Real Marigold Hotel turns Stanley Johnson into a biker

From Digital Spy

This week's edition of The Real Marigold Hotel somehow transformed Stanley Johnson into a motorcycle-riding rebel in a twist that we're not sure anybody saw coming.

We'll get back to that in a minute, but first a quick recap. The reality series about famous OAPs considering retirement in India has been surprisingly controversial thus far in its run, with scenes of animal slaughter disturbing many in its first week.

As the series has continued on, viewers have relished in seeing cast members like Stanley Johnson embrace Indian culture, with many wishing Stanley's son Boris would have kept an equally open mind on the job.

In Wednesday's (August 15) instalment, Stanley recaptured his inner-Rebel Without a Cause by sliding on the back of a hog for his first Indian motorcycle ride in 60 years. Stanley was his typical joyous self, tossing out phrases like "ho ho ho" as the guides sputtered to kickstart the bike.

Luckily, Stanley eventually got the bike going and called the ride a "total success", with "the years falling away" as the wind rustled through his silver mane on the open highway.

"I view my life in the late 70s as merely a prelude to the 80s, 90s and possibly the 100s. Who knows?" he smiled.

Meanwhile, jockey Bob Champion, Susan George and Selina Scott journeyed into rural Rajasthan for some horse-riding and glamping. For the first time, Susan came out of her shell as she shared her love of horses.

There was quite a funny moment when the guide asked Bob if he had any experience with riding horses. Ermm...

Another genuine highlight was Ian Tough (aka Ian Krankie) and Syd Little mashing up two of the country's classic comedy duos into a supergroup of sorts to take cooking lessons. Together, they gave us wisdom like this:

It was genuinely sweet to see these two old comedy greats grow from being acquaintances into genuine friends while bonding over a shared love of curry (albeit disagreeing over how much jelly to include).

"Syd and I have known each for years... but we feel like brothers [now]. Yeah, he's become like a brother to me," Ian beamed.

Fans are now clamouring for a spin-off:

Maybe Syd can strum a few tunes on his blue guitar between dishes...

The Real Marigold Hotel concludes next Wednesday (August 22) at 9pm on BBC One.

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