Rick Edwards talks ‘Tool Academy’ to The River

Lily Kemp

The third series of E4’s Tool Academy is back and is once again hosted by Rick Edwards.

Rick is a savvy compere comedian who studied at Cambridge before becoming a model and later turned to presenting alongside the likes of Alexa Chung. It seems some really do have it all.

However, this shining example of the perfect man has actually admitted to some pretty toolish behaviour himself.

“About five years ago, I was up in Newcastle filming T4. We all went out and I ended up being sick on a girl’s back through a makeshift grill – my fingers.

“She didn’t notice. Very toolish.”

The series features 12 ‘unsuspecting bad boys’ who have been enrolled by their exasperated girlfriends in a relationship boot camp in a bid to tame them into well behaved grown up men. Each week the biggest goon is eliminated and has to leave the show with his girlfriend. The last remaining contestant to graduate Tool Academy will win £25,000.

‘King of Men’

Initially the Tools think that they are taking part in a competition series called ‘King of Men’. Hilariously these ridiculous ‘buffoons’ actually believe that if they prove themselves to be the ultimate lad they will win the golden opportunity to sleep with Imogen Thomas, the Welsh glamour model who rose to fame on the seventh series of Big Brother.

In the Tools’ desperate quest to win, they commit relationship faux pas which are enough to break up even the healthiest of couples. One tool went as far as cheating on his girlfriend on national TV by snogging a stranger in a club toilet.

All the Tools on the show are boys but according to Rick, girls can be just as bad.

“Girls can be tools too. I went out with one. It was a nightmare.

“I’m pretty sure she kissed one of my friends while we were going out.”

Weekly highlight for students

Shameful though it might be, Tool Academy is the highlight of many students’ weeks and perhaps a rare hour where you can sit back and watch the outrageous behaviour of these ludicrous souls and think ‘my life is not all that bad’.

“There was a guy on the second series who, whilst on King of Men, elected to pierce his own ball sack with a ring pull. I’ve never seen anything like that before. Even the other boys were disgusted,” said Rick.

Rick has advice to our very own Kingston University tools.

“Get the basics right. Just try and be nice. It’s not that difficult. And if you can’t manage that, don’t go out with anyone until you can.”

So beware negligent, lying men, your significant other might think you are a proper tool and sign you up for the Academy.