Actor Nicholas Ralph has a simple Christmas wish this year… to spend time with family in Nairn.
Nicholas, who stars as vet James Herriot in the hit Channel 5 remake of All Creatures Great and Small, lives in London, but his heart is clearly in the Highlands.
“I’m hoping everybody is healthy and happy and full of the joys of Christmas,” he said.
“The support I’ve had from the town and the people is brilliant. My friends and family love the fact that I am on TV.
“It’s my Christmas wish to catch up with them all back home.”
They’ll gather to watch the much-anticipated All Creatures Christmas special, which is set during the Second World War and sees Nicholas’s character miles away from his heavily pregnant wife Helen at an RAF training base.
“There’s a real sense of community,” said Nicholas.
“James has been away for four months, so he has built up a huge amount of camaraderie with the other guys.
“He is massively missing home and worrying about Helen… but thank goodness these young men have each other to fall back on and lift each other’s spirits.”
Ingredients for Christmas special
The filming, which wrapped in August, saw Nicholas on location at the Yorkshire Air Museum in Elvington near York.
“It’s preserved as it was during World War II, so it was just like stepping into that world,” said Nicholas.
“It had a huge impact. It was incredible to film there.”
Back in the fictional town of Darrowby, the residents are pulling together to make the best of things and enjoy the festivities.
“It’s all we’ve come to know and love of an All Creatures Christmas special,” he said.
“We all have traditions at home at this time of year.
“But we like to think we have our own traditions – what makes an All Creatures Christmas special.
“There will be a dusting of snow, there will be singing. There will be community rallying round one another.
“We have our Christmas party, albeit smaller because of rationing, and someone is Father Christmas.
“There’s great Christmas spirit, a few laughs along the way and maybe a single tear rolling down a cheek.
“All that lovely stuff, and lots of animals.”
Highland upbringing
Nicholas, 33, grew up in Nairn and was a promising footballer with Ross County then Nairn County under-19s before studying acting, firstly at Inverness College.
He shot to fame after securing the part of James Herriot in 2019, his first TV role after graduating from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
“It absolutely changed my life getting this job,” he said.
“I am so lucky. We have an incredible cast, crew and creatives.
“I’m still pinching myself, even now, in between takes. I look around and think: “I can’t quite believe this. It’s just amazing.”
He has four seasons of All Creatures under his belt and the series, based on the novels of Alf Wight, has become one of Channel 5’s biggest shows with 3.7 million viewers.
Scottish invasion
There were so many Scots on set during this season’s filming that it felt like a home from home.
“Neve McIntosh came in to play Miss Harbottle. It was brilliant to get to work with her. She was fantastic,” Nicholas said.
“We had director Stewart Svaasand in too directing three episodes.
“Hearing Scottish accents on set is a taste of home, absolutely fantastic.”
His film credits include playing a young CS Lewis in The Most Reluctant Convert and appearing as Father Raymond in horror movie Prey for the Devil. His mum and dad keep cuttings and interviews.
“They are incredibly proud of what I’m doing,” he said.
“They love the show and have been to the set a couple of times.
“They have a pile of magazines, newspapers and clippings at home… but they haven’t made it into a scrapbook yet.”
Award-winning voice performance
He won an Audie award for his recording work on the All Creatures audiobooks and has not long completed the last book, Every Living Thing, which is now available for download.
He said: “It’s sad that it’s the final one but it’s a lot of fun.
“People think it must be easy doing an audio book, but it’s hard work.
“Voicing the characters is my favourite bit. There are so many different characters and it takes a lot of preparation.
“There are about 150 different Yorkshire farmers to voice as well, which is tricky,” he joked.
“But I just love it.”
There is no news as to whether there will be a season five of All Creatures.
“Obviously seasons three and four were commissioned together so we’re just waiting to find out,” he explained.
“We love making it, we love doing it, so fingers crossed we’ll get to do more.”
The All Creatures Great and Small Christmas special airs on Thursday December 21, at 9pm, on Channel 5. Nicholas also appears in All Creatures Great and Small: Yorkshire Vet Special, which celebrates the work of James Herriot, on Channel 5 at 8pm the same night.
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