The brothers behind ’80s boyband Bros have responded after fans turned out in droves to mock a documentary about the pop group.
Bros: After The Screaming Stops, which aired over Christmas, follows popstar brothers Luke and Matt Goss as they prepare for a reunion gig at the O2 Arena in London.
The film was emotional in parts, as it showed the brothers working to repair their relationship after a decade with limited contact.
And it was a hit with fans – but not for the reason Luke and Matt were expecting.
Read more: Bros are back! Hooray. But not as we know them – boo!
Many viewers compared it to mockumentary movie Spinal Tap, BBC favourite The Office and even Alan Partridge because of the unintentionally hilarious one liners that had them in stitches.
Speaking to The Times Weekend, Luke, 50, said: “There is a contingent who like a freak show. They will always take the [bleep].
“But if that’s their contribution to the universe then I pity them. I’m kinda sick of being ridiculed. I focus on the good people out there.
“Of course there are funny moments. We spoke passionately and spontaneously. We are working-class London boys.”
His brother Matt, who lives in Las Vegas, insisted he’s enjoying the response to the film and said he’s laughing back at their detractors “positively”.
The one liners were many and varied, ranging from Stevie Wonder inspiring them to not be superstitious and lamenting over conkers being banned to strange analogies about rectangles and squares.
Fans, naturally, took to Twitter to make quips about the documentary.
One directly compared Matt to David Brent and another speculated that the script must have been written by The Office’s creator, comedian Ricky Gervais.
“Monkey” #Bros #BrosDocumentary #brent #theoffice @BrentByAccident pic.twitter.com/XpS4V12zni
— Ally Bigwood (@allybigwood) January 4, 2019
Genuinely wondering if @rickygervais wrote the script for the Bros documentary. Matt Goss is definitely channelling David Brent, and it's comedy gold, but in the end, the whole thing is just totally heart- warming. #brosafterthescreamingstops
— Lydia Nelson (@Glamupnorth) January 4, 2019
Someone else attempted to give the conker comments some political gravity.
just rewatched the Bros documentary pic.twitter.com/JegOOvthWy
— joel golby (@joelgolby) January 6, 2019
But one kinder Twitter user decided to defend Matt and Luke, telling his followers that the brothers came away from the film with “more integrity & honesty than most of us could ever muster”.
I've just watched the #Brosdocumentary & honestly have no idea what I'm supposed to be mocking. @LukeGoss & @mattgoss were kids when they got chewed up by the machine & they've emerged from it with more integrity & honesty than most of us could ever muster. I loved every minute.
— James O'Brien (@mrjamesob) January 5, 2019
Read more: Has this 80s pop star become first contestant to sign up for this year’s Strictly?
The Bros documentary failed to attract more than 250,000 viewers when it initially aired on BBC Four, but word of Matt and Luke’s one liners spread and its popularity on BBC iPlayer surged.
Bros formed in 1986, but in-fighting and debt saw the group split six years later. Before the reunion, the last time Matt and Luke performed together was to 77,000 fans at Wembley Stadium in 1989.
Bros: After The Screaming Stops debuted at the London Film Festival in October, releasing in selected cinemas a month later.
What did you think of the film – hilarious or emotional, or both? Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know what you think.