The 41 year old British actor Hugh Skinner sat down with The Guardian for a candid interview published on May 30, 2026. He talked about his most awkward work moment, his secret dream of being in a boyband, and his return to the beloved BBC comedy series Twenty Twenty Six. The actor also stars in the new BBC drama Two Weeks in August, which started airing on May 23, 2026.
Skinner is known for playing awkward characters in shows like W1A and Fleabag. In real life, he has a sharp sense of humor about his own mistakes and fears. The interview covered everything from his hatred of pigeons to walking onto a film set without clothes on.
The Naked Walk on Set Still Makes Skinner Cringe
Skinner said his most embarrassing moment happened while working on a show. He walked onto the set completely naked for a scene. The problem was that the script did not ask him to be naked at all.
“Accidentally walking on to set naked for a scene where I wasn’t actually supposed to be naked,” Skinner told The Guardian when asked about his biggest shameful moment.
He did not name the specific show or movie where this happened. But the actor has worked on many big projects including Les Misérables and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again. Fans on social media joked that this sounds exactly like something his character Will Humphries would do. Skinner is currently getting attention for bringing Will back to life in Twenty Twenty Six. His character in that show is famously clumsy and always making social mistakes.
Why Pigeons Terrify the Actor
Skinner also shared a very unusual fear. He said pigeons are his greatest fear in the whole world. This fear started because of a bad experience at his own home.
“Pigeons. One got stuck in my flat once for quite a long time and it really changed how I feel about them,” Skinner explained.
The actor did not say how long the bird was trapped inside with him. But the incident clearly left a mark. Many people find pigeons annoying, but Skinner takes it to another level. He also admitted that he smokes, which he called his most unappealing habit.
The Boyband Dream That Never Happened
Skinner revealed that his biggest professional disappointment is not about acting. He always thought he would end up in a boyband.
“In the back of my mind I just assumed I’d be in a boyband at some point,” he said.
The actor grew up in the 1990s when boybands like *NSYNC and Backstreet Boys were huge. He also admitted that his first celebrity crush was not just one person. He had a crush on the entire male cast of the Australian soap Neighbours from the late 1990s. That cast included actors like Jesse Spencer and Daniel MacPherson.
Returning as Will in Twenty Twenty Six
Hugh Skinner reprises his role as Will Humphries in Twenty Twenty Six, the new BBC comedy that premiered on April 8, 2026. The show is a sequel to W1A and Twenty Twelve. Hugh Bonneville returns as Ian Fletcher, who now works as the Director of Integrity for the 2026 World Cup in Miami.
The series has six episodes. All of them are available to stream on BBC iPlayer in the UK. The show aired weekly on BBC Two starting April 8 at 10 PM. Viewers in the United States, Canada, and Australia cannot watch it on streaming services yet. UK viewers can watch it for free on BBC iPlayer.
Skinner told Digital Spy before the show came out that Will has not changed at all. He is still the same bumbling assistant who messes things up. But Skinner liked one scene where Ian tells Will to stop apologizing and have more confidence. He called that moment very moving to read.
The British White Lotus: Two Weeks in August
Skinner also appears in the new BBC drama Two Weeks in August. The show started on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on May 23, 2026. It has eight episodes. The drama follows a group of friends who go on holiday to Greece. What starts as a fun trip turns into a nightmare after someone shares a secret kiss.
Critics are calling it the British answer to The White Lotus. The cast includes Jessica Raine (Call the Midwife), Damien Molony (The Split), and Antonia Thomas (The Good Doctor). Skinner plays a character named Jacob. The plot says the group gets trapped on the island and faces life or death situations. They start turning on each other to find out who caused the disaster.
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A Few More Confessions From the Interview
Skinner told The Guardian that he lies sometimes. When he was nine years old, he told everyone at school that he was starring in West Side Story in London‘s West End. He said they created a new part just for a nine year old. The school even congratulated him in an assembly. His mother was very angry when she found out.
The actor also said his hairline is “racing back” and that he has “tiny, tiny eyes.” He joked that he is planning ways to fix his hair. If he could be anyone else, he would be a wild pig. He also said the best lesson life taught him is that everything is temporary and how to make aioli.
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