- GOT a story? RING The Sun on 0207 782 4104 or WHATSAPP on 07423720250 or EMAIL exclusive@the-sun.co.uk
Rowan Atkinson’s soldier son travels to Nepal to join the Gurkhas – and learns local ‘chat-up’ lines and dance moves
ROWAN Atkinson’s soldier son joined the Gurkhas — and learnt local “chat-up” lines.
Lt Ben Atkinson — the Mr Bean actor’s double — spent three months in Nepal earlier this year.
As a Gurkha officer and platoon commander in the proud regiment he must learn the Nepalese lingo.
He underwent a ten-week course and was also taught about the culture which creates heroic Gurkhas, a unique unit within the British Army.
A write-up in The Gurkha Brigade Association’s newsletter revealed he also picked up some local dance moves.
It said: “Lt Atkinson grasped the language remarkably quickly.
“This may be attributed either to his language experience, having studied both Arabic and Spanish previously, or to his urgent requirement to learn the local Nepalese ‘chat-up’ lines.
MOST READ IN TV & SHOWBIZ
“Learning Nepalese dance moves was a personal priority and Lt Atkinson was quick to establish an impressive ‘uthyo basyo’ (an up-down rapid squatting dance-move).”
Lt Ben, 26, whose dad is worth around £90million, provided a guard of honour last year for Emmanuel Macron and Theresa May at Sandhurst.
The Exeter University graduate is from Rowan’s first marriage to make-up artist Sunetra Sastry, 62.