Jack Rooke has recalled when he knew that Katy Wix had the "cult gay" appeal to play Jules, the over-enthusiastic student union officer in his Channel 4 sitcom Big Boys.

"When I started writing Big Boys [in 2017] I was 23 and I'd just done this documentary for BBC Three [Happy Man]," he told Wix and radio presenter Shaun Keaveny on the latter's Daily Grind podcast.

After seeing himself in the film, "I felt quite body dysmorphic and I was like, 'I've got to lose some weight, I've got to lose some weight'," he continued. "I was skint and there was a gay gym-slash-sauna in Soho ... and if you're under 25, you can get in free on weekdays.

"So I used to go there, just to use the gym. But you have to go down to the changing rooms which is where all the, you know, naughty stuff was going on.

"One time I walked through to the lockers. And there are little pods where men, are, you know, having a good time. And there's a sort of screening room that's got a massive plasma screen and sofas and there were just 16 naked gay men watching Katy on Absolutely Fabulous. And your face was huge!"

He laughed: "I think it really cemented you in my head," recalling Wix's turn as posh pension office employee Annabelle in the 2011 Christmas Day special, aired to commemorate Ab Fab's 20th anniversary.

"I was like 'yeah, she's definitely cult gay!'"