Scottish comic Bruce Morton is to appear in the next series of Still Game.

The deadpan stand-up is to play dour undertaker I D Sheathing in the eighth series of the comedy, which returns to BBC One on March 8.

Star Ford Kiernan said his fellow comedian had a pivotal role in bringing Still Game to live – as he was the man who introduced him to his co-writer Greg Hemphill.

In an interview to promote the new series, Kiernan said: ‘We worked in an office together and Bruce had already started doing stand-up.

‘He said to me, "You should give it a go' and basically shoved me up on the stage. I did five minutes and within a wee while I was an established comedian. I've got a lot of things to thank Bruce for, we both have."

Kiernan described Sheathing as looking like Tom Petty and dressing like the Hooded Claw. 

He said: ‘He almost hovers when he walks and he has a sinister touch about him, a blank deadness in his eyes. As far as the character was concerned, Bruce embodied Sheathing immediately - which is a strange word to use when you're describing a funeral director.’

As previously reported, Craig Ferguson is to make a guest appearance in the series, now he has stood down as a late-night talk show host in the US.

Hemphill said: ‘He’s a fan and has watched all the episodes and we contacted him and asked him if he wanted to be in Still Game and he said, "yep sight unseen, sign me up!".’

Ferguson said last year: ‘I'm going to do an episode because it's just hilarious.’