STRICTLY’S JOE MCFADDEN IN TAGGART BID

Beverley Lyons 
STRICTLY winner Joe McFadden has thought of the perfect follow up to Holby City - playing legendary Scots detective Taggart in a remake of the series. 
Joe, who recently left the hospital soap was a guest on STV2s Late Show with Ewen Cameron when he told the presenter he’d be right up for the famous crime role. 
The 42 year old who is currently in Scotland to star in the live Strictly shows at the SSE Hydro revealed: “There are rumours of a remake of Taggart actually. That would be amazing. I’d do love to play Taggart. I’d do it in a heartbeat totally. It would be amazing. Should we start a campaign? It makes total sense. They are bringing all those shows back from eighties and it would totally work and you’d have to go different with him .  You couldn’t be all gruff. Mark McManus was amazing but you  couldn’t go similar to what he was. You’d have to shake it up a bit.  From your mouth to God’s ears. If Taggart comes back I’m absolutely interested.”
After Ewen suggested they have a meeting with the execs in the STV building after the show Joe roped in his dancing partner Katya and said: “We could have a glam Russian dancer killer in the first episode.”
The role would take Joe back to his first telly appearance when aged 12 he played a schoolboy on an episode entitled ‘The Root of Evil’ in 1988. 
He said: ”My first acting role was thirty years ago in a Taggart episode called the Root of Evil.  Every time I appeared on screen they played angelic choir music. I went to a really posh school in Edinburgh for it - George Elliot’s and being a little scrunter from the the south side of Glasgow I was like ‘oh god what am I doing in uniform?’ I had never worn a uniform before in my life .”
It was the test of the Glasgow Garden Festival and we had the wrap party on a boat.  It’s been enough time now that I can go thats a different person  now and not me anymore. I was a kid and didn’t know any better. Hopefully I got a bit better over the years.”
Joe has been enjoying his time back in Glasgow and as well as seeing friends and family went on a night out on Friday to the Polo Lounge with judge Craig Revel Horwood. 
An onlooker said: “Both men looked relaxed as they mingled with punters and were happy to away from the rigorous rules of the dance floor.”
Excerpts of this article have since appeared in the Scottish Sun 
From Scotland with Love - theshowbizlion.com