Greg Davies is returning as Paul “Wicky” Wickstead for a brand-new one-off festive special of The Cleaner, with filming now underway in Italy. Currently titled The Cleaner in Italy, the hour-long episode will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer over the festive period. Robert Webb, Peter Serafinowicz, Kevin Eldon and Tori Allen-Martin are among the guest cast joining Davies for Wicky’s first overseas adventure.
What Is The Cleaner in Italy About?
The special follows Wicky as he reluctantly joins his girlfriend Ruth (Zita Sattar) and her friends Andrew (Robert Webb) and Andrea (Tori Allen-Martin) on a hiking holiday in the Italian Dolomites. It is not exactly his ideal break, and after an accident leaves him unable to continue, he is forced to spend the rest of the trip at a remote mountain hotel while Ruth heads off to enjoy the outdoors.
Left behind with an eccentric hotel manager, played by Peter Serafinowicz, an unusual group of guests and increasingly suspicious staff, Wicky’s boredom soon turns into paranoia. Considering his holidays usually involve the pub rather than mountain trails, this was probably never going to end well.
Who Is Joining the Cast?
Alongside Webb and Serafinowicz, the special will feature Kevin Eldon, Tori Allen-Martin, Veronica Ferres, Milanka Brooks and Dylan Blore. Zita Sattar will reprise her role as Ruth, while further character details are being kept under wraps for now.
Davies said Wicky has reached a point where he only likes three things: his job, the pub and beer. Sending him to Italy on a hiking holiday therefore gives the comedy plenty of room to test his limits. “I can’t wait to show everyone how horribly wrong a holiday can go,” he said.
Why Is This Special Different?
This will be the first hour-long episode of The Cleaner, giving Wicky more time to unravel as the holiday becomes increasingly strange. The Italian setting also takes the comedy away from the crime scenes and familiar British surroundings that have shaped the first three series. The BBC has described the special as an inventive new setting for one of Davies’ most memorable characters, with commissioning editor Ben Caudell praising the guest cast and the opportunity to place Wicky in another extraordinary situation.
When Will The Cleaner Festive Special Air?
An exact air date has not yet been announced, but The Cleaner in Italy will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer during the 2026 festive period. The comedy first launched in 2021 and has remained one of the BBC’s most-watched scripted comedies across all three series.
For CultureCues, sending Wicky on a hiking holiday in the Italian Dolomites should be especially fun after three series set in the UK. Greg Davies is at his best when Wicky is irritated and suspicious, so placing him in a remote hotel with Peter Serafinowicz and Robert Webb sounds like festive chaos waiting to happen. He may not make it very far up the mountain, but we are more than happy to follow him there.
All three series of The Cleaner are available to stream on BBC iPlayer now.
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