Aisling Bea joins Romesh Ranganathan's Avoidance

...as does the comic's own son Alex

Aisling Bea has joined the cast of Romesh Ranganathan’s BBC One comedy Avoidance, as filming starts on the second series.

The comedian is one of several familiar comedy names joining the sitcom, also including Colin Hoult, Michael Spicer, Louise Ford (who plays Kate in The Windsors) and Brona C Titley from Stephen Merchant’s The Outlaws.

Also joining are Matthew Lewis, who played Neville Longbottom in Harry Potter, Jessica Ransom who played receptionist Morwenna Newcross in Doc Martin and Paula Wilcox, the Man About The House star who latterly played Shakespeare’s mum Maryin Upstart Crow

Even Ranganathan’s son Alex has a part, making a third generation of the family to appear on screen as the comic regularly includes his mum Shanthi in his programmes.

Ranganathan said: ‘I’m delighted to be back on set with this amazing cast, so much so it almost makes up for the crushing agony of my recent spandex-filled wardrobe fitting…’

In the show, he plays Jonathan – also his real first name – who is thrown out by his partner Claire (Jessica Knappett) but avoids confronting the situation by hiding out with his sister Danielle (Mandeep Dhillon) and her wife Courtney (Lisa McGrillis)

The BBC said: ‘If series one was about a break-up and rebuilding a broken home, series two is about falling in love, messy reconciliation and a baby.’

Other actors joining the new series include Olive Tennant from Belfast, Philip Jackson from Brassed Off and Ed Kear from Here We Go.

Avoidance is made by Ranganathan’s own production company, Ranga Bee and created by the comic with his long-term collaborator Benjamin Green. They both wrote the scripts, along with with Knappett.

No broadcast date has yet been announced for the six new half-hour episodes.

Avoidance production credits.

Made by: Ranga Bee
Created by: Romesh Ranganathan and Benjamin Green
Written by: Romesh Ranganathan, Benjamin Green and Jessica Knappett.
Directed by: Benjamin Green
Producer:Andrew Harvey
Executive producers: Michelle Farr-Scott, Romesh Ranganathan, Benjamin Green
Commissioned by: Jon Petrie, director of BBC Comedy
BBC commissioning editor: Tanya Qureshi.