Comic competes with Jamie Redknapp to 'collect' World Cup stars in Got Got Need

Jack Whitehall is to reunite with his League of Their Own colleague Jamie Redknapp for a new series loosely based on Panini football stickers.

But in place of pictures of soccer stars, the pair will be competing to collect real-life meetings with famous sportsmen for the three-part show Got Got Need.

The programme will air on Sky Max around the  Qatar World Cup this autumn. The broadcaster today also confirmed the previously leaked news that Fantasy Football would be returning with Matt Lucas and Elis James in place of Frank Skinner and David Baddiel.

Whitehall, who is also an executive producer of Got Got Need through his company Jackpot Productions, said: ‘I have always been, like many, a devoted fan to the World Cup and I am beyond excited to be putting one of my best mates and his dad to the test in this exciting new World Cup challenge.

‘More importantly, I can’t wait for Sky viewers to watch Jamie Redknapp fail.’

Redknapp said: ‘I still remember my first World Cup sticker album – Spain 1982. I got close, but never managed to find Peru’s Hugo Gastulo and I’ll never forgive him for it. I hope I do better with this one.’

Redknapp will also draws his father Harry into the quest, in the hope that his contacts from his management career can open some doors.

Meanwhile, Sky has ordered a total of 16 half-hour episodes of Fantasy Football.

On reviving the series – which originally ran from  1994 to 2004 –   Lucas said: ‘I loved watching Fantasy Football League with Frank, David and Statto and am chuffed to bits to be a part of this new incarnation.

‘I now make a living eating cake and watching football. I must be the luckiest man in the world.

‘I also get to share the sofa with Elis, who is not only hilarious but the biggest football geek I’ve ever met. See you next season.’

The show is made by Avalon and the series director will be  Peter Orton, who also worked on the original.

Published: 17 May 2022