Along with Nikesh Patel and a lot of familiar comedy faces

Minnie Driver and a host of familiar comedy faces have joined the cast of Rose Matafeo’s forthcoming BBC romcom Starstruck.

Nikesh Patel, best known for his role as Aafrin Dalal in the Channel 4 series Indian Summers, will co-star as Tom –  a famous film star that Matefeo’s character Jessie, a millennial scraping by in East London, ‘accidentally’  sleeps with.

Producers Avalon have today also released the first image showing the pair together, above.

Also in the cast are comedians Emma Sidi, Sindhu Vee, Al Roberts, Jon Pointing and Joe Barnes of sketch double act Goodbear. It has not been revealed which roles any of the supporting cast will play.

Former Edinburgh Comedy Award winner Matafeo wrote the six-part series with fellow New Zealand comedian  Alice Snedden. Last summer, Matafeo revealed they had already been asked to write a second series of the show.

Starstruck is being made for BBC Three - including a BBC One broadcast - and will also air on HBO Max in the USA, ABC in Australia, and TVNZ in New Zealand. Premier dates have not yet been disclosed.

Also announced in the cast today are Nic Sampson, Lola Rose Maxwell, Abraham Popoola and Ambreen Razia

Written by: Rose Matafeo and Alice Snedden
Directed by: Karen Maine
Made by: Avalon Television
Commissioned by: Shane Allen, controller of comedy commissioning at the BBC and Fiona Campbell, controller of BBC Three
Executive producers: Rose Matafeo, Jon Thoday, Richard Allen-Turner and Rob Aslett
Series producer: Toby Welch
Commissioning editor for the BBC: Gregor Sharp 

Published: 15 Mar 2021