Blake Harrison says Channel 4 bosses didn’t have "high hopes" for ‘The Inbetweeners’.
The 34-year-old actor played Neil Sutherland in the hit coming-of-age sitcom – which enjoyed a hugely successful run of three seasons between 2008 and 2010 and two feature films – but he admitted he had to work a second summer job for extra money.
Speaking to Radio Times magazine, he said: "When it was first delivered, a Channel 4 exec said, ‘This is like the worst episode ever of ‘Grange Hill’.’
"There weren’t high hopes. In between the first and second series, I worked in the ‘Scare Chamber’ at Madame Tussaud’s because we weren’t paid well."
Emily Head – who played Carli D’Amato on the show – recently insisted a potential third film "wouldn’t be the same".
The 30-year-old actress explained: "I think everyone sort of secretly hopes there will [be], I think we all probably secretly hope there would be, but I think it was such a special thing in the moment that you wouldn’t want to do it and get it wrong [or make something that] wasn’t what people were expecting.
"I think, to look back on something … It’s like if they do ‘Friends’ again now, it wouldn’t be the same. I think it was really of the moment."
However, James Buckley – who played Jay Cartwright alongside Blake, Simon Bird (Will McKenzie) and Joe Thomas (Simon Cooper) – has previously admitted he would be up for revisiting his outrageous character.
Speaking on Channel 4’s special ‘The Inbetweeners: Fwends Reunited’ programme – which marked 10 years since the hit comedy came out – in January, host Jimmy Carr asked James if he’d agree to another edition of the series, to which he quickly responded with an authoritative "yes".
Blake Harrison: Channel 4 bosses didn’t believe in Inbetweeners
