Kelvin Fletcher has described filming The All New Monty as “like a stag do”, and said it was “life changing”.
The former Emmerdale star will be joined by stars including snooker champion Willie Thorne and Love Island winner Jack Fincham, as well as Strictly Come Dancing professional Gorka Marquez and Crimewatch’s Rav Wilding, to strip off on television to raise awareness of testicular and prostate cancer.
The soap star told ITV’s Lorraine: “I was a little bit unsure when I was asked to do this naturally, baring all.
“Yes, it’s in the name of sending out a great message and an important message, but it’s still getting your kit off in front of millions of people.
“But a friend of mine did it last year or the year before, and he says it’s the best job he’s every done and I think that was enough for me.
“I spoke with the producers and I understood what the message is and what the show was about, and I can honestly say it’s one of the best things I’ve ever done.
“It was life changing at moments. The team I did it with were just fantastic, I’ve met friends for life and it was just amazing.
“I can’t wait to see it go out because we spent six weeks with each other and at times it felt like a stag do, we were getting on so well.
“We flew to Rome, giving a bit of a spoiler away there, we filmed in Rome and it was just amazing.”
Fletcher added it was unlikely he would return to the role of Andy Sugden on the ITV soap that made him famous, saying: “It’s a terrific show, coincidentally it started winning awards since I left.
“Maybe it’s a good thing I don’t go back, because since I’ve been gone its gone from strength to strength.
“It’s a fantastic show and richly deserves the awards they are receiving now, but for me I’ve very much moved on and I want to pursue other things.
“If I did go back in the future, who knows, but I think for me what I want at the minute, Emmerdale is something I’ve already experienced and I kind of wanted to move on and do other things.”
The All New Monty will air on ITV later this year.