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Joe Wilkinson says Cats Does Countdown without Sean Lock is 'hard'
The comedy star said 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown just hasn't been the same since Lock passed in 2021.
Sean Lock was the undeniable star of 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, and co-star Joe Wilkinson thinks it has been much more difficult to make the show since he passed away.
Lock died in 2021 at the age of 58 as a result of lung cancer. His death was met with a huge outpouring of tributes from the comedy industry, praising his unique wit and mastery of the panel show format.
He had been a team captain on 8 Out of 10 Cats for years before the Countdown mash-up debuted in 2012.
Wilkinson's anarchic presence has also been a key part of Cats Does Countdown's success, and he told Metro that Lock's absence has completely changed the dynamic.
He said: "It’s hard. Sean was unable to do some of the shows for a while… when he passed, it shouldn’t have felt such a shock but it did. I was in the studio when I found out. It was huge."
Wilkinson, who this month joins Katherine Ryan for new Channel 4 series Joe And Katherine’s Bargain Holidays, explained that working with Lock was a watershed moment for his TV career.
"Sean was my hero and my idol before I met him. It blew my mind that I hit it off with Sean. He was very kind with his support of me," said the 48-year-old.
"He made everyone better, because you had this standard set that you were never going to reach, because Sean was a one-off and the best comedy brain I was ever around. You had this bar set so high, so it dragged everyone up."
Watch: Sean Lock's best 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown moments
Wilkinson's profile has risen fast in the last few years. He has appeared on Taskmaster and becoming a regular on panel shows, as well as creating two sitcoms — Rovers and The Cockfields — with co-writer David Earl.
He will also soon be seen in British comedy movie A Family Affair.
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