Larry Lamb has opened up about his tough upbringing at the hands of a father who ‘bullied him’ – but admits proudly as he chats candidly with son George that he has ‘broken the cycle’…
Larry admits his son George delivers some ‘hard truths’(Image: Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
Larry Lamb may be best known as level-headed dad Mick in Gavin & Stacey, but the actor says his own path to fatherhood hasn’t been so simple. Born in Middlesex, the 77-year-old had a turbulent childhood, raised by a verbally abusive father – previously admitting that he “lived in fear” growing up.
Sitting down with OK! for an exclusive chat alongside his son George, 45, with whom he has been an armchair critic on Gogglebox, Larry says he was worried about his abilities to raise children before he finally “broke the cycle”.
The pair have a very tight relationship(Image: Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images)
“If you are not fathered well, you’re not going to be a good father yourself. You’re just not. So, of course that was a worry,” says Larry. As well as George he also has three daughters – Vanessa, 56, who he isn’t in contact with, and Eloise, 26, and Eva, 22, whose mother is Clare Burt, who he split up with in 2014.
Crediting George’s mum Linda Martin, who he split up with in 1996, for his ability to become a great father to his three youngest children, Larry says, “She cut the cycle because my poor old dad was bullied by his dad and was passing it on to me. So, she realised that was not going to allow George and me to flourish – and she stepped in. So, big points to Linda. She broke the cycle and made sure it didn’t happen again.”
George adds, “My mum did a lot of the heavy lifting when I was little. She was the disciplinarian. So that meant that me and my dad got to be friends, you know? While that was tough on Mum, the good news is, me and Dad got to be mates, despite it all – and that was quite beautiful.”
Gavin & Stacey icon Larry recently said he’d ‘quit acting’ aside from minor roles(Image: Alan Chapman/Dave Benett/Getty I)
Clearly enjoying a close relationship, Larry and George say they’ve both taken life lessons from one another. “I feel loved unconditionally by my dad and that’s a really nice feeling, says George. “It feels very grounding, very safe.” Larry adds, “That’s it. Too often, love is transactional, but there’s no transaction between me and George or any of our family.”
Chatty and relaxed as we talk, the duo crack jokes with each other like it’s second nature. But Larry admits he hasn’t always been so happy-go-lucky. It was only when he hit 60, he says, that he let go of some heavy emotional baggage.
“As you get older, you don’t take things for granted any more,” he says. “That’s what went on in my life – if good things came along, I was taking them for granted. Now, I realise that I’m actually very fortunate if things are going well for me.”
He doesn’t look back on his past with regret, however. “It’s a big enough deal to realise that you’ve not done things as sensibly as you might have, so there’s no point in having regrets,” says Larry. “You’ve just got to get on with it and arm yourself with that knowledge, make yourself a better person.”
George believes his dad has ‘mellowed’ with age(Image: Elephant House)
George has noticed a shift in his dad, saying he has become softer with age. “I’ve got little sisters who are 20 years younger than me and their dad and my dad are different. Even though he was the same person, he was a very different dad,” he explains, saying his siblings got a “lighter” version of Larry.
But in many ways, the pair seem alike and with such similar personalities, it’s no surprise that George ended up following his father into showbiz. Fronting shows such as The Bank Job and Big Brother’s Little Brother, George was one of TV ’s rising stars. But the former TV and radio presenter – who, laughing, admits people approach him in the street to ask how ‘Mick’ is doing – did quite the 360 in recent years, turning his sights towards regenerative farming.
He now co-owns food and farming company Wildfarmed and clearly has no regrets about ducking out of the limelight. “I had lots of amazing experiences in showbusiness, but a lot of the time I didn’t know why I was doing what I was doing,” he says. “Now, I get up every day and understand my purpose. With Wildfarmed, we’re trying to grow food in a way that works in harmony with nature rather than against it. So, it makes me feel good every day. I feel blessed.”
“George has changed now,” Larry interjects proudly. “He’s got a real sense of value knowing what he’s doing and why. It’s a joy to see him in his mid-forties and a new man compared to when he was working in showbiz. He’s hit something that’s clearly driving him.”
Larry says his son is a ‘new man’ since he quit showbiz and started farming(Image: Shared Content Unit)
George and Larry evidently enjoy each other’s company and are working alongside National Rail on its 36 Questions To Connect campaign, designed to encourage travellers to get to know friends and family they’re taking train journeys with better. While they may have thought they already knew each other well, they say they learned even more through the questions during a recent journey.
“You know what’s baffling about my dad?” George asks. “He’s been on Earth for a long time and he’s lived a very full life so, even though you think you’ve heard all his stories a thousand times, every time we hang out I’m like, ‘Wow, this is a new bit.’”
With one of the questions asking for one quality they admire in each other, Larry told George on their train trip that it was his honesty. “He does give me some hard truths!” says Larry. “Whether you like it or not, you’ll get honesty from George. But I’m fortunate that I’ve got somebody who does that – you need it.”
George adds, “I’m always honest – I don’t want surface- level relationships. There’s enough of that in the world and I certainly don’t want that with my loved ones – and someone has to keep my dad in check!”
