Johnny Vaughan thinks 'The Big Breakfast' benefited from a "non-toxic team" across the board.
Denise Van Outen and Johnny Vaughan reunited this week
The 56-year-old presenter - who reunited with former co-host Denise Van Outen, 49, to front 'Steph's Packed Lunch' on Tuesday (13.06.23) - has reflected on the chemistry they shared from the first moment they worked together in 1997, and how the Channel 4 show's entire team contributed to the positive feelings.
He told the Daily Mirror newspaper: "We just found each other quite funny from the start. But it was also 'Big Breakfast', the show.
"It’s easy for Denise and I to take the credit, but actually she’d been there for a while already, all the crew were settled in. I think I was just the last piece in the jigsaw.
"You can’t just have two people doing it, as we’ve seen from other male-female double acts doing daytime TV who seem to get along well, you also need a non-toxic team as well."
He noted that he wasn't taking "a dig at anyone" with the comment, instead simply pointing out the way the show was made.
He added: "And that’s not a dig at anyone, but we really had a team who were more visibly on-air, and it was really everyone who worked on that show who made it.”
Before this week, they hadn't worked together on screen since 'Passport To Paradise' over two decades ago but they have remained friends.
He said: “We've had small ups and downs. But you know what, you can only fall out with someone you really like, you don’t fall out with people you don't like.
"And that's the way of friendship. There's been a couple of ups and downs. But that's because it's a real, genuine friendship."
Meanwhile, after they were on air Denise shared a selfie of them together and reflected on their emotional reunion this week.
She wrote on Instagram: "Today presenting @packedlunchc4 with @johnny_vaughan66 was so much fun. First time back on screen together in almost 20Years. Felt like the old days on ‘The Big Breakfast’.
"Also, lovely to be reunited with some of our old production team and crew from lock keepers cottages."
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