Shereen Low chats to John Barrowman about stunts, sex and shaping up for Torchwood.

YOU would expect nothing less than a song and dance during a meeting with John Barrowman.

Sure enough, within seconds of bouncing up, all white teeth and golden tan, the host of BBC One’s Tonight’s The Night serenades me with a ditty he’s made up on the spot.

Then the all-singing, all-dancing Scottish-born actor and presenter sits down and takes off his black leather jacket.

Acknowledging my gaze at his bulging biceps, he says with a wink: “I decided to slim down, get the old six-pack back and define the muscles.

“That way, if I were to do any nude scenes, it all looks good.”

Fans won’t have a long wait for Barrowman to unleash his newly-improved body when sexy time traveller Captain Jack Harkness returns to BBC One for the fourth series of Torchwood, titled Miracle Day, tomorrow at 9pm.

“I’m full-on naked in one episode,” he reveals, giving a piercing whoop of laughter.

Following the death of his lover Ianto Jones in the third series, the 44-year-old lets slip an old flame will enter the scene.

“The Captain’s new love interest is from the past. That relationship will tell you why Jack is who he is and define how he feels about love.”

The upcoming season of the sci-fi show, a spin-off from Doctor Who, will also feature some rather raunchy moments.

“The true die-hard fans know Jack is omnisexual — he likes men and women.

“But people who tune into this series will just think he’s gay.”

Intense action sequences follow the sex scenes.

The opening episode sees Jack and Torchwood colleague Gwen Cooper (played by Eve Myles) shoot up Rhossili beach in South Wales.

“We were chased by black stealth helicopters and shooting real guns.

“Before, we would have had to CGI the gun flashes while we shot blank bullets,” he says.

The bigger scope for special effects comes from the BBC’s partnership with US network Starz, which has also led to a more transatlantic cast, including Bill Pullman as convicted killer Oswald Danes and ER star Mekhi Phifer.

The premise of Miracle Day is the human race will live forever.

“It’s flipped everything: what would happen if the world was immortal and nobody died?” he says.

“The whole series, which is jaw-droppingly amazing, is based on how we deal with this global event that’s turned what we know of life on its head.”

Barrowman was more than excited to return to his character.

“I had the biggest thrill shooting it.

“To put the coat back on, wear the costume with the watch and the boots, put on the vortex manipulator — this is a dream job,” he says.

“I’m not going to talk about the future of Torchwood beyond where we are, but if I said I wouldn’t love to have Captain Jack on the big screen, I’d be lying.”