Two rather famous celebrities from Bedford have weighed in on Universal Studios United Kingdom, with some rather interesting thoughts.
John Oliver, host of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver on HBO, said he couldn’t believe that the park was going ahead in an interview with Seth Meyers on Meyers’ late-night show, remarking that it was the ‘funniest’ decision that NBC Universal had made, but ‘not the worst’.
He also went on to note that he found out about the decision for the park from one of Meyers’ producers and was in disbelief at the plans, especially considering the presence of the site being on the old Kempston Hardwick brickworks that Oliver had been to as a child in a role of a Victorian orphan in the TV adaptation of Bleak House in the mid-1980s.
In his traditional satirical and quick-witted style, Oliver also noted his reservations towards the park, noting that being in Bedford may cause issues for staffing, such as a ‘chain-smoking Paddington’, and that the Minions would be a good fit, given the ‘quiet violence’ of the characters. With this in mind, Page Thompson, Universal Destination and Experiences’ President of New Ventures, had previously discussed the importance of giving opportunities to local residents, as had the Chief Executive of Bedford Borough Council.
Singer Tom Grennan, best known for tracks such as Little Bit of Love and By Your Side, has arguably been more positive in his reception of the park, adding that he was ‘buzzing’ and ‘proud’ that Universal had chosen to build a park in his hometown in a recent interview with the Bedford Independent.
At a recent meet-and-greet event, he discussed that the park will ‘change thousands of people’s lives’ and that ‘it’s bringing opportunity, it’s bringing jobs, it’s bringing tourists. For a massive, massive theme park like Universal to be coming to Bedford, it’s huge.’ before joking about Comcast extending an invitation for him to sing at the park’s opening if he could get on a couple of rides for free and his own disbelief that the project is going ahead.
In some more grassroots coverage, a local Youth Cabinet member, Amelie, has described the park as a ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ opportunity for the local area in a chat with the Bedford Independent, stating that the jobs that will be available are ‘careers’, and that it makes the local area a draw to stick around long-term.
Universal Studios United Kingdom’s opening date is scheduled for just a few years’ time, while Comcast is already hiring senior roles for the park, with two big Producer roles appearing on their internal hiring site.
Read more about everything we know about Universal Studios United Kingdom.
