Gavin And Stacey star Ruth Jones is to play Carry On comedy legend Hattie Jacques for a BBC biopic, it has been announced. The film will look at the actress's racy love life which saw her embark on an affair with a much younger man during her marriage to Dad's Army star John Le Mesurier. Hattie - to be screened by BBC Four later this year - will examine her secret affair, which is a far cry from many of the more homely characters she played through much of her career. Jacques - who was also known for a long on-screen partnership with Eric Sykes in his sitcom Sykes - died in 1980 from a heart attack, with a final TV appearance that year in an Asda advert. Despite appearing in 14 of the nudge-nudge Carry On classics, her physical stature meant she was often cast as matronly characters. Ruth Jones - best known for her role as Nessa in Gavin And Stacey, as well as BBC One's adaptation of Tess Of The D'Urbervilles - said: "Hattie Jacques is a comedy heroine of mine and I'm thrilled to have been asked to play her. "She was an incredibly talented and fascinating woman both on and off screen and so much more than just the 'funny fat lady'. I can't wait."
