Alan Carr has revealed how growing up with a famous footballer for a father has taught him to always have time for his fans, no matter what they ask you to sign.Â
Graham Carr, 81, played professionally for Northampton Town and the Celebrity Traitors winner, 49, spoke of how his father would often get recognised. Â
He told Bella Magazine: ‘My dad would take the time to sign autographs and I’d be like “Boring”… But my dad always had time for everyone. Always chatted to them… So when people come up to me now I do have time for them.
Alan joked: ‘In the gift shop in Northampton, there were these awful knickers that had “I’ve scored at the Count Ground” written on them and Dad’s signing them. I’ve signed a Femfresh before. I’ve done my bit. I give back!’
He revealed his mother Christine was very much a ‘WAG’ and on the odd occasion would get stopped – but never as much as his famous father.Â
‘She was stopped a few times and people whispered things like “that’s Graham Carr’s wife,” but now it’s “that’s Alan Carr’s mum!”‘Â
Alan Carr has revealed the weirdest thing he has been asked to sign and how his footballer father taught him to navigate fame (pictured in Celebrity Traitors)
Graham Carr, 81, (left) played professionally for Northampton Town and Alan said they were always getting stopped by fans (pictured with his father, mother and his brother Gary in 1985)
Graham is is currently an associate director for Northampton Town after managing Weymouth in 1977 and then Dartford and Nuneaton Borough.
Throughout his career he played for York City and Bradford Park Avenue before moving into non-league football with Altrincham and Telford United.
He later played for Poole Town and Dartford, with whom he won the Southern League and gained an FA Trophy runners-up medal in 1974.
But the beloved Chatty Man has previously admitted his father struggled to accept his career choices.
As a former football player, his life revolved around the testosterone-fuelled world of football and he hoped his son would follow in his footsteps.
Instead, Alan told his father he was enrolling at Middlesex University to study performing arts.
He quipped: ‘Father: “Alan, why are you doing this to me?'” Alan: “I don’t know, Dad, but I can show you through expressive dance.”‘
Despite his differences with his father, they remained close, and Alan previously insisted that both his parents are proud of him.Â
Despite Alan’s differences with his father, they remained close, and he previously insisted that both his parents are proud of him (Alan pictured on Celebrity Traitors)
For the first few years, Graham had never seen his son perform live – but was reduced to tears after he watched him perform the 2021 Royal Variety show.
When first opening up about his relationship in 2008, Alan said: ‘Dad’s just not interested in comedy or anything like that.
‘He’s the simplest man you could ever meet. He’s football-mad. There’s nothing else that interests him in the world apart from football.
‘I’ve talked about it with other people, and it turns out all their dads are the same.
‘They’re always a little bit disappointed because they want you to join the army, or be a doctor. I’m a typical Gemini and, from the age of about five, I changed what I wanted to be when I grew up all the time.
‘He’s a lovely man, my dad, he’s not a tyrant. He just wanted me to be a footballer – but it never happened.’
But it wasn’t just challenges at home that Alan faced, as he previously revealed he was bullied at school.
Speaking on Desert Island Discs in 2018, Alan revealed: ‘I was bullied, but I was really annoying.’Â
Graham’s life revolved around the testosterone-fuelled world of football and he hoped Alan would follow in his footsteps (pictured: Alan re-enacting a Kim Kardashian cover shoot)
He continued:Â ‘When I was bullied, it stopped at 3.15 when school ended, whereas now the bullying goes on and they film you. Thank God I don’t go to school now, it’s awful.’
Alan also previously opened up to Lauren Laverne on the BBC Radio 4 programme and recalled the moment he realised he had a very distinctive voice.
‘I had the most awful thing when I was about 12 or 13’, he said in 2018.
‘I did drama and we said, ”Let’s watch the playback”… I was like, ”What’s that voice?” My voice soared like a seagull with its wing trapped somewhere.’
‘I am smiling now, but it was like a punch in the stomach. Why didn’t anyone tell me? But, of course, they were. The bullies were telling me every day. It was just awful.’
And while Alan explained that he doesn’t feel like a victim because his tormentors were ‘losers’, he did reveal that the bullying left him feeling ‘lonely’.
