 The production did not use prosthetics, to encourage the audience to see Merrick's struggle and emotions.Pickering's most significant television role was in Peter Kay's 2008 talent show parody "Britain's Got the Pop Factor...", in which he played R Wayne, a role that involved singing and dancing.Additionally, Pickering plays Montparnasse in Tom Hooper's 2012 reimagining of the celebrated musical "Les Misérables".