Strictly Come Dancing's Chris McCausland is set to swap the dance floor for the big screen this festive season. The comedian, who has been impressing BBC One viewers with his fancy footwork alongside Aussie pro Dianne Buswell, will be back on our screens once the glitzy competition wraps up.
Chris is lined up to star alongside The 1% Club host Lee Mack in a new Christmas flick, Bad Tidings, brought to us by Sky Studios Elstree. While the film's release date is still under wraps, it's confirmed that the comedy pair could be headlining before Christmas.
The storyline centres around feuding neighbours in Stockport who eventually band together to defend their street from notorious burglars. Penned by BAFTA-winning duo Laurence Rickard and Martha Howe-Douglas (Ghosts, Horrible Histories), with input from Chris - currently tipped as the favourite to lift the glitterball trophy, according to 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. Viewers can expect plenty of laughs as they follow home security expert Neil (played by Lee) and his annoying neighbour Scott, who insists on leaving his Christmas lights up all year round, mixes up their bins, and generally gets on Neil's nerves.
In a twist of fate, Scott, who is visually impaired, becomes the darling of the neighbourhood and lands the role of Neighbourhood Watch head, a move that leaves Neil scratching his head due to Scott's lack of sight.
The pair find themselves in constant tiffs, with their feud reaching boiling point when Neil unintentionally triggers a blackout, leaving the entire street in pitch black.
With the area stripped of CCTV, lighting, and other security measures, notorious burglars seize the opportunity to ransack every house on the street. This forces Neil and Scott to bury the hatchet and team up against the crooks.
Chatting about his new gig, Chris gushed: "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, shared his enthusiasm for the project, exclaiming: "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 up in the air, there is hope that it will hit television screens in time for the yuletide season.
Strictly Come Dancing continues this Saturday at 6.35 on BBC and BBC iPlayer.
English (US) ·