Stampers - The Graham Cole Fansite & PC Tony Stamp Appreciation Society

Newspaper Interviews

NICKED BY THE BILL

The Sun, Monday November 8, 1999

"A BOY fleeing police on a stolen bicycle pedalled into a TV shoot - and was nicked by TELLY cops from The Bill. Stars Graham Cole, 47, and Matthew Crompton, 24 - who play PCs Tony Stamp and Sam Harker - leapt from a patrol car to grab the lad, who first mistook them for REAL bobbies.

The actors held the 14-rear-old until genuine police arrived at an industrial estate in Mitcham. South London. where scenes for the ITV cop show were being shot. A Bill insider said yesterday: "The kid's eyes almost popped when he saw al the police uniforms on the film set.

"Graham and Matthew were quick off the mark. They cornered him, said the game was up and made a citizen's arrest." Actors and crew had been warned to keep an eye out by two cops hunting the youngster. The officers - a woman sarge and a PC - had originally been sent to ensure there were no traffic problems during last Sunday's shoot. But a driver with a small boy stopped to ask Sgt Jackie Lover if she had seen anyone on a bike nicked from his son. Ten minutes later she did - and yelled: "Get off." But the lad pedalled off. She contacted colleague PC Mark Cranwell. who then sent a radio SOS to the actors and TV crew. A Scotland Yard spokeswoman said: "The boy must have thought police had set up a roadblock specially for him."

A boy of 14 was bailed to appear in court accused of theft."

STAMP OF APPROVAL

Publication and date unknown

"THE BILL's PC Tony Stamp has always been one of TV's best coppers.

He might be as subtle as a stampeding police horse but be is just the sort of large and reliable officer you would want In an emergency.

Until last night, that Is, when his life fell apart on ITV after he knocked down and killed a pedestrian while rushing to save WPC Polly Page from a violent drunk. Rumour swept Sun Hill that Stamp was racing to beat fast lady WPC Picky Hagen to the scene and he found himself facing a charge of causing death by dangerous driving. Graham Cole's portrayal of the stunned Stamp was superb. His devastation at the death was quickly replaced by anger as be saw his proud career beginning to slip away from him. If the new hour-long editions of The Bill are all up to this standard, then there is plenty of life in it yet."

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ME & MY HEALTH - GRAHAM COLE

Wednesday, September 9, 1998

ACTOR Graham Cole, 46, plays bachelor PC Tony Stamp in ITV's The Bill. He is a dedicated family man and has been married to ex-model Cherry for 15 years. They have two children, Matthew, 15, and Laura, 13, and live in Bromley, Kent. Now much sleep do you need? Very little. I can actually sleep anywhere, thanks to my rep days when I was doing back-to-backs. I tend to go to bed before 11 o'clock.

How do you feel first thing in the morning?
I'm one of the most boring people. I only have two states - awake and asleep. There is nothing in between. When we are filming I have to be in by 7.30am, so I get up at 5.30 and I will be singing and whistling and all that stuff. I've never understood how anyone can wake up and be in a mood.

What exercise do you take?
We've got all the gear at home, including sit-down bikes so you don't do your back in and one of these new ski machine things that won't injure your joints. I used to jog but was always being recognised, so I stopped. Usually the women shout: "Nice legs!" which, I suppose, is a compliment. Most of the men say: "He's got away!" I play a lot of tennis and charity cricket. I'm not a lover of football although I went To the same school as Glenn Hoddle. In The Bill we used to have a little gym but it was disbanded in case we did ourselves an injury.

Are you careful about what you eat?
I'm supposed to be. My wife's a vegetarian. The problem when you're filming is that it's always there - breakfast, lunch, afternoon teas and the like. And because you're acting. even though you're not hungry, you tend to eat. And seeing as television companies never give you anything, it's almost part of my fee, so I eat as much as I can!

