Hounded

Rufus Hound, the star of Celebrity Juice, Argumental and Outtake TV, is about to launch into space in his own sitcom for CBBC, Hounded...

Hi Rufus. Why have you opted to star in a childrens' show...

When you ask people about the TV shows that they love - not just like a lot, but love - then it's always the stuff they watched as young people.

Telly for kids gives them something to really love because they don't have the cynicism that adults have. I wanted to make something that this generation of kids could love as much as I loved Dogtanian And The Muskahounds, Lost Cities Of Gold, Willie Fogg, or Trapdoor.

So how did you find the transition from TV presenter to actor?

Well, I'll let other people decide whether that's been successful. For my part, I did a lot of drama, and stuff like that, when I was at school and college, so I remembered what I'd learnt then and tried my best.

To be honest, Colin McFarlane (Doctor Muhahaha), Eva Alexander (Gill) and Colin Ryan (Barry) were incredibly supportive. I just hope I don't let them down.

So who is the Rufus in the show?

I play Rufus Hound, the presenter of new CBBC science show FunLab. However, on my first day at work, my future self (played by the brilliant Steve Wickham) blasts me through the multiverse, gives me a couple of things I might need and then I'm off, to stop the evil Dr Muhahaha from taking over the Earth with one of his diabolical schemes.

These range from unleashing an army of Ninja teddy bear clones to sucking all humankind through the back of their sofas. And it's up to me to stop him. Not that I want to, really. It just appears that I'm the only one who can, which is actually quite annoying.

In the show you also play evil Rufus, a cloned version of yourself. What was it like playing the bad guy?

Well, now you strike to the nub of it. Playing myself was a bit weird because you don't really feel like an actor - which is just as well, because I'm not one, really. However, being someone who isn't really me meant I had to give it a go.

I've seen lots of actors talk about watching themselves and hating it. David Mitchell explained that it's because every choice you've made is just so obvious to you that you're not really intrigued by it, as you are by those other actors who aren't you. So, in a nut shell, it was good fun, but I don't really know if it's any good.

What was your favourite episode?

I really liked the episode where Dr Mu - as we call him for short - organises an X Factor-style competition for the galaxy's super-heroes. We borrowed the Richmond Theatre to film it in and had loads of folks dressed as superheroes knocking about.

It was amazing. However, the best bit was playing football in the park at lunchtime. No-one took their costumes off, so it was like watching the FA cup live from Krypton.

Now you've got a taste for saving the multiverse is it true that you quite fancy a stint in the TARDIS? And, if so, would you make a good Doctor?

Crumbs, I don't know. It seems to me each Doctor has to make the part his own, so it's not so much a case of what I'd be good at, as much as it is that the people making that show decide that what the Doctor really needs is a regeneration into a tired-looking, tubby bloke with a seventies 'tash. Rest assured, when they realise that's exactly what the Doctor needs, you'll find me in the TARDIS.