Vegas and pal back for PG Tips ad

The comic is still best known for the campaign he made for the ill-fated ITV Digital, which ended six years ago – and forever complains that fans still harass him about his simian sidekick.

But tonight the pairing will be revived for a new TV advert for PG Tips.

The commercial plays on Monkey’s absence from the screens, with him turning up on Vegas's doorstep one night down-on-his-luck and seeking to renew their friendship.

Vegas, as ‘Al’ berates his old pal for abandoning him after their ‘TV thing went belly-up’. But they settle their differences over a cup of tea and vow to ‘get back into advertising’.

And in a surreal touch the advert plays out to the strains of T'Pau's hit China In Your Hand, with Vegas explaining he has rented out the ‘big room’ to singer Carol Decker.

The rights to the Monkey character were one of the assets fought over when ITV Digital collapsed in 2002. In the end advertising agency Mother, who came up with both campaigns, donated them to Comic Relief – which will receive Monkey’s ‘fee’ for the current PG Tips ads.

PG Tips will also be promoting a range of merchandise featuring Monkey, who is voiced by comic Ben Miller.

Here's the ad:

And here's a spoof interview about the comeback.

Published: 8 Jan 2007