Normal People's Paul Mescal recalls how someone nearly fell off their bike after seeing him running topless

‘I would have felt very guilty if they had been injured,’ says actor

(Getty Images for Hulu)

Paul Mescal has opened up about an awkward run-in with a fan that saw them nearly fall off their bike.

Speaking to The Sun, the Normal People star explained how he had been running near his home at the time.

"The worst decision I made after the show was when I was running along the canal," he said.

“It was too hot and I took my top off. Somebody nearly came over the top of their bike because they were screaming.

“I would have felt very guilty if they had been injured.”

The 24-year-old went on to say how he struggled to adapt to regular daily life following the completion of filming Normal People last year.

“I found it really difficult to adjust to normal life after we finished — not in any drastic or dark way. My character was somebody I had been with for five months, not including the prep time, then I’d obviously become incredibly close to Daisy and the rest of the cast and crew.

“Then suddenly you finish filming and it’s like, ‘See you later, guys’.

Mescal added that the response to the BBC3 series has been “nuts".

“It’s been very hard to describe in terms of how positive it has felt," he said.

The Irish actor has previously opened up about feeling “objectified” in the wake of the programme’s success.

“It’s to be expected, given the intimacy of my scenes, but it doesn’t make it easier,” he told Elle of his sex scenes with co-star Daisy Edgar-Jones.

Mescal went on to suggest that he has been sent some illicit messages on Instagram.

“I daren’t read some of the intense DMs I receive. But it’s not enough to put me off the industry,” he added.