Two Doors Down returns for a Christmas special on December 24  – the first episode to be made since the death of co-writer Simon Carlyle at the age of 48 in August 2023. Here the cast talk about the show, and their own festive plans:

Q&A with Arabella Weir and Alex Norton who play Beth and Eric

What can you tell us about the Christmas special?

Alex: I can't give too much away about the episode, as I wouldn't want to spoil the viewer's fun - suffice to say that Eric and Beth decide to put up their Christmas tree alittle earlier than usual this year. Unsurprisingly, the neighbours are keen to know the reason why…

Are you anything like Eric and Beth at Christmas?

Alex: I hate to admit it, but there's more than a little about Eric that chimes with me. Although I always look forward to Christmas, the palaver of sending cards, shopping for presents and preparing for Christmas dinner gets me more than a little grumpy with each passing year - still, I always glow with pleasure when the family sit down together for the annual festive dinner.

Arabella: I am more like Beth at Christmas than at any time of the year as I tend to do the cooking, cleaning and organising for everyone which I try not to do the rest of the year.

What would be the best Christmas present Eric could get Beth?

Alex: A couple of tickets for a luxury cruise to an exotic destination, so she could get a break from our annoying neighbours - although, knowing their luck, the neighbours will probably have booked the same cruise...

How soon do you start decorating your homes for the festive season?

Arabella: As I have a December birthday and spent my entire life being told ‘we won’t bother with your birthday as it’s so close to Christmas’ I don’t do any Christmas decorating, and that includes the tree, until my birthday is over – I want full birthday acknowledgment before going Christmassy.

Alex: I have a very strict rule about not putting up any decorations before December. Also about buying a real Christmas tree - none of that cheesy artificial nonsense for me!

What was it like being back on set with the cast again?

Arabella: Just wonderful - it was fantastic to see everyone, be back as the Latimer Crescent gang and be back in character - Simon was, of course, omnipresent but in a joyful and celebratory way. He’d be delighted we were doing the show again, as, of course, are we all.

Alex: Getting together with the cast again was a little odd at first, but as soon as we were back in our costumes and sitting in Eric and Beth's living room, it felt like we'd never been away

Q&A with Doon MacKichan and Jonathan Watson who play Cathy and Colin

What can you tell us about the Christmas special?

Doon: Expect a gathering with bad behaviour and a few surprises.

Jonathan: It all kicks off when Christmas decorations are put up earlier than usual.

Doon, does Cathy get in the Christmas spirit or is she more like the Grinch?

Doon: Cathy is like the grinch at Christmas, only with better legs.

What would be the best Christmas present Colin could get Cathy and Cathy for Colin?

Jonathan: The never-ending vape.

Doon: Cathy would give Colin a luxury night in (I’ll leave that to your imagination) with a bit of jamon ham for starters.

Would Colin and Cathy ever open their door at Christmas?

Jonathan: Highly unlikely…they usually head off to a fancy hotel for a Christmas dinner, and a small sherry.

What was it like being back on set with the cast again?

Doon: Amazing to be back with the ensemble, if not a wee bit sad as there was a big Simon Carlyle-shaped hole.

Jonathan: Torture…they’re an unruly mob! But given we thought it unlikely that we would get to revisit Latimer Crescent…it was a real treat. Loved every minute.

Q&A with Elaine C Smith who plays Christine

What can you tell us about the Christmas special?

Very little - sorry- can’t give the game away but there’s Christmas and fun and laughs and music and awkward aggro - perfect Two Doors Down!

Would Christine ever be tempted to host?

Never!  Too much hassle and too much cost! She’d always rather mooch off someone else.

What would be Christine’s perfect Christmas?

Her daughter, Sophie, and granddaughter, Madison, coming up from Wales and going out to a carvery but making sure that they pay for any food and drink and probably stay in a hotel rather than with her! And that Beth and pals would turn up with gifts for her - and that would allow Christine to show off too.

How soon do you start decorating your home for the festive season?

Not until the December 1 at least- it used to be later but I’ve got grandkids now so they love getting the decorations done. I love Christmas so it takes about two days to decorate the place and I like all the lights in the garden too.

What was it like being back on set with the cast again?

Very emotional on many levels. I thought we’d never do another episode and to be honest after Simon died I couldn’t face the thought of it. But it was wonderful to see everyone- cast, crew and production - and everyone was so pleased and proud to be back- and it felt as if Simon was there with us - and it was so good to really laugh again.

Q&A with Grado and Joy McAvoy who play Alan and Michelle

What can you tell us about the Christmas special?

Grado: I can't wait for the Christmas special to be out because after a couple of years away, it was great to see the gang and it's very, very funny. Gregor [Sharp] has absolutely written an absolute, fantastic, hilarious episode and I can't wait for folks to see it.

Viewers will see that Michelle is expecting a baby. What type of parents do you think Alan and Michelle will be?

