Meet the celebrities taking part in Gone to Pot: American Road Trip
ITV's new show sees a group of stars touring America in search of answers around marijuana
Scratching your head over the marijuana legalisation debate? Don't worry, Eastenders' Pat Butcher is here to help.
ITV's new documentary Gone to Pot sees a quintet of stars - including Pam St Clement and I'm a Celebrity winner Christopher Biggins - travel through the USA investigating the benefits and drawbacks of legal recreational and medicinal marijuana.
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Pam St Clement
Age: 75
Where have I seen her before? In Eastenders, as Pat Butcher. The soap star appeared in thousands of episodes of the show over a period of 25 and a half years before quitting in 2012.
Christopher Biggins
Age: 68
Where have I seen him before? After an illustrious acting career saw the star in prison sitcom Porridge and the BBC's original Poldark series during the 1970s, Biggins turned his attention to reality TV after the turn of the millennium. He won I'm a Celebrity in 2007, exhibited his culinary skills in Celebrity Masterchef, and even tried his had as a contestant in Celebrity Big Brother in 2016.
What has he said about Gone to Pot: American Road Trip?
On the tone of the documentary: "you want to bear in mind that we have five extraordinary people presenting this. If we were doing a serious documentary, they would have got doctors and nurses to do this programme, but they’ve got five bizarre personalities."
On eating too much cannabis-infused ice cream: "we were greedy bastards. She was cooking with it, there was a marijuana butter, there was this ice cream with marijuana in it. I think we wanted something to happen. So, we took it and we got on the bus to go home or where we were going next" and then... "I couldn’t speak. She said, 'Go lie on the bed.' I went to lie on the bed. And then, two hours later, I woke up. I’ve never, ever thrown up so much in my life."
On the legalisation of marijuana: "I think, the legalisation would be a wonderful way to make things purer. And make things more medically available to people. And recreationally too"
John Fashanu
Age: 55
Where have I seen him before? The ex-footballer is best known for fronting 1990s Saturday night smash hit Gladiators alongside Ulrika Jonnson and for coming second in I'm a Celebrity in 2003.
What has he said about Gone to Pot: American Road Trip?
On travelling with his celeb colleagues: "We had some funny times. We had some strong personalities there, some people who have all established themselves in their own different rights, and it was amazing what we brought out of it, and the way we all got on."
On witnessing a police bust of an illegal weed farm: "The buds were enormous. The trunk of the tree was big, the smell was incredible. It was worth nearly a quarter of a million dollars, just that very small part of which we saw there. But it was great to see them actually bust them. As you can imagine, the chase went on for nearly an hour, with the army officers and the police combined, squad, chasing them, and then when bringing them back, dragging them back, nine South Americans were there
Linda Robson
Age: 59
Where have I seen her before? As Tracey Stubbs in Birds of a Feather, or perhaps as a panellist on Loose Women.
What has she said about Gone to Pot: American Road Trip?
On the attitude towards weed in certain parts of the USA: "You know how here, if someone comes to your house, or you go and visit someone, they ask you, “Do you want a cup of tea?” Over there, everyone just passes it around all the time. So, we’re at this Puff, Pass and Paint."
On the medicinal benefits of cannabis: "I’ve got quite a few friends that smoke it recreationally. They lead normal lives, they’ve got families, and they just have the odd joint now and again. But my stepdad had really bad arthritis, and he found that the only thing that helped him was getting a joint. It relieved him of his pain and helped him get a good night’s sleep. So I’ve seen positive sides, which is why I wanted to find out more about it."
Bobby George
Age: 71
Where have I seen him before? George is a former professional darts player turned TV presenter. He recently featured as one of the celebrities living in India as part of The Real marigold Hotel on the BBC.
What has he said about Gone to Pot: American Road Trip?
On the drug's negative public perception: "You know, you’re (in pain) and someone says, 'Have a puff of that and it won’t hurt,' what are we going to do, say no? It’s just got that bad image. Drugs ain’t no good. But certain drugs keep us alive, all of us. And they come from plants as well. The same. But they can do your liver in, or different drugs you take, today, from the doctors can do your liver in and kill you. But we accept it because we’re brought up in that society."
On the legalisation of marijuana for recreational use: "look, all the universities you can go to, and schools, all the youngsters smoke it. So, if you made it legal, it makes no difference, they smoke it anyway. So if you make it legal then they’re getting proper stuff."
Gone to Pot: American Road Trip airs Monday at 9pm on ITV
