TELLY wrestlers Grado and Jack Jester believe grappling with the great outdoors as kids helped to give them their fighting spirit in the ring.
The pair have teamed-up with panto pal Stephen Purdon for our SUNTA CAUSE campaign with 800 tickets for Glasgow’s Pavilion Theatre’s Beauty and the Beastie production being sold for charity.
Money raised will go directly to HopScotch Children’s Charity, who for the last 25 years have been sending kids, who live in challenging circumstances, on a fun-filled and action-packed retreat in the north of Scotland.
Pick up your copy of The Scottish Sun today to get your hands on the bargain tickets – which go on sale at 10am today.
The trio insist that embarking on their own outdoor activities as youngsters set them up for life.
Jack, who was raised in Rutherglen, near Glasgow, says: “I once went on a school trip to Glencoe – it was the first time I’d ever been to the Highlands.
“It was amazing. You’re sharing dorms with all your pals and you’re doing all this mad stuff that you would never do in the city.
“We went abseiling, went out on speedboats and it was the first time any of us had seen seals. We were just running about for five days.
“It’s funny as we thought we’d be up all night having a laugh in the dorms but we were all so knackered as soon as we went to bed, you were out cold – totally knackered.”
Jack – who plays hunky hubby Darren Lee in the BBC Scotland sitcom The Scotts – adds: “But it also helped you become independent as you had to make sure you made and packed a lunch, then the activities all involved team work.
“It was brilliant and there’s no better place than Scotland for doing all that amazing outdoor stuff.”
Grado agrees, having been heavily involved with the Boys Brigade growing up in Stevenston, Ayrshire.
The Two Doors Down star says: “I was at the BB’s Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday morning – then sometimes on a Sunday for church too.
“I loved it and have never been so active in all my life. We would get taken away camping which was always brilliant, but just doing stuff week to week got you out and about too.
“We did fitba training on a Wednesday and then play on a Saturday. But on a Friday we would either go ice-skating, swimming or bowling – my mum loved it as I was never in.”
While Stephen found an outlet in a youth theatre group while growing up in Glasgow’s tough Riddrie district.
The River City actor – Shieldinch’s Shell Suit Bob – explains: “There really wasn’t a lot for kids to do in the East End as there weren’t a lot of clubs around.
“But I got involved with a great youth theatre group, Toonspeak. I would go twice a week and do different plays.
“That got me socialising with different people and showed me a different way of life. It gave me my break into acting.”
But now the lads are looking forward to spreading some festive cheer with another panto packed with laughter and mayhem.
PLEASE DONATE FOR A GREAT CAUSE
HOPSCOTCH co-founder Roberta McKay has urged Scottish Sun readers to help change kids’ lives.
The organisation sends around 700 children from challenging backgrounds on much-needed breaks every year to their incredible Ardvullin Centre, near Fort William, Inverness-shire.
A number of community groups and partner charities recommend youngsters, who have had a bad start in life, for the action-packed getaways.
And this year’s priority has been Project 25. It marks HopScotch’s Silver Jubilee and aims to raise £25,000 to give even more youngsters a dream holiday.
Roberta said: “Over the past 25 years, we have welcomed over 7,000 children to our Ardvullin holiday centre.
“In Scotland today, so many kids are living in poverty, caring for others or dealing with trauma and distress. Our HopScotch children have experienced a wide rage of life’s challenges.
“It might be the responsibility of looking after a family member, the loss of a parent, or maybe it’s the first time they’ve ever had the chance to leave their local area.
“But when they arrive for a well-deserved respite break at our centre in the West Highlands, we give them so much more than a holiday – it’s a vital break away. We open them up to a world of fun and independence.”
Roberta also urged Scottish Sun readers to give generously, adding:
“Please dig deep and support the Sunta Cause campaign. Your donation can brighten the lives of countless children in need.
“Together, we can make a real difference and bring smiles and lifelong memories to those children in Scotland who need it most.”
Give the gift of healing at wonderful.org/fundraisers/7ArvZ or scan the QR code to donate.
Stephen and Grado are playing Sammy and Hammy while Jack – real name Lee Greig – is their evil boss Benedict Bridie.
And while all three have been rivals in the wrestling ring in the past, they are just as competitive when it comes to who has the best singing voice in the show.
Grado, real name Graeme Stevely, says: “There are great songs this year, but Stephen is always holding me back because he’s not a great singer.”
Stephen admits: “That’s true. I’m more of a dancer.”
Grado, 36, adds: “Aye he can dance. I canny. One year I had a solo singing spot but I was so out of breath from a dance routine then trying to sing this swing number that it got dropped after the first show.”
Jack, 37, pipes in: “They’re raging because I can hit the right notes. I did TLC’s Waterfalls in The Scotts when I had to carry a heavily pregnant Louise McCarthy while singing.
“And instead of being in front of a waterfall it was a sewage plant.”
However Grado did “learn” to speak Japanese this year, with a little help from AI, when he signed up for a wrestling bout in the Far East.
He explains: “I used this AI translation app when I was speaking to the promoters in Japan and they were like ‘Grado san – we had no idea you spoke such great Japanese.’
“They sent me to get my visa from the Japanese Consulate in Edinburgh and told them I could speak their language fluently.
“But I only know one word, arigato – thank you. So in the consulate I just walked around saying arigato to everyone.”
The dad-of-two also discovered a long lost Italian cousin called Eddie that he claims makes him “half-Italian.”
He adds: “That explains a lot like my love of spaghetti bolognese, macaroni and icecream.”
Meanwhile Stephen’s beloved telly character Bob O’Hara has also had a busy year when he suffered more heartache after screen fiancee Kim (Frances Thorburn) died unexpectedly after a heart-attack.
He says: “Bob is a single parent now and looking after his child on his own – and just trying to cope with not having his wife anymore.
“It’s been a challenging year for him – really heavy stuff.”
It means his character Bob O’Hara has been married twice in his 22 years on the show, including to Stella (Keira Lucchesi) and Kim previously, while he was also jilted at the altar by Charlie (June Brogan).
Ironically Stephen has always been a one woman man – marrying Nicola McLaughlin in 2012. The couple now have two kids Layla, 11, and eight-year-old Leo.
But all three mates know that panto is all about the kids and that’s why they’re delighted to help out HopScotch.
Grado says: “I think it’s brilliant that HopScotch are celebrating 25 years of giving children a wee break.”
Jack adds: “It’s a great cause, so get your tickets, come along and see the panto.”
Jamie Gordon, Theatre Director at the Pavilion, said: “The Pavilion Theatre, Trafalgar Theatres and the panto cast are all delighted to support HopScotch Children’s Charity and hopefully the proceeds from our two charity performances will help spread some festive cheer this Christmas.”
*Beauty and the Beastie is on at The Glasgow Pavilion Theatre show from November 28 to January 12.
