TV star Baz Ashmawy has told how he got the idea to try ‘and kill’ him mum – after hearing a NUN had gone skydiving.
The ex-RTE presenter has gone traveling the world with pensioner mum Nancy, 70, embarking on a series of thrilling near-death adventures.
But Baz – who said it turned out to be the “best adventure I’ve ever had” – only thought his mum could handle his thrill-seeking lifestyle after hearing a nun had got there first.
“I was sitting in my mum’s kitchen and there was a story on the radio about a nun in Ireland who had done a skydive,” he said.
Mad: Baz and his mum Nancy took on the world | SKY
“Mum had mentioned it in the past but always in a vague way, as if it’s something she’d like to do but might not commit to.
“I’ve done a few extreme sports and she asked me if I’d do a skydive with her. I laughed it off, but I went home and thought, ‘Who am I to tell what she can and can’t do?’
“I rang up lots of skydiving schools and they said they had people of all ages doing it and it’d be perfect for her, and the idea for the show just snowballed from there. It evolved into an amazing journey.”
The pair’s adventures will be seen on Sky show 50 Ways To Kill Your Mammy, which starts next month.
It sees Nancy parasailing, riding an ostrich, shooting a machine gun, becoming a bounty hunter, going diving with great white sharks and flying a plane upside down.
But Baz revealed that one thing she refused to do was get tattooed at his hand – although he did tattoo him, and even pierced his left nipple.
“I didn’t understand it because in the same shooting schedule mum had flown a 1942 war plane upside down, bet her pension in Las Vegas, and sat on an alligator,” he said..
“We were in the middle of a great night in Miami with cocktails and dancing when it came to the tattoo.
“I don’t think ‘mammy’ tattoos are cool, but if you were going to get one, I thought one done by my actual mum on a night out in Miami would be the way to do it.”
And Baz revealed that he hopes the show will prove that just because you’re old doesn’t mean you’re dead to the world – after seeing the way his mum was treated.
Former partner: Baz used to present 2FM show with Lucy Kennedy | VIPIRELAND.COM
“The title is shocking but obviously the series isn’t about trying to kill your mammy,” he explained.
“It’s about giving my mum opportunities to do things that as lot of people never have the money or chance to do. I noticed as mum got older people started to treat her differently, as happens for a lot of older people.
“For instance, we were checking in at the airport and the clerk asked, ‘How old is she?’ I told her my mum is standing right next to me, so why not ask her?
“The assistant said mum looked a little weak. Mum looked so hurt. I don’t want anyone to treat her like that. It upset me but it also gave me more belief in what we’re doing.
“There are some things mum physically can’t do but there are loads she can. She’s proved it. Although, when I compiled the list of activities, I wasn’t sure what she’d agree to. But she blew everyone away. Everyone is inspired by her.”
Glam: Baz was happy enough at this photoshoot | VIPIRELAND.COM
And Baz revealed that his mum’s favourite challenge turned out to be an 18,000 foot high skydive – and she’s even thinking of doing it again.
“At 18,000 feet, it’s the highest commercial skydive you can do. You need oxygen before you jump,” he said.
“It’s easy to write up a list on a computer but seeing it through is a very different matter.
“I could never put myself through it again but my mum would do another one. She’ll be doing it on her own.”
> Watch: See the trailer for 50 Ways
