Greg Davies encounters more seriously shocking crime scenes - and some very strange characters - as Paul ‘Wicky’ Wickstead for a new series of murderous mess and mayhem in The Cleaner season 3.
Here's everything we know...
The Cleaner season 3 release date
This six-part third series - written by and starring funny man Greg Davies - returns to BBC1 on Friday, October 4 at 9.30pm on BBC1.
Episodes will air weekly in the same slot and they will also be available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
What's happening as season 3 begins?
As we re-join Wicky for this third series, he seems happy with his lot. He’s got his specialist job cleaning up murderous mess and his little flat, which he’s now living in with PS Ruth Edwards (Zita Sattar, returning). But as he goes about his job, will he begin to question his own life choices?
What's in store for Wicky this time around?
According to Greg, it seems we'll be getting to know more about the man behind the mess this time round...
"The Cleaner has always been centred on the crime scenes Wicky is cleaning up and the fascinating weirdos he meets along the way but I’ve always liked the idea of getting to know Wicky himself better, so some episodes are more personal than they've been before. The first, The Reunion, sees Wicky reacquainted with a group of school friends…"
Sounds intriguing. How does the reunion come about?
In this first episode, Wicky’s still enjoying the simple things in life, so he’s unimpressed with having to clean ‘some rich guy’s’ mansion. However, when the wealthy owner turns out to be none other than his old school chum Justin, Wicky soon gets an attack of the green-eyed monster. But is everything as it seems?
"Wicky’s a simple man, who’s content with life and just going for a pint on Friday night," he says. "But, in this episode, Wicky’s having a bit of an existential crisis about where he is in life compared to his school friends and there’s certainly some jealousy there. Despite people’s efforts to portray the ‘perfect image’, though, you soon realise nobody’s got life truly sorted."
The Reunion stars, among others, Ghosts' Ben Willbond as Wicky's rich mate Justin, alongside The Power of Parker's Rosie Cavaliero as Pink impersonator - yes, really! - Marnie.
The Cleaner season 3 star guests
A slew of top TV talent will be playing the array of weird and wonderful characters Wicky meets throughout the series including Sharon Rooney (Barbie), Conleth Hill (Game of Thrones), Paula Wilcox (Coronation Street), Derek Griffiths (Play School legend) and Sheila Reid (Benidorm).
Episode two - titled The Baby - stars The Tower's Gemma Whelan, as a heavily pregnant mum-to-be Lara, Getting On's Vicki Pepperdine as Lara's controlling mother Caroline and Inside No.9's Steve Pemberton as randy gardener Donald.
"This time, we get more of an insight into what makes Wicky tick by putting him in strange situations that really unsettle him," explains Greg. "Steve, Gemma and Vicki appear in an episode that explores Wicky’s approach to pregnancy and childbirth. Wicky’s very used to cleaning up blood and gore - but how will he react when the blood is not related to a murder!?"
Isn't one upcoming episode filmed in a real lighthouse?
That's right!
Wicky's jobs take him all over the place and an episode entitled The Lighthouse sees him called out to - you've guessed it! - a lighthouse off the coast of Northern Ireland.
There's no blood involved in this clean-up job; instead, one of the lighthouse keepers has gone missing (presumed to have fallen off a cliff!) and all Wicky has to do is clear his bedroom out as it's upsetting the remaining keeper, Brennan, played by Game of Thrones actor Conleth Hill.
"The Cleaner has been likened to a box of Quality Street chocolates in that it lurches from genre to genre; one episode almost looks like a horror film," says Greg. "Myself and Conleth become trapped in a real 1830s Victorian lighthouse on a tiny, almost deserted island. We were often filming until midnight and it’s one of the creepiest episodes we’ve ever done."
Wicky's job involves cleaning up crime scenes - so how much fake blood is used each series?
"I’ve no idea," admits Greg. "In The Housekeeper, starring Sharon Rooney, there’s a particularly grotesque cleaning scene for Wicky; the blood and gore here was only bits of fruit, but it still made me feel sick doing it.
"I almost forget what Wicky’s job is sometimes, because I'm so focused on the character interactions. But every now and then when I'm mopping up, I think: ‘Eugh, gross! Could I do this job in real life? No way!’"
Is there a trailer?
Yes! Here's a look at what mess and mayhem awaits Wicky this time round...
The Cleaner season 3 returns on Friday, October 4 at 9.30pm on BBC1.
