When Only an Excuse was pulled from the Hogmanay schedule in 2020, it left a hole in New Year traditions across Glasgow.
The comedy sketch show saw Jonathon Watson and his co-stars feature impressions of Scottish football’s well known faces - as well as caricatures of the ‘stereotypical’ Old Firm fan.
Gracing our screens every Hogmanay from 1993 until its eventual end, the show had grown to become an expected part of our evening on December 31. It’s been two years since we last saw an episode, so where are the cast now?
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Jonathan Watson
Star of the show, Jonathan’s impressions of Scottish football greats such as Denis Law and Sir Alex Ferguson are remembered to this day.
These days, most would probably recognise him from Two Doors Down where he plays Colin. A few years ago, he appeared on stage at the King’s Theatre in Glasgow as King Hector in the pantomime of Jack and the Beanstalk.
Tony Roper
Best known for writing The Steamie, Tony is now 81-years-old and has taken a step back from the limelight.
In 2013, he received treatment for prostate cancer and got the all clear later that same year. His autobiography, I’ll No Tell You Again, was published in 2014 - with a foreword from Billy Connolly.
Grant Smeaton
Featuring in various British shows including Rab C Nesbitt and Taggart, Grant is another one who spent some time on the stage in Glasgow before taking a step back from show business.
Alistair McGowan
After working on the ITV series Spitting Image, Alistair featured in Only an Excuse from 1996 to 1998.
More recently, he released a debut album featuring piano performances of several short classical pieces. He’s also well known for his environmental work, launching a national recycling campaign in 2004.
In 2009, he bought land in Middlesex along with Emma Thompson to stop the structure of a third runway for Heathrow Airport.
Greg Hemphil
Best known for his appearances on Chewin’ The Fat, Greg also featured in Still Game.
Currently, he stars as Mr Sawdust on CBeebies series Olga da Polga alongside his wife Julie Nimmo. He’s also set to star in a programme about wild swimming with his wife, which will air on New Year’s Day on BBC Scotland.
Lewis MacLeod
Known for his voice acting, Lewis has been known to impersonate Donald Trump, Barack Obama, Paul McCartney and many others.
He’s currently the voice of Postman Pat, replacing Ken Barrie who passed away in 2016. Since 2018, he’s been working on live stage show Paranormal Podcast - which is planned for autumn of 2022.
Gordon Kennedy
Appearing in several dramas, including Red Cap and River City, Gordon’s voice is also known for narrating episodes of the British edition of Kitchen Nightmares.
Alongside his acting career, Kennedy is also a rugby coach with London Wasps.
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