and two weeks later itll just have gone out of your head.
Theres really no point trying to retain any kind of information.
What do you attribute that to?Do you mean the puppetry bits where they jump off a ledge?
Thats the only dark bit I can think of.
There are a few.
Its gonemuchdarker, hasnt it?
In the last half, they kind of throw everything at it.
Its got puppets, meditation, a weird Streamberry section, and a Philomena Cunk doll.
Get some puppets in!
Just throw everything at it!
[Laughs] Youre probably right.
Did you find it soothing?
I did actually close my eyes and give it a shot.
I found it really creepy.
They do this thing where they go, Breathe in … and breathe out.
Only Charlie would come up with something so bleak with a littleSesame Streetstyle song to it.I loved it.
I dont think theres a point.
No ones going to learn anything from this show.
Its just to take you away from the endless misery for three quarters of an hour.
But I think, luckily, they thought,No, thats too much.
Was it always the plan to bring it back?
Then theres a point where you go, Right, thats enough now.
And I think they got that just right.
Do you think theres something specifically funny about that song?Yeah.
Its just the wrong piece of music to have there.
Ive got a real fondness for Pump Up the Jam now.
I didnt appreciate that song at the time in the 80s, but I do now.
I hope theyre getting lots of royalties for it.
The shows jokes, as you mentioned, have grown more ambitious over time.
It doesnt fit in with the tone.
But its definitely gotten weirder.
So I think thats why theyre bringing in things like puppets and elaborate sex scenes.
Its like thats the template theyve got, and they wont deviate from it.
We talked about the special potentially being aCunkfinale.
Is there anything else you feel you want to say with this character?
Id miss it every now and then, because shes like a superhero.
She feels nothing, you know?
She doesnt feel hurt or shame or guilt.
Its like wearing a suit of armor, playing the character.
But then again, I dont know where theyd have to take it to top this last one.
Maybe I can go up in Elons rocket?
In the 11 years youve been playing Philomena, how have you seen her evolve?
So I think its gotten better.
I hope it hasnt gotten worse!
And suddenly shes got a family now.
And shes got her mate Paul.
So its nice to suddenly see glimpses of her home life.
I wonder if she could do a cooking show next?
Like an instructional cooking show?Yeah, a cooking show, but just with a microwave or something.
