“The Trip? It’s kind of a scam”

Words: Michael Hogan
Photographs: Simon Emmett
Styling: Gareth Scourfield

Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon took contrasting approaches to their 60th birthday celebrations last year. Coogan tackled the physical challenge of conquering Mount Kilimanjaro, overcoming extreme altitude at nearly 20,000 feet. Brydon, well, didn’t. “Rob threw a big celebrity birthday party,” says Coogan. “I decided to climb the highest peak in Africa. That sort of sums it up.”

“Tell him about the seating plan at my 60th,” says Brydon with mischief in his eyes. “Well, there wasn’t one,” says Coogan. “It was a sit-where-you-like deal. I was told this while I was in the gents and suddenly thought, ‘Christ, I’ve got to get a decent table, so I don’t get trapped between two of Rob’s…” “Welsh relatives?” offers Brydon with a chuckle. “No, not necessarily,” insists Coogan. “I’m sure they’d be more interesting than some of your famous friends.”

“Steve told me he’d never peed so fast in his adult life,” says Brydon. Coogan acknowledges this with a proud grin: “It was like I was 16 again. Fast as a jet. And I ended up on a lovely table with Julia Davis and David Mitchell, so it was win-win.”

Now that his VIP bash is out of the way, is Brydon tempted to spend a week trekking up a dormant volcano in Tanzania? “Not with my knees,” he shrugs. “But then I’m not battling with my demons.” “I was and I beat them,” laughs Coogan. “Demons’ bodies are now scattered all over Kilimanjaro.”

Ageing is a recurring theme for the longtime friends and fellow funnymen – both in real life and in their latest show. They’ve reunited with writer-director Michael Winterbottom for a fifth series of award-winning comedy The Trip. Six years since their Grecian escapades, The Trip to the Northern Lights finds the pair swapping the sun-soaked Med for the rugged majesty of Northern Europe. What follows is a daft and delicious six-part tour through Scandinavia in search of fine food, nourishing conversation and, of course, a glimpse of the elusive aurora borealis.

They compare themselves to retired criminals, lured out of their law-abiding dotage for one last job. What tempted them back? “It’s Michael’s fault,” says Brydon. “We’ve been collaborating for two decades – not just on The Trip but on films like 24 Hour Party People and A Cock and Bull Story.” “The latter was what originally prompted The Trip,” says Coogan. “One day, we couldn’t shoot outside due to rain, so we went into the makeup trailer to film what’s called wet weather cover. We improvised a scene. It was very funny and led Michael to come up with the idea of a travelogue. The rest is history, Trip-wise.”

Brydon picks up the story: “Michael suggested doing another and, because of the six-year gap, it felt like we’d got something new to say.” “We’ve accumulated more life experience,” agrees Coogan. “It’s about leaning into ageing in a funny way.” The brooding Swedish and Norwegian backdrops – from wild mountains to glacial fjords, from pine forests to remote fishing huts – suit the reflective mood.

“It’s perfect because we’d done sunny series in Italy, Spain and Greece,” says Brydon. “This looks very different. The settings are breathtaking.” Their odyssey begins by driving over the Øresund Bridge from Denmark to Sweden and ends with them in the Arctic Circle. Along the way, they deliver their trademark blend of celebrity impressions, professional rivalry and playful introspection. How close to reality are their personas in The Trip?

“They’re an exaggeration,” says Brydon. “I play the people-pleasing entertainer, which is half-true.” “I play pretentious sanctimony, which is also half-true,” says Coogan. “They’re cranked-up versions of ourselves.” “If you were really sitting in on our interactions, there would be no impressions and no competitive sniping,” points out Brydon. The former is fair – they don’t slip into a single impersonation during our chat – but there’s plenty of good-humoured one-upmanship today.

When Coogan mentions watching more history documentaries than comedy, Brydon intones, “A very deep man. A serious man. That’s the Steve I’ll remember. We’ll now sing hymn number 374.” When I ask about Alan Partridge, Brydon exclaims, “Oh, that’s where I’ve seen you!” He also sneaks in a dig when discussing the huge ratings success of sitcom Gavin & Stacey, in which he played the much-loved Uncle Bryn. “I don’t think Steve will ever experience being in a show which is watched by that many people. No need to reply, Steve. Your tacit agreement is written all over your face.”

The Trip to the Northern Lights is full of musings on midlife and mortality. It was filmed last summer when Brydon had just turned 60 but Coogan, as he repeatedly mentions, was “still very much 59”. “I’m only a few months older,” protests Brydon. “My birthday’s in May, yours is October.” “October 14th,” confirms Coogan. “I share mine with Cliff Richard and Roger Moore.” “Which seems fitting,” nods Brydon. “Just deal with it,” says Coogan. “You’ll always be five months older than me.” Brydon admits defeat: “I know, there’s no escaping it.”

The series takes them to Michelin-starred restaurants, but they confess that fine dining is wasted on them. “This might sound like sacrilege, but the food is an afterthought because we’re sat there, trying to work out what we’re going to say,” says Brydon. “We also eat every course three times to shoot enough coverage. Each time you’re going, ‘Mmm, lovely!’ but it blurs into one. We ate whale, reindeer and Arctic hare this time. Like most things, they tend to taste like chicken.”

