Mackenzie Crook says Worzel Gummidge Christmas special is fitting tribute to late Barbara Windsor

Mackenzie Crook has said that his new Worzel Gummidge Christmas special is a fitting tribute to the late Barbara Windsor.

The EastEnders and Carry On actress, who died aged 83 in December after a long battle with Alzheimer’s, played the role of Saucy Nancy in the 80s original.

When asked if his upcoming show was a fitting tribute to the star, Mackenzie didn’t hesitate to agree and told The Sun: ‘Absolutely, yes. 

Sweet: Mackenzie Crook has said that his new Worzel Gummidge Christmas special is a fitting tribute to the late Barbara Windsor (pictured in character for the upcoming show)

‘She played the original version and a lot of people will remember that fondly. It’s so sad that she died just weeks before our new one went out.’

The remake of the classic will see Harry Potter star Shirley Henderson, 55, take on the role and use some pretty colourful language thought up by Mackenzie.   

Mackenzie explained that some of his creations had to be cut out of the edit as they even made him ‘wince’.  

He added that writing good fake swear words is an art, saying: ‘They have to sound right. “Pipe scrape, you filthy pipe scrape”. Something about that sounds almost rude, something vaguely anatomical.’  

Tribute: The EastEnders and Carry On actress, who recently died aged 83 after a long battle with Alzheimer's, played the role of Saucy Nancy in the 80s original (pictured L-R: Una Stubbs as Aunt Sally, Jon Pertwee as Worzel and Barbara as Saucy Nancy)

Tribute: The EastEnders and Carry On actress, who recently died aged 83 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s, played the role of Saucy Nancy in the 80s original (pictured L-R: Una Stubbs as Aunt Sally, Jon Pertwee as Worzel and Barbara as Saucy Nancy)

The episode will see Worzel and his pals – Susan, played by India Brown, and John, played by Thierry Wickens – make a rare trip out of Scatterbrook.

When the trip visit a scrapyard, Worzel overhears the grumbling of a foul-mouthed old friend – the carved ship’s figurehead, Saucy Nancy. 

She has been languishing, unsold in the yard for years and longs to return to the sea however isn’t convinced that the ship will be waiting for her after so long.

Worzel and the children promise to get her there and the unlikely foursome navigate their way to the coast on foot, by bus, wheelbarrow, motorbike and sidecar. 

Bringing it back: Shirley Henderson will play Barbara's iconic character of Saucy Nancy in the remake, which airs on Christmas Eve (pictured L-R: Thierry Wickens as John, Shirley, India Brown as Susan and Mackenzie as Worzel)

Bringing it back: Shirley Henderson will play Barbara’s iconic character of Saucy Nancy in the remake, which airs on Christmas Eve (pictured L-R: Thierry Wickens as John, Shirley, India Brown as Susan and Mackenzie as Worzel)

Mixing it up: The episode will see Worzel and the children make a rare trip out of Scatterbrook

Mixing it up: The episode will see Worzel and the children make a rare trip out of Scatterbrook

During the trip, Worzel gets to see a wild moorland and the spectacular white cliffs of Seashell that provide the backdrop to this story of friendship and belonging. 

Mackenzie also discussed how he had intended for there to be two Christmas specials but because of the coronavirus pandemic only one got made.

He explained how he wrote during the first lockdown and had to be in a bubble with two prosthetics makeup artists, who wore full PPE, when filming.

Speaking ahead of the show’s release on Christmas Eve, Mackenzie said: ‘I’m excited and grateful to be making a new episode of Worzel Gummidge after a difficult year for everyone.’

Mackenzie’s show takes inspiration from the original, became a cult classic following its launch in 1979, with 31 episodes spread across a two year run before it went off air in December 1981. 

Classic: The original Worzel Gummidge became a cult classic following its launch in 1979 (Barbara and Jon filming in Brixham, Devon, in 1979)

Classic: The original Worzel Gummidge became a cult classic following its launch in 1979 (Barbara and Jon filming in Brixham, Devon, in 1979)

The show, starring Jon Pertwee as Gummidge and Una Stubbs as Aunt Sally, enjoyed a brief revival in 1987 for the New Zealand based Worzel Gummidge Down Under.

However some viewers found the new portrayal of the character in 2019’s Christmas specials much scarier than the late Jon Pertwee’s edition and compared the talking scarecrow to famous villain Freddy Krueger when it aired. 

Mackenzie made a name for himself as Gareth Keenan in Ricky Gervais’ sitcom The Office before making the transition to film and a recurring role in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.

He has also featured in popular TV shows Skins, Merlin and Game Of Thrones.

The one-hour long Christmas special, Worzel Gummidge: Saucy Nancy, airs on Christmas Eve on BBC1 at 5.55pm. 

Going to the seaside: Vanessa Redgrave will play the character of Peg in the special

Going to the seaside: Vanessa Redgrave will play the character of Peg in the special