Johnny Vegas and Sian Gibson are returning to Gold for two more Murder, They Hope specials, British Comedy Guide can exclusively reveal.

The first, Blood Actually: A 'Murder, They Hope' Mystery, will air this Christmas, with Gemma (Gibson) and Terry (Vegas) spending their first festivities together as a married couple.

Once again thrown into the middle of a murderous catastrophe, as they try to make their Christmas getaway, the 90-minute special will see the Draper-Bremmers joined by Robert Webb, Jane Horrocks, The Mimic's Terry Mynott, Clive Russell (Code 404), Samuel Anderson (Trollied) and former EastEnders star and Strictly Come Dancing winner Rose Ayling-Ellis.

Lee Mack, Sarah Hadland and Sherrie Hewson are also returning to the show, with further cast to be announced, ahead of a second, stand-alone special airing in 2024.

"I'm over the moon to be back again with the crew for these Murder, They Hope specials" Vegas told BCG. "To be working with Sian is brilliant and each instalment just keeps getting better. There's so much for the viewers to look forward to in this one and I'm excited to get cracking."

Gibson added: "So excited to be back with my old mate Johnny Vegas and a hilariously fabulous cast for another instalment of Murder, They Hope. There's going to be more laughs, dramas and more horrific killing sprees, fun for all the family. Can't wait to get started."

Over the course of various Santa parades, present giving events and competitive Christmas challenges, things start to take a very dark turn, with Gemma trying her best to salvage their Christmas as the bodies start piling up. Can Terry finish preparing the Christmas dinner of his dreams and solve the murders in time?

The forthcoming specials are a return to the series' original feature-length format that began with Murder On The Blackpool Express in 2017, was followed by Death On The Tyne the following year and Dial M For Middlesbrough in 2019. Murder, They Hope was then commissioned for a three-part mini-series in 2021 and again for three more episodes on Gold the following year.

Blood Actually sees production company Tiger Aspect partnering with Schnoobert Productions, the new, Tyne and Wear-based company founded by the show's creator Jason Cook.

The stand-up and comedy writer said: "I am thrilled to be bringing back Gemma and Terry for Gold and even more excited that we are starting with the holy grail of television: The Christmas Special.

"It's also hugely exciting that television titans Tiger Aspect are co-producing the show with my new production company Schnoobert Productions. We have crammed as much Christmas into this as possible so I hope it proves to be a (blood-soaked) Christmas present that all the family will enjoy watching!"

Blood Actually: A 'Murder, They Hope' Mystery was commissioned for UKTV by Sarah Asante, commissioning editor for scripted comedy with Pete Thornton, head of scripted, and ordered by Gerald Casey, channel director for Gold and Hilary Rosen, director of commissioning.

"What better way to celebrate Christmas than watching the iconic duo, Gemma and Terry, do what they do best" said Casey. "It is such a pleasure to have Sian and Johnny back on our screens in the original event style format, and I hope Gold viewers love this festive take on Jason's hilarious murder mystery series as much as I do."

Asante added: "It is quite something to be bringing back this series in its original form for the next two years on Gold and I am delighted to be working alongside Tiger Aspect and Jason Cook to bring it to life. I can't wait to see what comical chaos is next for Gemma and Terry."