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Three stars share their embarrassing dad stories

In Neil Gaiman's Anansi Boys - an epic tale about gods, fathers and sons - Anansi regularly embarrasses his son Fat Charlie.

Here some of the cast share their own stories about embarrassing parents, including one who fears he is about to become an embarrassing dad himself...

Lenny Henry

Lenny Henry's embarrassing dad story is not so much about his dad embarrassing him, but the other way round.

It all began one hot summer's day, when Lenny was 11 years old. He'd just arrived home after playing outside all day.

Find out what happened here…

Lenny Henry's embarrasing dad story

Lenny Henry reveals his most embarrassing dad story.

Jacob Anderson

Jacob Anderson - aka Grey Worm in Game of Thrones - plays the hero Fat Charlie in Anansi Boys. Here he shares his own experience...

"My Anansi Boys character Fat Charlie is the opposite to his dad, Anansi. Charlie is shy and unassuming, while Anansi has a big personality.

There are similarities between Anansi and my real-life dad.

When I was a kid, we’d got to a supermarket and my dad would talk to everybody.

Some people he knew, but others were complete strangers. We’d be at the counter for 20 minutes. Even when the cashier was serving other people, he would just stay and chat to them.

Nowadays a lot of the things I found embarrassing are things that I find really endearing.

These are things that have helped me with my confidence as I’ve got older. Now I’m like, this is an amazing quality a person can have…"

Charlie is me by the way!

Jacob Anderson on the similarities he shares with his character, the Anansi Boys hero.

Julian Rhind-Tutt

"I haven’t got many embarrassing dad stories, it was probably my mum…

My mum used to go into shops and talk in a rather strident voice. She'd say things like, 'Do you think we’re going get any service in here?' I’d be hiding behind her feeling embarrassed.

My dad was very jokey and put people at their ease.

I’m a dad now myself. My little boy hasn’t quite got to the age where he’s embarrassed by me. He’s got to the age where he’s quite ready to push me out the way and get on with his friends but I think that’s coming round the corner very soon."

Listen to the new dramatisation of Neil Gaiman's Anansi Boys on Radio 4.

Meet the rest of the Anansi Boys cast.

More Anansi Boys on Radio 4