Cleese and Gervais unite

Ricky Gervais and John Cleese are teaming up for a comedy sketch to mark the opening of the British Walk of Fame.

Gervais is writing and preparing the sketch with Cleese in California, where the Fawlty Towers star now lives.

The sketch will be produced by Terry Hughes, the comedy director whose CV includes Friends, The Two Ronnies and Monty Python At The Hollywood Bowl.

Executive producer Michael Hurll said: ‘It's fantastic for us to have got two such great names together and I really can't wait to see the results.

‘When we first discussed the idea I was thrilled but never in my wildest dreams did I have imagine it would actually happen.’

The sketch will be broadcast during a three-hour special unveiling the new Avenue Of The Stars in Covent Garden on Sunday night, as part of ITV’s 50th anniversary celebrations.

Cleese and Gervais are among those to be honoured in the memorial, as announced last month.

And today more names have been revealed – including  comedy legends Peter Cook, Les Dawson, Benny Hill, Frankie Howerd, Tony Hancock and Morecambe and Wise.

Also among the new list of 32 names are some living comics: Alan Bennett, Michael Palin, Julie Walters, Lenny Henry and Victoria Wood,

Late sitcom stars Paul Eddington, Arthur Lowe, and Leonard Rossiter also get a look-in, as do vintage  movie stars  Bob Hope and Stan Laurel.

These are in addition to the initial 16 names announced last week - including Tommy Cooper, Billy Connolly and The Two Ronnies.

One hundred celebrities born in the UK or the Commonwealth will be eventually be immortalised on the avenue outside St Paul's, The Actors' Church, in Covent Garden - which means more than half the names have yet to be revealed.

Hurll said: ‘We're keeping some of the more contemporary names secret for the live show on Sunday but there's still a lot of talent to honour and only a few spaces left on the Avenue of the Stars.

More names will be added to the avenue every year.

Published: 14 Sep 2005