Twenty Twenty Six casting and first look images revealed

News

19 Sept

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The BBC has confirmed further casting for Twenty Twenty Six set to air on BBC One and iPlayer next year, and has released first look images from the series.

Next year’s football tournament will be the biggest ever. Hosted by the USA, Canada, and Mexico with 48 countries taking part and 16 venues thousands of miles apart across the whole of North America; what could possibly go wrong? Ian Fletcher is about to find out, as he joins the Twenty Twenty Six Oversight Team in Miami as its Director of Integrity.

The BBC can reveal that firm W1A favourite, Hugh Skinner (Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, Fleabag) returns as Will Humphries. Across two series of W1A, Will graduated from hapless intern to the dizzy heights of Ian’s PA. Will is back, to his - alongside everyone else’s - great surprise, as eager as ever to personally assist Ian on delivering a seamless soccer competition.

The cast of Twenty Twenty Six stand and sit around a large with a blue map on a wall behind them, featuring cities involved in the football tournament — Madison Flynn (Erin Kellyman), Zach Linksfeld (Joe Hewetson), Mia So (Marli Siu), Owen Mitchell (Stephen Kunken), Will Humphries (Hugh Skinner), Gabriela De La Rosa (Jimena Larraguivel), Ian Fletcher (Hugh Bonneville), Sarah Campbell (Chelsey Crisp), Eric Van Dupuytrens (Alexis Michalik), Phil Plank (Nick Blood), Emily Nash (Nicole Sadie Sawyerr) and Nick Castellano (Paulo Costanzo)

Three Twenty Twenty Six cast members sat at a white table laid with their mobile phones, notebooks and pens. They all look deep in thought. — Eric Van Dupuytrens (Alexis Michalik), Sarah Campbell (Chelsey Crisp) and Nick Castellano (Paulo Costanzo)

Hugh Skinner says: “It’s been absolutely ages since I played Will in W1A. He’s still on the whole, completely useless and I’m thrilled to be having another go. It’s been a complete joy being back with the cast and crew, old and new, and I am so looking forward to seeing what audiences make of the Twenty Twenty Six Oversight Team.”

Also returning from both W1A and Twenty Twelve is David Tennant (Rivals, Thursday Murder Club) who will be narrating proceedings as the Twenty Twenty Six Oversight Team strive to oversee next year’s football tournament.

Joining the series’ stellar line-up of already announced cast are Marli Siu (Everything I Know About Love, Alex Rider), Nicole Sadie Sawyerr (EastEnders, Casualty), Joe Hewetson (Too Much, Sex Education), and Erin Kellyman (Eleanor the Great, Blitz).

On the left, a man in a suit sits at a desk with his hand resting on a football. On the right, a man in a suit and a woman in a blouse sit behind a table looking serious. — Ian Fletcher (Hugh Bonneville) and Sarah Campbell (Chelsey Crisp)

Two men and a woman sit at a table in an office looking sceptical about something happening off screen. — Phil Plank (Nick Blood), Gabriela De La Rosa (Jimena Larraguivel) and Owen Mitchell (Stephen Kunken)

Twenty Twenty Six is a new six-part series for BBC One and iPlayer, from the team behind the BAFTA and British Comedy award winning W1A and Twenty Twelve.

Twenty Twenty Six (6x30') is an Expectation production for BBC One and iPlayer with additional support from OKRE regarding climate and health expertise. The series was commissioned by Jon Petrie, BBC Director of Comedy. The series is written and directed by John Morton. The producer is Catherine Gosling Fuller, and the Executive Producers are Paul Schlesinger, Nerys Evans and John Morton. The BBC Commissioning Editor is Emma Lawson. BBC Studios, which has a minority investment stake in Expectation, will handle global sales.