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THE Record’s newest columnist is going to be right in your face with his opinions – and a pledge to grapple with the big issues.

Scottish professional wrestler and actor Grado – who first found fame on TV documentary Insane Fight Club – will also be playing it for laughs, adding: “I’m just delighted to be able to inspire a whole new generation of fat wrestlers.”

The star of Insane Championship Wrestling and Scot Squad will also be giving you all the gossip from backstage when he headlines his first show at Glasgow’s King’s Theatre.

Grado, who starred in River City as Brian Doyle, nicknamed Buster, is the latest star name to join the Record’s writing team.

Today, he reveals how he was written out of the soap after mistaking the show’s chief for a cleaner.

And his wide-boy antics had the cast of the soap shaking their heads after a series of side-splitting mishaps.

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The former ICW world heavyweight champion – real name Graeme Stevely – said: “I started on River City on my first day back from a holiday in Cyprus.

“I was supposed to learn my lines but had got drunk all week, so I thought, ‘What am I going to do?’

“As I watched myself back, I started to get the hang of it and I was just getting used to it when they stopped using me.

(Image: BBC Scotland)

“Getting into an argument with someone I thought was a cleaner, who turned out to be the new executive of River City, didn’t help.

“No disrespect to any cleaners, but we ended up having a difference of opinion in the car park and now I don’t work for River City.”

Grado also left Shellsuit Bob, played by Stephen Purdon, out of pocket during his time on the show. The 27-year old, from Stevenston, Ayrshire, said: “When I went to River City, there was a cafeteria like a school dinner. I never had any money, so sometimes I had to tap Shellsuit Bob for my lunch.”

By then, Grado admits his card was already marked – having invited relatives to sit in as scenes were being filmed.

He said: “Working with old school folks like Johnny Beattie meant I had to remember where I was and show respect, whereas I’m used to f*****g about.

“My lines would be finished for the day and I would be getting ready to go home and Eileen McCallum would be checking up on me just in case.

“She really takes it seriously.”

He added: “I brought my daft auntie Rosie to one of the wrestling scenes on the soap because she loves River City.

“We were doing a run through and, if a River City scene is shot correctly even if the acting is s***, it gets used to save time.

“She thought we were having a real conversation.

“My mum had come along as well and, when one of the characters called me a daftie, she set about him.”

Grado can’t wait to keep you up to date with his latest adventures in his new column.

He said: “It will let you in on what happened as I worked my way up and became close to celebrities in the BBC and ITV.”