Will Mellor talks about his new role in the BBC3 comedy drama, White Van Man... You're famous for playing geezer Gaz in Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps - what attracted you to this role? "I've loved playing Gaz, I've been doing it for nine years, but it's been nice to do something that's fun but also has an emotional side. As soon as I read the script for White Van Man, I thought, 'This is perfect for me.'" Tell us a bit about Ollie, the character you play in White Van Man? "Ollie is a frustrated chef who went to catering college to try and make something of himself. He's a bit of an entrepreneur, but his dad, who's been a handyman for years, has been told by his doctor to take things easy, so Ollie is forced to take over the business. But he gets more than he bargained for!" What happens to Ollie on his first day? "Ollie finds himself walking into a car crash in many different ways. He doesn't know how to deal with people in the village just yet and ends up getting blamed for things that aren't his fault." And his sidekick Darren isn't helping matters, is he? "No, he's useless! Ollie and Darren don't get off to the best start and Ollie wonders how his dad EVER got any work done with him. Darren is a loveable character, and because he's been doing the job for years he knows how to take things easy. Ollie needs to relax a bit if he wants to make things work." Do you think Ollie will be able to make a go of the business? "Ollie's not a traditional white van man, but he's got to learn to be. He doesn't want to be doing this job at all really, but he will end up learning to love it – he's just going to have to overcome a few obstacles first!" *White Van Man starts with a double bill on Tuesday, March 22 at 10.30pm on BBC3.