A running gag sees Coogan correct anyone who refers to them as friends, preferring “colleagues”. Which are they in real life? “Definitely friends,” says Brydon in a moment of sincerity. “I’m hugely fond of Steve.” “As I am of Rob,” says Coogan. “We don’t see each other much socially but we are friends. One of the benefits of The Trip is a chance to catch up.”

Their bickering in the series extends to Bafta wins (Coogan has seven to Brydon’s one) and Brydon’s MBE. “It was announced when we were on the Amalfi coast, filming The Trip to Italy,” he recalls. “Michael got everyone together for rooftop drinks. Because some of the crew were Italian, I hammed it up and said, ‘Ladies and gentlemen, in our country, when someone is of exceptional value and importance, that person is rewarded. I’m pleased to tell you that I’ve been made a Member of the Order of the British Empire…’ Steve had a glass of Champagne and he went pshhhht! and spat it out. His timing was exquisite.”

During the show, Coogan claims he would decline any such honours. “Royal gongs aren’t my scene, whereas Baftas are awarded by your peers,” he deadpans. “I have never turned down a knighthood, but would I? You’ll have to wait and see.”

Differences between the duo include their attitudes to fame. “I’m uncomfortable being recognised, but Rob is intuitively sociable and puts people at ease,” says Coogan. “If we’re out together, people often spot Rob and I’ll end up taking pics of him with fans. It’s only when I’m holding their phone that they belatedly recognise me.” He’s developed tactics to go incognito: “I pull my hat down and try to avoid eye contact with middle-class, middle-aged white men because that’s my demographic. Most other people look straight through me.”

Both remain in high demand. Brydon has just wrapped on new BBC sitcom Bill’s Included, starring as a divorcee who rents his spare rooms to students. Coogan is busy filming season four of The White Lotus: “It’s set at the Cannes festival and I play a sexually ambiguous film director.” “I thought you were working out for it?” asks Brydon, checking out his physique. “I was, because I had to jump off a yacht wearing Speedos. Straight after, I was back on the carbs,” says Coogan happily.

Are plans afoot for another Trip? “It’s entirely down to Michael Winterbottom,” says Brydon. “Whether it happens and where it would be set. We just get told and we go.” Steve still can’t believe their good fortune. “At the start, even Rob and I were sceptical about the whole concept,” he says. “I kept telling Michael, ‘The Trip is not an idea. This is an absence of an idea. You’ll be lucky to get one strong half hour out of it.’ Now we’ve done five series, so all credit to Michael. Someone pays us a wage to go to spectacular places and we just have to make up some stuff. It’s kind of a scam.” Long may they keep scamming

Travel tips from The Trip 

How do you beat jet lag?
Rob: I’ve always suffered terribly from jet lag. I tend to take Night Nurse to stay asleep at the other end. There’s also an app called Timeshifter where you put in your flight details.
Steve: Do you take Day Nurse to stay up?
Rob: Just the Night Nurse. I’m not an animal.
Steve: I don’t have a magic bullet, I’m afraid. If I feel sleepy, I just crash out and wake at a ridiculous unsociable hour. But you can just answer some emails. That’s my top tip.

What one item do you always take abroad?
Rob: We love Peanuts in my family – the comic strip, as well as the legume – and not long ago, my eldest daughter bought me a little Snoopy nightlight. I’ve started taking that everywhere with me, plugging it in by the bed and sending her a photo, saying, “Hey, Snoopy’s in Sydney!” or “Look, Snoopy’s in LA.” That’s a good answer, Steve, isn’t it?
Steve: Yeah, very touching. A few years ago, my daughter bought me an iPhone and I always, always take that.
Rob: It’s true, that never leaves his side.
Steve: It’s such a good iPhone that it brings a tear to my eye, knowing that she bought it for me.
Rob: How poignant.

What makes the best holiday souvenir?
Rob: I think you get more into keepsakes as you get older. When I was younger, I wasn’t bothered. Now I like to bring a little something back. My home office is full of mementoes from my travels: little figurines, posters, a chess set…
Steve: I often buy a little painting by a local artist. Something highbrow like that. Rob likes to fill every inch of wall space, whereas I prefer a more cultured approach.
Rob: But I don’t have my awards on show. So there is a degree of humility with me. I’ve got a lovely little model of a character I played in an Aardman film, Early Man.
Steve: I’ve got a Norfolk Bravery Award that Alan Partridge won. It’s fake, but I like it.

What’s one question that you’d like to ask a pilot?
Rob: I’d ask if I could sit in the cockpit while going through turbulence. I’d like to know what that feels like.
Steve: How long have you been flying?

What’s been your best travel experience with work?
Rob: All The Trips, of course. Making my country music documentary series, Honky Tonk Road Trip, was great. It was the sort of thing I would have paid to do anyway, plus we had special access to all sorts of places. Also Australia and New Zealand. I had no intention of going there and couldn’t understand what the fuss was about. But 22 years ago, I made Supernova – a sitcom that nobody remembers, filmed in Sydney – and fell in love. Now I find any excuse to go Down Under.
Steve: So how does your wife feel about Sydney?
Rob: She’s never liked him but she’s learned to become more tolerant.
Steve: For me, it was while we were filming Around the World in Eighty Days. The Chinese military shut down the Great Wall of China so I could walk along it. It was at dawn with the sun rising. The crew hid themselves and I felt all alone. That was a memorable day at work.

The Trip to the Northern Lights launches on Sky and NOW in early December in the UK and Ireland