'Fantastical Factory' hosts Keith Lemon and Anna Richardson reveal thrill of being cast in crafty show

Keith Lemon, aka Leigh Francis, actually went to art school
Keith Lemon, aka Leigh Francis, actually went to art school

Keith Lemon may be better known for being a little bit naughty with his celebrity mates, but his latest show is a foray into a whole new area.

The Fantastical Factory of Curious Craft, which airs on Sundays at 8pm on Channel 4, is a competition style show hosted by himself and Anna Richardson, which pits creative types against each other to see who can create most epic crafts ever.

It’s not that much of a stretch for funny man Keith, who actually studied at Leeds College of Art from 1989-1993. Speaking on White Wine Question Time, Keith (real name Leigh Francis), revealed that he actually thought his artistic past was why he was chosen for the job.

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“When I got the job, I sent them lots of pictures and went 'I made this, I made this...' And they went, 'Whaaat?!'” he told pal and podcast host Kate Thornton.

“I thought that’s how I got the job – because they knew I could draw and make stuff – but they didn’t know. That was just a Brucey bonus!”

Kate went on to mention that Keith made all the masks for his Bo Selecta show, about which he joked: “I made me shoes. I made me legs, me arms...”

His co-host Anna Richardson joked: “Keith is one of the most irritatingly talented people I've ever met. He genuinely is able to make all of his own things. All I can make is button cards…”

Anna said she was delighted that Keith requested her as his co-host because she was worried shows like Naked Attraction had ruled her out of doing something mainstream like The Fantastical Factory of Curious Craft.

“I was surprised, but really, really grateful to be able to do it,” Anna told Kate. “I've always wanted to do studio shows. I've always wants to do entertainment. I've always actually wanted to do something creative.”

She continued: “Certainly as women and as presenters actually, you get pigeonholed into what you can and cannot do in the eyes of the commissioning editor or the channel.”

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Keith said he was a bit put out because it took Anna three days to reply after the show was offered to her – but Anna was quick to let Keith know exactly what caused the delay.

“I was on a barge holiday with my little brother smashing into canal banks when I got the phone call and I was like, 'What?',” she laughed.

“So, I tried to get back as quick as I could on a barge – which is approximately three miles per hour – back to Stoke on Trent, which is why you were waiting three days!”

The Fantastical Factory of Curious Craft airs on Sundays at 8pm on @channel4

Hear Keith Lemon and Anna Richardson talk about who they’d like to see appear on Naked Attraction and why Keith won’t be inviting Katie Price back on Celebrity Juice. Listen now on iTunes and Spotify.