Joy: I think they’ll be amazing parents, Michelle is really organised so will have everything prepared well in advance and she’ll have Alan building out the nursery in all the shades of beige! However, it’ll be a shock to the system and while Michelle typically spends a lot of time looking after Alan and managing him…when the baby comes along there’ll be less time for that so I assume a more dishevelled Alan and stressed Michelle with sleepless nights will bring some hilarity.

Grado: Well, I think Michelle will be very hands-on. She'd be a great mum, it’s like she’llhave two kids to look after with Alan.

 Are you anything like your character at Christmas?

Grado: Yes,  because I love the food, he usually over does it… and I usually make myself sick by eating too much blue cheese.

Joy: I definitely think I’m like her. I love to decorate the whole house and put fairy lights everywhere, I love the romance of Christmas that she also strives for. I also love hosting which she’s done on the show. Michelle always wants people to be well looked after and catered for, and I definitely have that side of her in me.

How soon do you start decorating your homes for the festive season?

Joy: Usually, the end of November – as soon as I can really.

Grado: The other day I turned into Alan because my wife had made a wee day for daddy (me). It was the last Sunday before I started panto and we were going to put up the Christmas tree so I made about 25 different bits of Christmas party food, onion rings and picky bits. I then sat on the couch, shut my eyes for two minutes and woke up what felt like three years later and the tree was up! They’d done it without me and my missies took a photo of me so that's a bit of Alan.

What was it like being back on set with the cast again?

Grado: It was brilliant being back on set because obviously I've missed my pals after a couple years away and it felt a little bit strange with Simon not being there. But you know what? Through the love of Simon we all got together and worked as hard as possible as a tribute to him and we wanted to make him proud. That was always in the back of ourminds.

 Joy: Being back on set was the most emotional experience I’ve had at work. We reallyfelt the loss of Simon as he was such a  huge presence every day, however it was also really cathartic, we talked about him loads… ‘Oh Simon would love this costume’, ‘If Simon was here, he’d be laughing out loud at the monitors during that take’, ‘Simon would love this episode’.  We all felt so blessed to be back together working on the show we love and so grateful for Gregor carrying it on so brilliantly. It’s a special show with the most talented cast and crew, so we all just felt so happy to be together again and ultimately to give the fans a lovely Christmas special.

Q&A with Jamie Quinn and Kieran Hodgson who play Ian and Gordon

What can you tell us about the Christmas special?

Jamie: All I'll say is... it’s ‘kinda’ Christmas... and leave it there.

Kieran: On Latimer Crescent, as in life – the more things change, the more they stay the same. Gordon has tried to open a new chapter in his personal development, and this is met with mockery and humiliation round at Beth and Eric's. As it should be.

Are you anything like your characters at Christmas?

Kieran: Very much so, especially since they let me keep one of Gordon’s Christmas jumpers (from the Covid episode as they probably didn’t want the contamination). I share his drippy sentimentality and his love of doing impressions of friends and family in a way that makes everything awkward.

Jamie: Ian seems pretty chilled-out generally about it, and I'm similar in that respect. I love the build-up, the songs playing in all the shops, and I love the excitement of kidsand younger people, it's a real magical time for them, but personally I'm easy. I'm one of those ‘ah you don't need to get me anything’ type people.

How soon do you start decorating your home for the festive season?

Jamie: I try get my tree up little bit earlier in Dec, but just depends if I get round to it... but I've got a wee Santa gnome that I sometimes keep sat in my living room for months afterwards, feel guilty putting him back in the cupboard straight after I've had my use of him... gnomes have feelings too.

Kieran: I’m a strict December 1 person and that goes for mince pies, too. Nothing before that advent calendar opens, thank you! I feel sorry for November if people are trying to rush into Christmas stuff too early. Give the poor cousin a chance!

What’s your favourite Christmas song?

Kieran: In terms of carols, it has to be The Coventry Carol as it’s so mystical and bleak.In terms of songs, it has to be The Cheeky Girls’ Have A Cheeky Christmas, which just gets everyone in the party mood. As the girls themselves put it at the song’s climax: ‘Christmas, Christmas, Christmas, WOW!’

Jamie: Oooft, hard one, Christmas songs are the best part about it... I'd say it's betweenSlade, and the two Beatles ones (Lennon's War Is Over and McCartney's Wonderful Christmastime) Although my mate recently introduced me to one called Keeping The Dream Alive by a German band Münchener Freiheit... wasn't sure of it at first but now it's up there in my top 5.

What was it like being back on set with the cast again?

Kieran: There's nothing quite like the warm, fuzzy feeling of filming a Christmas specialin August, everyone sweating and trying to hide their suntans. It felt very much as if you were coming home, back into well-worn routines and comforting habits, the same mix of nostalgia for times gone by and excitement at times to come. Oh, and they rebuilt the living room from scratch which was amazing.

Jamie: It was amazing, any time we all get back together, it feels like meeting up with family again, and you all fall back into your little role in the pack. But we're such a close- knit bunch, we've been together for quite a big part of our lives, so there's always so much love in the room!

• The Two Doors Down Christmas special is on BBC One at 10pm on December 24