Ice Cool

MENTION ‘Sportacus’ and most mums go all doey-eyed and start salivating. Mention this to Sportacus, and he starts talking about how grateful they are that he’s helping to motivate their children.

“No,” I laugh. “I think it’s a bit more than that.”

And then he grins: “Oh yes, I see what you mean. Yes I am aware that the mums like me too. I think it’s because my outfit is so tight. “So now I’m considering having some bigger costumes made for the husbands to wear to bed.”

If you have no idea who Sportacus is, you probably haven’t got children. If you have, you’ll know that this Icelandic superhero is captivating our little ones world-wide – 122 countries now enjoy Sportacus on a daily basis and as Magnus Scheving, Sportacus’ real name, writes, produces, directs and stars in TV’s LazyTown, it’s his baby and his kingdom.

His business empire is expanding rapidly, in contrast to the Icelandic economy. But when he’s not at work Magnus is at home kicking a football around in the backgarden with his kids or doing gymnastics in hotel lobbies (but more of that later).

“It’s always been easy for me to switch off, go home and relax and not think about LazyTown – and that has saved my life,” he says.

But shouldn’t he learn to designate a bit more? “Well I had the idea but no one would take me seriously, so I had to do everything myself from the beginning, and that took 16 years,” he says.

“And now, TV aside, there are also 20 Sportacuses around the world in live shows seen by one million people last year,” he says proudly.

“We sold out faster than U2 in Mexico and broke records for a live show in the UK last year.”

Magnus Scheving fiercely believes that children should exercise and eat better. Instead of telling them what to do, he tries to motivate them through his storylines in which the baddie Robbie Rotten tries to ruin LazyTown, and Sportacus saves the day.

But then Magnus Scheving is also unashamedly passionate about what he does. For example, when working as a carpenter, he and his friend bet each other they couldn’t get to the top of their game in a sport of the other’s choosing. Magnus’ challenge was aerobics and within three years he had won silver at the world championships. Now that’s driven.

This took him out on the international circuit as a motivator, but after listening to women continually asking him how to motivate their children, Magnus knew he had to do something, and LazyTown was born.

“When (Witney MP) David Cameron asked me, I said: ‘don’t talk about obesity, but give them solutions and motivate them.’ In LazyTown no one mentions health and that’s why it works.

“And until now there were no healthy role models. Popeye ate spinach but he punched people and smoked, so I had to explain being healthy without showing it through a real superhero.”

LazyTown is now produced in his state-of the-art studio in Iceland and Magnus is realising his dream. But it’s never enough.

The kids can’t get enough of him.

“When I was in Uruguay they closed the gates at the airport because all the customs men wanted my autograph and it was four hours before I got through to departures,” he laughs.

“In Chile the woman who cleaned my room asked if her kids could meet me and they phoned from the lobby to say there was a crisis and there were 150 kids from all the local kindergardens doing push-ups and I just joined in for an hour and half in my suit,” he says.

It’s hard to imagine Sportacus in anything but his blue lycra outfit with the dubious moustache. Is the lip feature real?

“Ah, you’’ll have to watch the film to find out,” he says. A film?

“Yes, it should be released in 2011”.

So where will it all end? World domination?

“I reckon another 16 years will do it, but by then of course they might have packed me off to the back room for a rest,” he laughs.

And then Magnus launches into an impassioned speech about how it’s all about balance, how kids can eat burgers as long as they eat veg as well, and so on.

What about the balance in your life, I counter?

Magnus pauses for the first time since the interview began.

“Well, I struggle with that. I have always said I’m a brilliant father but a lousy husband.

“Because when I’m at home I devote myself to the children and one’s relationship gets put on hold.

“I work and travel too much. But the Greeks say whatever you do, do it with passion and do I have passion.”

l LazyTown Live! The Pirate Adventure opens on Wednesday at the New Theatre, Oxford. Box office on 0844 8471585.

Please note Magnus Scheving does not appear in person in the live shows