Diane Morgan: I had to go to 'robot school'
Comedian on preparing for her new role in Ann Droid
Diane Morgan went to ‘robot school’ to prepare for her role in new comedy Ann Droid.
In the series, which she wrote with Sarah Kendall, the Philomena Cunk star plays a care robot looking after a widow, played by Sue Johnson.
But at a preview screening for the comedy, which starts next week, Morgan explains that to get into the physicality of the role ‘I had to go to robot school.
‘The man who did Humans, that programme, he taught all those robots. It’s so embarrassing! I’m 50 now. I didn't realise how hard it was going to be.’
‘I developed an ulcer in my eye from not blinking. My back at the end of filming was killing me.’
Explaining the origin of the show, Morgan added: ‘I read this article people how, in the future, people who don’t have kids will need a robot carer to look after them and I was like "Oh my god, that's going to be me! I’m going to have to have a robot looking after me."
‘I told my friend Pippa [Brown] who’s a producer about it, and she said "Do you mind if I pitch that idea to the BBC?" and I thought, "Yeah, go ahead, they’re never going to go for it." And then they went for it.
‘Then it was, "Oh no, I’ve got to play a robot!"’
• Ann Droid airs on July 17 at 9.30pm on BBC One.
Published: 8 Jul 2026
Luisa Omielan gets topical for the BBC, bitches
Luisa Omielan has landed her first BBC series –…
26/05/2017
Has the BBC ordered more from Philomena Cunk?
BBC Two has ordered more Philomena Cunk specials, it…
9/05/2017
Diane Morgan, the new face of British tourism
Diane Morgan has become the new face of British tourism,…
13/04/2017
Diane Morgan is planning to return as Philomena Cunk…
1/02/2017
BBC picks up Porridge and Motherland
The BBC is to make full series of the revived Porridge;…
6/10/2016
Mike Wozniak is to front a new gameshow, to be released…
22/09/2015
Andrew Lawrence tapes his BBC sitcom
Andrew Lawrence is to record his own BBC sitcom next…
22/08/2015
Radio 2 has commissioned a short series from sketch…
5/09/2011
Sketch duo Two Episodes of MASH have recorded a Radio…
7/05/2010
New comedian Arnab Chanda has beaten more than 500…
23/08/2006
New comic Suzy Bennett last night triumphed in the…
4/07/2006
A group of London comics has stormed harnessed the…
6/07/2005
Past Shows
Agent
We do not currently hold contact details for Diane Morgan's agent. If you are a comic or agent wanting your details to appear here, for a one-off fee of £59, email steve@chortle.co.uk.