Duncan James

Part one of four of Punk'd-style pranking starring the one-time chart toppers as its victims. Antony Costa, Simon Webbe, Lee Ryan and Duncan James are charged with turning around the fortunes of a beachfront bar in San Antonio, Ibiza, but little do they know that everyone around them is on a mission to rile them, from bar staff to the PR person (Richard Bond of sketch group Clever Peter). Will they All Rise (cough) to the challenge or will they wish they had let the opportunity, erm, Fly By?

If you're a fan of Duncan from Blue, you'll absolutely love this episode. And if you can't stand the ice-skating b*****d (as this show likes to call him) then you'll probably enjoy it even more. Talk about a win-win situation.

It's the end of the sitcom based on the unlikely premise of a bloke trying to find an impressive enough date to take to the wedding of his ex-girlfriend who's dumped him for Duncan James. It's taken him five disaster-prone weeks, but, against all the odds, tonight it looks like Rob (Daniel Mays) has finally managed to pull it off when he meets Astrid, an honest to goodness blonde goddess.

An absolutely unforgettable wedding also features a great cameo from T4 hunk Steve Jones and an all-too-brief glimpse of the very lovely and very funny Nigel Harman. Even if you've not seen the rest of the series, make a date with this one.

An irreverent new sitcom that's beautiful in its simplicity. Hapless nonentity Rob suddenly finds his girlfriend has rather ludicrously run off with Duncan from Blue - so he spends every moment plotting vengeance, which he plans to exact, as is every wronged lover's wont, at the happy couple's impending wedding.

Persuading some Olympic-standard totty to be his first date for the big day is deemed to be the answer, though pop prince charming Duncan - the real-life Duncan James getting a hearty cheer from us for sending himself up so splendidly - seems to get the upper hand.

After a successful pilot on Channel 4's comedy showcase strand last year, Plus One now has a series of its own - and deservedly so. The premise is simple: a sour gnome (Daniel Mays) is dumped by his girlfriend (Miranda Raison) in favour of Duncan from the boy band Blue (Duncan James). Eaten up with jealousy, the Mays character concocts increasingly desperate schemes to get even, which start badly and end in catastrophe. Although aimed at the under-40s, it incorporates such ancient virtues as character and narrative to go with the fantasy sequences and farcical mishaps. Give it a whirl.

Don't worry if you missed the 2007 pilot for this series. There's a brief explanation at the start of the first episode. Basically, Rob (Daniel Mays) was dumped by Laura (Spooks' Miranda Raison), and later gleaned from a celeb mag that she was dating Duncan From Blue (played by the man himself). Not only that, they were going to marry. And Rob's been invited to the wedding.

Hacked off that he's been replaced by 'that skating b*****d', Rob is convinced Duncan From Blue (that's his full name in this, not Duncan James) is out to get him. So he decides to prove he's better than DFB and have revenge on his ex by turning up at her wedding with the sexiest woman he can con into being his girlfriend.

It's a simple yet effective idea - for now anyway - and Rob is an entertaining central character - a younger, less grouchy version of Jack Dee's Rick Spleen.

The comedy isn't perfect, and with coarse language it won't be everybody's cup of tea. But if you still miss Teachers, the young, ballsy characters in this should raise a smile.

And there's always the eye candy to enjoy - as well as Duncan James, the show stars former EastEnders heartthrob Nigel Harman. And for the fellas, for this week only, is guest star Susie Amy, who will fulfil many a redblooded man's fantasy by donning a school uniform.

Duncan James Interview

An interview with Plus One star Duncan James.