The Larkins actor Bradley Walsh wishes he could have lived in the ’50s for real

A grin appears across the Doctor Who and Coronation Street actor Bradley Walsh’s animated face as he recalls life on set of The Larkins.

“The city is great, but there’s something wonderful about the English countryside,” says Walsh, 62.

“It’s fantastic! I love it there. I get to drive the tractors, I get to drive the combine, all that stuff…We have a resident pig there, we call him Phil – I’m not even sure it’s a he…” confesses Walsh.

With filming for the show, which begins its second series this evening, taking place on a farm near Sevenoaks, country life – and the accompanying short commute to work from his accommodation – holds a strong appeal for Walsh.

“I’m of an age where I can’t sit in traffic. I haven’t got long to live,” jokes the actor.

Written by Bafta-nominated screenwriter Simon Nye (Finding Alice, The Durrells), the series is adapted from HE Bates’s best-selling novels. Every inch a Darling Buds Of May reboot, the show is once again set in the 1950s.

“I would have loved to have lived in the 50s – I just think that would have been the most wonderful, wonderful time,” admits Walsh.

Going on to describe the way in which the show’s underlying sensibilities permeates his own life, Walsh says the sense of community is “very evocative of an ideal age”.

A warm-hearted tale infused with comedy, the show follows the meandering exploits of the Larkin family – working-class wheeler-dealers who embrace rural life to the full.

Appearing alongside Bafta award-winning Notes On A Scandal star Joanna Scanlan, the pair take on the roles of much-loved Pop and Ma Larkin respectively. Walsh’s own offspring, Barney Walsh is set to reprise his role as PC Harness. With Walsh noting the pair actually share very few scenes, the duo’s appearance comes off the back of the success of their ITV travel series Bradley & Barney Walsh: Breaking Dad.

Having recently returned from filming in Guatemala, Walsh describes it as a show that sees son Barney “trying to throw me off a mountain”. The actor’s fondness for the next generation of talent is clear to see.

As for whether he had any advice for actors entering the industry?

“Anyone who asks for any advice – what you should do, what you shouldn’t do – here’s the thing,” says Walsh. “If you enjoy the job you do, you will never do a day’s work in your life. It’s as simple as that. It truly is.”

The Larkins, ITV1, tonight, 8pm