Strictly Come Dancing’s Chris McCausland has secured his next major role, potentially gracing our screens this festive season.
The comedian, who has been wowing BBC One viewers with his dance skills alongside Australian professional Dianne Buswell, will return to the screen around the time the glamorous competition concludes.
Chris is set to hit the big screen with The 1% Club host Lee Mack in a new Christmas film, Bad Tidings, produced by Sky Studios Elstree.
While the exact release date of the film remains unknown, it’s confirmed that the comedic duo could be headlining before Christmas. The plot revolves around quarrelling neighbours in Stockport who eventually unite to protect their street from infamous burglars.
The script is penned by BAFTA-winning team Laurence Rickard and Martha Howe-Douglas (Ghosts, Horrible Histories), with contributions from Chris – currently the bookies’ favourite to win the coveted glitterball trophy, reports the Express.
Joining the cast are Lee Mack, Rebekah Staton, Sarah Alexander, Ben Crompton, Emily Coates, Josiah Eloi, Millie Kiss, Tupele Dorgu, Sunil Patel, Susan Kyd, and Donna Preston.
Audiences can anticipate plenty of humour as they follow home security expert Neil (played by Lee) and his irritating neighbour Scott, who persistently leaves his Christmas lights up each year, confuses their bins, and generally annoys Neil.
In a surprising turn of events, Scott, who is blind, is adored by everyone in the neighbourhood and becomes the head of Neighbourhood Watch, a position that Neil finds baffling due to Scott’s visual impairment.
The two engage in numerous squabbles, with their animosity escalating when Neil accidentally causes a blackout, plunging the entire street into darkness.
With the area stripped of CCTV, lighting, and other security measures, infamous thieves take advantage of the situation to burglarise every house on the street. This forces Neil and Scott to set aside their differences and join forces against the felons.
Discussing his new role, Chris enthused: “Talk about a back of an envelope idea that has got out of hand, we are now making a Christmas comedy film and it’s going to be awesome. I can’t wait to get up to some hilarious mayhem with Lee and bring some festive spirit into people’s living rooms this Christmas!”
Lee, star of Not Going Out, expressed his excitement about the project, saying: “I love Chris McCausland, I love the script, and I Love Christmas. Where do I sign?”
While the release date and broadcasting channel for Bad Tidings remain undecided, there is hope that it will grace television screens in time for the festive season.