Australian celebrities get their 'gear off' for a cause in The Real Full Monty

You might think getting his gear off was the most nerve-racking factor for Brian Taylor in agreeing to be part of The Real Full Monty. However, the AFL legend says dancing was also at the top of the list.

“I am completely and utterly rhythm-less,” says Taylor, who admits the last time he danced was at his wedding more than three decades ago.

“And I’m not someone inclined to get my clothes off,” he says. “I had to be convinced it was for the right reasons.”

Seven Network has pulled together a group of men including Taylor, model Kris Smith, comedian Shane Jacobson and Sunrise presenter Sam “Mac” McMillan to appear in the television special, in support of mens health, after the success of a similar initiative in Great Britain.

Based on the 1997 hit film, the program follows the men as they learn to dance and do a striptease (under the guidance of Todd McKenney) before taking their clothes off. Their final performance, in front of a cheering crowd, was filmed at Sydney’s Enmore Theatre earlier in the year.

Taylor says the teamwork between the men involved – most of whom had never met each other before – which made all the difference.

“Roughly six weeks was the build-up, so in that time with the other guys there was such a great camaraderie built up,” Taylor says. “You can’t do this sort of thing by yourself, you need the support of all those guys along the way.”

The 56-year-old admits his nerves were so still prevalent on the night of the performance, he tried to position himself right up the back.

“Not knowing there was also a camera also hidden behind the curtain,” he says, wryly.

For Sam Mac, who is single, it was also a daunting experience but he also cheekily admits he hopes his ex-girlfriends are watching.

“It’s less risqué and more a bit cheeky,” he says. “Hopefully a lot of women will watch the show and they can get into the ears of their husbands or brothers, or whatever it might be, to say ‘hey it’s been a few years since you’ve been to the doctors, just go and do a few checks’.”

Mac says it was a “challenging but amazing” experience. He says his biggest surprise was realising people like Kris Smith and Jett Kenny (the chiselled ironman son of Lisa Curry and Grant Kenny) also had their own insecurities.

“People might be surprised to realise it,” he says.

Taylor says he and Shane Jacobson bonded over being “bigger blokes” but also recognised the nervousness of the younger men with seemingly perfect bodies.

“We were all confronting different fears for different reasons,” Taylor says. “And to climb over that, you needed those guys to coax you along”.

He described Todd McKenney as an “incredible” coach who helped the troupe immensely.

“This guy is just an absolute genius when it comes to choreographing something like this,” Taylor says. “He was absolutely incredible – great guy, great patience, understanding what each of us was capable of. He was the star of the whole thing for me.”

Taylor said the bonding in rehearsals also led to some deeper discussions about the participants’ own health.

“You’d never think seven or eight guys would be sitting in the middle of a dance studio discussing mens health but it was just a natural, organic thing. It wasn’t something producers told us to do,” Taylor says.

Sam Mac says despite the hook of the show “it is a whole lot more than guys just getting nude.”

“It was a very, very challenging, very out-of-your-comfort zone experience,” he says. “I’m so glad I did it.”

• The Real Full Monty airs at 7pm on Sunday July 29 on Seven.