Vegas set for big screen debut

Comedian Johnny Vegas is to make his big screen debut monkeying around in a new British film, it was announced today.

Vegas will appear alongside Royle Family star Ricky Tomlinson in the film The Virgin of Liverpool.

It tells a story of a 12-year-old girl who sets out to rescue a statue of the Virgin Mary which has been earmarked for destruction.

Ignoring the objections of her dysfunctional family, she is joined by locals in her Merseyside suburb to back her campaign to save the statue.

Details of the film were announced today at the Cannes Film Festival and it will start shooting later this summer.

The producers are hoping for a hit to rival British movies like The Full Monty and Billy Elliott.

Vegas is best known to TV viewers who saw his on screen partnership with a talking monkey in a series of adverts for the ill-fated ITV Digital channel.