RIO FERDINAND’S WORLD CUP WIND-UPS

06 June, 2006 by The_Boss

ITV1 Saturday 10 June 10:00pm to 11:15pm

Rio’s not just the star he’s also pulling the strings behind the scenes, as he goes behind the cameras to set-up some of the country’s top footballers in Rio Ferdinand’s World Cup Wind-Ups.

Rio Ferdinand fronts the brand new entertainment World Cup 75 minute special for ITV1 that marks a move behind the camera for one of England’s best. Combined with the expertise of ITV Productions, Rio sets-up his fellow team mates including Wayne Rooney, Ashley Cole, Gary Neville and Peter Crouch.

Rio said of his role: “Along with the ITV team and my business partner Chris, we work out what the hit is going to be, how we get the players to the locations, who we have to talk to – mates, girlfriends, family and then we keep our fingers crossed that its all going to happen!

“When we are filming, I’m sat in front of the monitors watching the hit unfold, telling the actors what to do and tweaking the hit as it goes on (all captured and included in the show). When it gets to boiling point, I jump out and do the reveal – there’s normally a bit of swearing that we have to bleep out, but mainly it’s good natured banter between me and the player.”

Explaining his catchphrase ‘merked!’ which Rio used in the show when he pounced, he said: “It’s an underground phrase, I think its best explained in layman’s terms using an example from the football field………

If a player gets done by another with an incredible bit of skill, then you would say “You got merked with that bit of skill” “He merked you”. I first heard it from my mates on the street, and now you hear young kids saying it all the time.”

Setting up fellow England team mate Wayne Rooney was nearly a ‘merk’ too far for Rio but as he said, “I need to get this kid!”

An unsuspecting Rooney visited the Cheshire Dog Centre with fiancée Coleen thinking he has joined her in sponsoring one of the kennels there, in a fundraising drive. He is soon collared by a family, whose young son is a mad Man U fan, as they wait while their precious dog undergoes a routine procedure. The shy striker happily poses for pictures, unbeknownst that everyone, from the family to the receptionist to the vet, are all actors.

A walk around of the Centre followed and before you can say ‘Come on You Reds’, Rooney is assisting in trying to save the life of the family’s dog. Know for pulling off a number of wins for England will Rooney save the day?

The Wind-Up team hit on fellow defender and Rio’s Manchester United captain, Gary Neville in an underground carpark, was pulled of with the help of Ryan Giggs. Having pulled in to park his car, Neville is approached by two traffic officers. Engaging him in conversation, the two actors posing as officers, admitted they had specifically been targeting footballers in relation to traffic misdemeanours and proceeded to reel off a catalogue of offences – most of which they would drop if Neville posed for a picture. With Giggsy there does Neville take the bait?

If Rio was worried about any repercussions from the players, he was not letting on. Rio said: “No not really, I can’t wait to see the show and all the players are well up for it too. They do have a sense of humour! It’s great to see players in their everyday environment; I think they are secretly looking forward to seeing themselves on screen not playing for once!”

Will Arsenal defender Ashley Cole be thinking that! His hit very nearly didn’t happen and stress on the pitch is on a par with organising the logistics behind each hit. Rio explained: “This was a nightmare. I had arranged for one of Ashley’s mates, who I know really well to bring Ashley to a studio to meet a record producer, who was doing a charity single, and to meet the kids involved in the single. Ashley was meeting with a publisher and at 5 o’clock rang his mate to tell him he wasn’t going to make it to the studio.

Remember we have a full crew, camera’s, actors, extras all waiting for Ashley to turn up and he rang to say he wasn’t coming!

“We didn’t know what to do, in the end I decided to call Ashley myself – as I knew Ashley’s mate it wasn’t that weird for me to make the call, I really had to plead with him, I told him if he didn’t come down just for few moments to lend his support then the charity might not survive!

“I told him a car would pick him up and bring him from his meeting and thank God he agreed.

When he arrived we had to do it all on the fly, he met the studio manager and was invited to listen to the track, we left him alone in the studio for a while after telling him what buttons to push to listen to the track, when the manager returned to the studio he went to listen to the track and the track was gone!

You should have seen Ashley’s face! He reckons he knew it was a wind up but when you watch the show, look at his face and listen carefully to what he says in the studio, that’s a man who doesn’t know what’s hit him!”

The other major production currently in Rio’s life is of course the World Cup, but Rio is not a betting man, even on England, saying: “I don’t make predictions on any games, but I like to think we have the team that can go out to Germany and do really well. If you are going to win the World Cup then you have to see Brazil as favourites and are the team you have to beat.

“But don’t underestimate Germany; they will be at home for every game with all their supporters they will be a tough cookie to crack. Remember there are no easy games at International level.”


Executive Producer for ITV is Stewart Morris, Head of Entertainment Features, ITV. Executive Producers for Next Generation TV & Film Limited are Rio Ferdinand and Chris Nathaniel. Series Producer is Sean Miller and Talent Executive is Mark Wagman.

Rio Ferdinand’s World Cup Wind-Ups is an ITV Productions in association with Next Generation TV & Film Limited, commissioned by Paul Jackson for ITV1.