Two Doors Down cast detail filming ‘really emotional’ Christmas special after creator’s death
The cast of BBC sitcom Two Doors Down have opened up about filming the upcoming Christmas special, which will air later this year, following the death of creator Simon Carlyle
11:42, 30 Oct 2025
Members of the cast appeared on This Morning (Image: ITV)
The cast of Two Doors Down have spoken candidly about creating the forthcoming Christmas special after the passing of co-creator Simon Carlyle.
The Scottish BBC comedy launched as a standalone special in 2013, but has gone on to produce seven series alongside multiple Christmas episodes.
Featuring Arabella Weir, Alex Norton, Doon Mackichan, Jonathan Watson and Elaine C. Smith, the comedy centres on residents living on a suburban Scottish street.
The ensemble will return to their characters for a standalone Christmas episode this year, which the BBC described as: “The residents of Latimer Crescent will congregate at Beth (Arabella Weir) and Eric’s (Alex Norton) house to celebrate Christmas.
Filming the new episode of Two Doors Down was “emotional”(Image: BBC)READ MORE: Fresh Prince of Bel-Air actor dies at 42 after suffering heart attackREAD MORE: Blue Peter’s Liz Barker’s life after BBC show from career change to family
“The neighbours are all back: Christine (Elaine C Smith), Cathy (Doon Mackichan) and Colin (Jonathan Watson), Alan (Graeme Stevely) and Michelle (Joy McAvoy), plus Beth and Eric’s son Ian (Jamie Quinn) and his fiancé Gordon (Kieran Hodgson),” reports the Express.
Discussing the forthcoming episode, cast members joined Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary on the This Morning sofa on Thursday.
The actors honoured co-creator Simon Carlyle, who passed away in August 2023 aged 43.
Simon Carlyle died in 2023(Image: BBC)
Reflecting on shooting the special, Doon explained: “It was so exciting but the minute we walked in the room, we all had a moment where we went, ‘This is terrible,’ and then we had to get over that and just get on with it and do it for him.”
“Simon was with us, he was absolutely with us through the shooting of the Christmas special,” Arabella added.
Elaine shared her initial reluctance to return to the set following Carlyle’s death, stating: “And the thought of walking into that set again, that living room, I just thought, ‘I couldn’t face it,’ it was really emotional.
“But because a lot of time had passed, we all felt that he was there.”
Two Doors Down is back this Christmas(Image: BBC)
Upon the announcement of the Christmas special, co-creator Gregor Sharp expressed his excitement: “It’s really exciting to be revisiting Latimer Crescent with all the regular cast for this new episode. Christmas is a time for getting together with friends and family and then becoming low level irritated by them so it feels like they’re the perfect group to celebrate the season with.”
BBC Director of Comedy Jon Petrie also chimed in: “There’s something comforting about having the neighbours round for Christmas, even if they bring minor chaos. Gregor and the gang bring the warm laughs, sly digs and brilliantly petty moments that make Two Doors Down such a cracking comedy. Expect it to sparkle on BBC iPlayer and BBC One faster than Cathy can pop a prosecco.”
Josh Cole, Head of Comedy at BBC Studios Productions, and Steven Canny, Executive Producer, added: “We’re so pleased to be returning to Latimer Crescent and can’t wait for the audience to be back in Beth and Eric’s for another tortuous Christmas. Gregor and Simon created a brilliantly funny show that has an outstanding cast of memorable and loveable characters and we’re hugely looking forward to seeing them torment each other again.”
This Morning is broadcast on weekdays from 10am on ITV1 and ITVX.
