The BBC’s respected security correspondent Frank Gardner is such a fan of BBC satire W1A that he has asked for a cameo role in the forthcoming second series of the critically-acclaimed show.
Gardner made the request to follow in the footsteps of Clare Balding, Carol Vorderman and BBC creative director Alan Yentob, who all took part in last year’s series, after seeing the cast filming in the BBC’s central London headquarters, New Broadcasting House.
According to one source, Gardner is so keen on John Morton’s mockumentary that when he recognised stars including Hugh Bonneville and Jessica Hynes arriving for work, he approached the team with a request to appear in the background of one of the scenes.
The cast were apparently equally delighted that the award-winning journalist, who was shot by al-Qaida in Saudi Arabia, was a fan of the show and posed with Gardner for a picture in the lobby of NBH.
The second series is currently in production around the BBC, featuring some other well-known faces, to the delight of visitors at the corporation.
Around 1.6 million viewers turned in last year to see the follow-up to Morton’s Olympics comedy Twenty-Twelve and the second series is due to air later this year.
The first series dealt with issues such as hot desking, executive pay and on-screen crises. In the second, the issues facing Bonneville’s character, head of values Ian Fletcher, include charter renewal – a live issue for the BBC in the real world.
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