It began as a lockdown activity, but wild swimming has changed Greg Hemphill and Julie Wilson Nimmo in ways they could never have imagined.
The actors have been entertaining audiences for years in a host of memorable roles, from Chewin’ The Fat and Still Game to Scot Squad and Balamory. But getting in the freezing water for their documentary series, Jules And Greg’s Wild Swim, saw them being themselves on camera for the first time.
© Supplied by BBCIt proved to be a surprise hit and now it’s back for a second series, but the couple admit having no acting roles to hide behind took some getting used to.
Julie said: “It’s much more nerve-wracking to be on camera as Julie Wilson Nimmo than to be wearing a costume and playing a part. The fact I’m doing it with Greg really helps though and we always check in on each other.
“I don’t think we ever cut about thinking we would do something like this – the idea never entered our minds – we were just getting into wild swimming to do something together and feel better again during Covid.”
Greg added: “I think it might have felt strange putting ourselves out there if we weren’t doing something we love as much as we do. We didn’t feel like we were presenters – we were cutting about in our joggies and with uncombed hair, meeting like-minded people.”
Jules And Greg’s Wild Swim, series two
Series two sees the pair travel to the islands to meet the even hardier wild swimmers in those communities.
“The swims are even wilder,” Greg said. “Sometimes, on the Atlantic side – like on Lewis, Harris and Barra – those swims were incredible, and we’d never seen anything like it. That was super-exciting and we had amazing people taking us to these incredible spots.”
© Supplied by BBCJoining them in the first episode, on Barra, are their sons Benny and Chevy.
Greg said: “We didn’t want the show to become The Osbournes. It was more about practicality, as we couldn’t get Bonnie, our dog, onto some of the ferries. It’s not that the show is going to pivot into reality TV. First and foremost, it will always be about the people we meet and the places we go, but it was funny having the boys there and having to deal with their cheek – we can’t shout at them as we would in the house because we’re on camera!”
“The boys do come swimming with us, especially Benny, who loves it,” Julie said.
“We’re very protective towards family, so it was a one-off. Their patter’s great and they loved the crew. It was sad to see them go. We miss Bonnie more when she’s away though! Her fans might be disappointed that she isn’t in the rest of the series, but she’ll be making a comeback if we get to do series three.”
© Supplied by BBCGreg and Julie decided to renew their wedding vows at the historic Italian Chapel in Orkney to mark 25 years of marriage.
“It was totally ad-hoc,” Julie smiled. “One of our cameramen, Sean, mentioned his parents were married there, so then I began romanticising. Benny and Chevy know, but the rest of the family don’t. My mum missed our first wedding and now she’s missed our second, but it was such a romantic spot and it was right next to where we had a beautiful swim, so it felt right.”
© Supplied by BBCGreg added: “We’ve always been spontaneous – we eloped and got married in Las Vegas – so to be spontaneous again was fun.” He says that going swimming in Scotland in his 50s has been a reminder of what we can achieve and to not be limited by age.
He said: “The biggest thing for me is I used to get really down when the clocks went back in October, but swimming has levelled the playing field and now all the seasons are equal. I used to love the spring, knowing we were coming into good weather, then June 21 came and it started to get darker again and psychologically you feel you’re heading towards winter. But all of that is gone now because we can swim anytime, and we love it. If anything, summer is the least interesting time because the water is at its warmest.
“It’s flipped all that on its head. It’s made me more inclined to say yes to things rather than no.”
New Year
This is a busy period for the couple. They are hosting a one-off show on Radio Scotland on January 1 playing music and looking back at past New Years, while Greg also has Queen Of The New Year, the sketch show he does with Robert Florence, which is back for its fourth Hogmanay.
Julie said: “We had such a laugh doing the radio show together – Greg and I are never in competition with each other, so it was really nice. The hard part was getting it down to eight songs each. It took me five days!”
© Supplied by BBCGreg added: “It’s starting to feel like Queen Of The New Year has its own identity. I hadn’t written sketches for a long time, so it was about working old muscles. It’s pretty special in terms of the TV schedule, so when we were asked to do it a few years ago, we jumped at it.”
Jules And Greg’s Wild Swim – The Island Adventure, BBC Scotland, January 6, 9pm. Queen Of The New Year, BBC One Scotland, Hogmanay, 11pm, and Jules And Greg’s New Year, Radio Scotland, Jan 1, 11am
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