The Last Leg team go on an Australian road trip
Channel 4 has filmed The Last Leg Goes Down Under, a two part special in which the three stars of topical comedy show The Last Leg go on a trip through Australia.
The two hour long episodes, which have just been filmed, see Adam Hills, Josh Widdicombe and Alex Brooker taking an "extreme road trip in the Australian Outback".
Channel 4 confirms: "The award-winning gang from The Last Leg have been sent to the wilderness of Australia for the ultimate extreme road trip. They will be guided through their adventures by Amar Latif, a charming and thrill-seeking Scottish travel agent who also happens to be blind, and who decides to give them a difficult and dangerous road trip as far from their expectations as he can.
"How will self-professed Neighbours addict Josh, beer and BBQ aficionado Alex, and Sydney native Adam cope as their fantasies of beaches and sunshine are replaced with hunting crocodiles and feral pigs, facing off with hard faced biker gangs and embracing a real life Crocodile Dundee experience?
"Plus, as Adam starts to embrace the trip and his Aussie roots, Josh and Alex wonder if a nervous breakdown looms - and 'Is it OK?' becomes 'Are you OK?' Could this trip be the last straw for The Last Leg comrades?"
The producers add: "The boys learn a great deal about the other side of Australia, a nation with a steadfast optimism and a dark underbelly. But the three will find out a few things about each other too, whilst turning each encounter into an exciting, poignant and most of all, richly comedic journey."
Josh Widdicombe says: "I am delighted that Channel 4 gave me the opportunity to confirm my suspicions that Australia is nowhere near as good as the UK."
Alex Brooker adds: "I've always wanted to go to Australia to have barbecues, visit Ramsay Street and drink Fosters on Bondi Beach. Just been there and did absolutely none of those things. Instead it was 3 weeks of swatting flies away from my face and checking under toilet seats for spiders and snakes. You know you're in the wrong place when you can't even relax on the toilet. I'm not happy."
Channel 4 commissioner Syeda Irtizaali says: "We wanted to see what would happen when the gang were pushed from their comfy sofas and into extreme situations in a place that Adam believes he knows intimately. The results are as hilarious, hazardous and heart-warming as we could have hoped. It makes Crocodile Dundee look like an episode of In The Night Garden."
Director Gavin Searle comments: "From terrible flies to terrible cuisine this journey is as surprising as it is hilarious. Never before has a continent received such bad press."
Executive producer Ben Wicks notes: "We were politely asked by Channel 4 not to kill Adam, Josh or Alex whilst making this programme and that is just about the only indignity not to befall them during their road-trip."
Speaking to British Comedy Guide to promote Josh, his forthcoming new sitcom, Josh Widdicombe talked about the surprise success of the The Last Leg, joking "I didn't sign up for this. I signed up for a 10 day Paralympics show and I thought 'it's free tickets to the Paralympics and no one will watch it, it'll be fine - what a nice little job', but - before I know it - here we are!".
He added: "I think that's why it is a success though, because it had time to find its feet. It wasn't trying to be a big hit, it was just trying to be a good show."
There is no details yet when The Last Leg Goes Down Under will air. Channel 4 is expected to confirm scheduling at a later date.
A new series of The Last Leg itself will start in February 2016.