Greg Davies is returning as crime scene cleaner Paul ‘Wicky’ Wickstead for a Christmas special of The Cleaner,  to be set in Italy.

The one-off, which began filming this week, revolves around a disastrous hiking holiday in the Italian Dolomites and will air on BBC One.

‘Wicky’ will be joined by his girlfriend Ruth, played by Zita Sattar, and her friends Andrew and Andrea, played by Robert Webb and Tori Allen-Martin, on the trip.

After an accident, he is left behind at a remote mountain hotel while Ruth carries on without him. Peter Serafinowicz plays the eccentric hotel manager, while the wider cast includes Kevin Eldon, Veronica Ferres, Milanka Brooks and Dylan Blore.

Davies  – who also writes the show – said: ‘I think Wicky has got to the stage in life where he only likes three things: his job, going to the pub and beer. To get the opportunity to force him to go to Italy on a hiking holiday is the perfect opportunity to test his breaking point. I can’t wait to show everyone how horribly wrong a holiday can go...’

Executive producer Vivien Muller-Rommel added: ‘There’s a real excitement about this one, and everyone involved is determined to make it our funniest adventure yet. We can’t wait for audiences to see it.’

Ben Caudell, commissioning editor for the BBC, added: ‘Wicky has become a standout character in British comedy, and Greg’s ability to place him in extraordinary situations is always a delight. This one-off episode brings together a terrific cast and an inventive new setting, and we’re very much looking forward to sharing it with viewers.’

The Cleaner first aired in 2021, when it drew 5.4 million viewers and became the second biggest new BBC comedy series of that year. All three series have ranked among the five most watched scripted comedies in the UK in their respective years, 2021, 2023 and 2024.

The show is based on the German series Der Tatortreiniger, created by Ingrid Lausund. 

Made by: SHUK
Written by: Greg Davies
Producer: Gareth Edwards
Director: Tom Marshall
Casting director: Tracey Gillham
Commissioned by: Jon Petrie, the BBC’s  outgoing director of comedy
Commissioning editor: Ben Caudell