British celebs David Walliams and Noel Fielding have been friends for 20 years.
British celebs David Walliams and Noel Fielding have been friends for 20 years.
Opinion by
How often does Christchurch get three high-profile British celebrities visiting? David Walliams, Noel Fielding and Prince Harry all hit town this week - but only two shared a suite.
In an exclusive interview with The Diary yesterday, Walliams, the high-profile comedian, TV star, actor and children's book author, confided thathe stayed in the same Christchurch suite as Prince Harry at The George Hotel, much to Fielding's chagrin. And he's determined to leave his Langham Hotel suite in Auckland and take in the sights of the Viaduct, despite the dreary weather.
Walliams is visiting our shores as part of the Auckland Writers Festival. His seven children's books, which have been translated into 40 languages, are a huge hit here with the highest sales in any country outside of Britain, where he has sold four million books alone.
Last year, he reportedly made 7million ($14.7 million) from the sales of his books.
"In New Zealand, the books are the biggest selling outside of the UK," he says proudly. Walliams reckons the high sales are because he has a presence on the telly here, and New Zealand has a shared culture with Britain and strong word-of-mouth.
Gathering from the hordes of little people at his Word Christchurch book reading on Thursday, Walliams' following is undeniable. The event sold out within 24 hours, and queues of fans waited 90 minutes for a personal meeting and book signing. His Auckland event this morning is a sellout, too.
"Kids are a tough audience, you know. They'll let you know if they don't like the book, and they won't sit through and read it. Winning their trust is a wonderful thing," he said.
Walliams says he writes stories that children can relate to. Often they are topics not traditionally geared to kids, such as gender identity.
"I wrote The Boy and the Dress [his debut novel] about a boy who wanted to wear a dress. It's about what it is to be different.
"I found that it was a book that kids could connect to."
The BBC did too, and they made a television adaptation which screened at Christmas.
Inspiration can strike anywhere. Ratburger, he says, was inspired by a contestant on Britain's Got Talent where Walliams appears as a judge.
"There was this guy who could eat live cockroaches. I only met him onstage for two minutes but it gave me some inspiration, and later I wrote Ratburger," he said.
Walliams is nothing if not fun.
On hearing his old friend Fielding - a British comedian and musician - is in Christchurch too, Walliams plans a surprise visit.
He tells The Diary: "I've known Noel for 20 years. We're friends and we see each other from time to time back in Britain, but I didn't know he was performing in New Zealand.
"When they told me on Thursday night that my event had sold out and that they could have put on another event at the bigger venue in Christchurch but Noel Fielding was performing there, well, I thought I'd drop in and say hi.
"I caught the second half of his act, after my event had finished.
"It was brilliant. It was the last night of his tour and it was great to surprise him," Walliams said.
But don't forget who is the bigger star.
"I missed Prince Harry [he left 24 hours before Walliams arrived in Christchurch]. But Noel says, 'I bet they put you in Prince Harry's bloody suite!' I said, 'They did - as they should'," he laughs uproariously.
Walliams jets out today for Brisbane, then Sydney, before back to Britain and the semifinal heats of Britain's Got Talent.
He said he's determined to get in some of Auckland's sites, which included a quick visit to our harbour yesterday to dine with friends. "You don't want to miss this opportunity because New Zealand is such a beautiful country."
Behaviour befitting a prince. Drat
Harry gets his AB jersey from (centre) Keven Mealamu and Jerome Kaino. Photo / Reuters
Blustery winds and rain were not much of a welcoming party for Prince Harry when he arrived at Auckland's Whenuapai airbase on Thursday afternoon.
He had a quiet night in and away from the press, who have tailed his every move.
Will Harry flirt with a pretty blonde Kiwi? Will he make a cultural faux pas?
Dine out at the Viaduct? Get drunk? Show a wandering eye for a pretty waitress? Foreign media sources tell The Diary the royal tour has been a "dull success". Prince Harry has been a delight, but no royal incidents to report ... so far. That's hardly good for British tabloid business.
Today, the royal redhead will be thinking soccer — meeting our Fifa U-20 team at the Cloud on Auckland's waterfront, and a game of five-a-side footy.
Yesterday, it was former rugby stars. He met ex-All Blacks Sir Colin Meads and Tane Norton, as well as veteran hooker Keven Mealamu at Middlemore Hospital's spinal rehabilitation unit which is supported by the New Zealand Rugby Foundation.
Last night, Harry held official audiences with Labour leader Andrew Little and Prime Minister John Key. Nothing riotous to report from that.
A Government House reception hosted by Governor-General Sir Jerry Mateparae to recognise emergency services followed, but this gave the 30-year-old royal no chance to relax, unwind and kick his feet up.
In Australia, the party prince was seen dining out in Cronulla, chowing down at a burger joint in Fremantle, drinking at a Perth bar and visiting a bakery in NSW.
Auckland's weather yesterday proved most unhelpful for off-royal-duty shenanigans.
His Royal Highness' official tour ends at lunchtime today, and then he is "scheduled" to relax with his own private time before a long-haul flight back to London later tonight where he'll finally get to meet his new niece, Princess Charlotte.
