Richard E Grant fronts Argos campaign

Actor Richard E Grant has gone rock’n’roll as the new face of high street store Argos.

The star has teamed up with Ab Fab actress Julia Sawalha in a new advert for the catalogue shop.

He plays a pretentious rock star who returns from a comeback tour to find his wife has moved out and left him with an empty flat.

His long-suffering PA, played by Sawalha, kits out the apartment in glamorous style from Argos.

Grant is delighted with the result and Sawalha fools him into thinking it is the work of cutting edge Lithuanian designer Arr Ghoos.

The ad, to be screened for the first time during tonight’s Big Brother final, is the first in a series.

While Grant hams it up in long curly wig and snakeskin print shirt, Sawalha unveils a sleek blonde look a million miles away from her image as Ab Fab frump Saffy.

The new campaign replaces the previous cheap and cheerful ads featuring the Status Quo song Whatever You Want.