Hotel Babylon Dexter Fletcher reveals his 5-star guests

The Hotel Babylon star Dexter Fletcher discusses Kylie, De Niro and driving trains...

What’s in store for Tony the concierge this series?
"There’s an episode coming up in which I get to play two characters because Tony meets his doppelganger. That was strange, but a lot of fun."

Have the new cast additions given the series a refresh?
"Having people like Nigel Harman and also Amy Nuttall, who joins later in the series, does bring fresh blood which is always good. It keeps us all on our toes."

Which guests do you work with this time?
"Honor Blackman plays a posh guest who turns out to be a nightmare, but she and Tony end up becoming quite good friends. Kelly Osbourne is also in this series. She’s lovely."

Who would be your dream guests?
"It would be great if Sean Connery checked in with Michael Gambon and Jonathan Ross, and maybe Ricky Gervais and Stephen Fry. Our doors are open to anyone, though, even Keith Chegwin and Christopher Biggins."

We hear rumours Kylie might be popping in one day
"They are only rumours, but she is more than welcome. I appeared in her video for Some Kind of Bliss a while ago, in Spain, and I haven’t seen her for a bit, but if I did I wouldn’t hesitate to ask her."

What are you most recognised for?
"It varies, but usually it’s Lock, Stock and Layer Cake, sometimes Hotel Babylon or even Bugsy Malone. I’m lucky enough to have been around for so long that it could be any number of things."

Where is the strangest place you have been recognised?
"Oh, I’ve had some strange places. I was in Petra looking at some ruins and I got recognised by some American guy for Lock, Stock. Then I was skiing in Switzerland, and some woman came up to me on the mountain and started talking about Hotel Babylon."

Would you be up for a revival of your 1980s children’s show Press Gang? "Never say never. I really don’t know what my character Spike would be doing now, but I would be up for finding out, that’s for sure."

Who has been your favourite co-star?
"I played Robert De Niro’s second-in-command in Stardust, which was fantastic. He is pretty awesome in the way he works and conducts himself."

If you weren’t an actor, what would you be doing?
"I’ve been an actor since I was six, but as a kid I wanted to drive a steam train. There aren’t many around these days, so I could be a bloke who runs and maintains locomotives down a very obscure spur line."