Capital's Greg McHugh on ending Fresh Meat

FRESH Meat, Channel 4's award-winning comedy-drama, is back for its final term, with the prospect of the '˜real world' looming large for the uni student house mates as Edinburgh's Greg McHugh talks graduating and goodbyes.McHugh, who attended St Thomas Aquins and is perhaps best known as Gary: Tank Commander, plays the socially-inept Howard McGregor in the series.

Greg McHugh as Howard in Fresh Meat

How was the last day on set?

“Charlotte Ritchie, who’d started on Call The Midwife, came back to see us, so we were all there in the room together.

“They called cut, and it was all quite emotional. Even bloody Jack Whitehall, public schoolboy, he mustered some stoic emotions.”

How do you feel about Howard now?

“In this series, he’s more open. I think he’s scared about leaving university, but a couple of the characters say to him, ‘Actually Howard, you’re probably not as weird as you think you are’.

“He’s not that forthcoming, but I quite like that.”

How did your own experience of university compare?

“I don’t think mine was as anarchic. I don’t think I had such a crazy group of friends.

“But yeah, similar in that I wasn’t really a ladies’ man, or particularly confident around women.”

Do you think the experience of writing Gary: Tank Commander has made you more appreciative of the craft?

“Definitely. I wrote a sitcom around one central character, but Sam and Jesse – Bain and Armstrong respectively, Fresh Meat co-writers – have a brilliant selection of very rounded characters.

“In terms of writing and meshing all those storylines and characters, that really is writing on another level.”

Fresh Meat, Channel 4, Monday, 10pm