Do you ever go on a diet?
Not really. I always use the excuse that I have to eat for my character. He's a bachelor, so he eats lots of curries. If I ever lose the role, I'm going to have to get very slim very quickly. Have you ever been in hospital? My character never gives up, so he tends to jump over fences and walls. I've been in hospital about 10 times for stitches and sprains and various other things. Cherry's used to getting a phone call saying: "He'll be a couple of hours late." No-one has been through the river at the back of the studio as mach as my character.

Do you believe in alternative therapy?
I'm very interested in alternatives, like self-hypnosis. So I try all that. And I do a lot of yoga.

How often do you consult your doctor?
Quite a lot, because of the car driving. And I like to do some pro-am racing during the season, so you have to have check-ups for insurance. I'm in there quite a lot.

What is your worst health problem?
Tinnitus, which I've had for about four years and it's getting worse. It's really affecting me now, so perhaps it's time to visit the Royal Institute for the Deaf. The experts think it could have been caused by rugby-playing, or from my time in the pits, with the engines revving There's always been guns and bombs in and around the stage, too, and you never know if you've been too close at any one time. It's very annoying - it's the last thing you hear at night and the first thing you hear in the morning.

Do you catch a cold most winters?
I never really get colds and 'flu. I've always taken Men's Formula, which comes in a capsule with zinc and other ingredients in it . I tend to get cold sores, which can be a problem for the make-tip artists.

Do you look after your skin?
I always use Oil of Ulay in the mornings.

Do you take more care of yourself as you get older?
No.

TV WORLD- PC STAMP FITS THE BILL! Sunday Magazine, Sunday, August 10, 1997 ACTOR GRAHAM COLE has spent 10 years pounding TV's Sun Hill but as Constable Tony Stamp in The Bill. But he admits it's hard for him to feel he's ever off duty. "I've always been a workaholic," he says. "And I want to work harder. I'm a nightmare at home when thing: are a bit quiet for me on the show." Quieter moments are something that can't be avoided in a programme with a cast of 30. "The way The Bill is made means that you might be in the background for a while," explains Graham, who's 45. "I love the job and the team are fantastic to work with. But I need to work hard and be in the middle of the action to be happy. Like all actors, I have a large ego. If Stamp Is on the backburner, I just hate it -and it's hell for my family, too." This week, viewers will see Stamp in a high-speed chase when he and Quinnan - played by Andrew Paul - follow two violent off-licence robbers who manage to give them the slip. On screen, Stamp is a bachelor, but in reality Graham is a dedicated family man. He has been married to ex-model Cherry, who's 41, for 14 years, but they've been together for 24 years. The couple have two children -Matthew, 13, and Laura, 12. And away from the set, the actor can often be seen charging up the aisles of his local supermarket in Bromley, Kent. "I'm a real modern-day husband," he claims. "I like to do the shopping and the cooking. "I'm pretty good about the house - so long as I'm in the middle of a juicy plot at work!" Graham is determined that his family enjoy all the perks of his job. So when he has to travel, he makes sure that Cherry and the kids go, too. This summer, the amity spent three weeks in Australia while Graham was promoting the show as The Bill is watched by millions Down Under. "I have never gone away without my wife or the kids," he says. "What's the point? If I get to go somewhere fantastic, they should be able to enjoy it as well." He's careful never to take his lifestyle for granted. "I've been on some exciting holidays. We've seen Disney a few times and some tropical places, too. "Hawaii is one of my favourites - it's like paradise. And I loved it so much that I've been back twice." But things haven't always been as good as they are now. When he and Cherry were first married, Graham was a poorly paid actor who used to dread bills landing on his doormat. Now, The Bill means that he doesn't have to worry. But the TV cop does have one major problem-he learnt three years ago that he might be going deaf. "The doctors told me I had tinnitus and that I could lose my hearing," he says. Graham was fitted with a hearing aid, but he hears a noise in his ears from the time he wakes up until going to bed. "I can't get away from it," he says. "I just distract myself from it as much as I can."	A scan of the original article - (106kb)
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