Two Doors Down star speaks about BBC show's return

And then there are people who really LOVE Two Doors Down, laughs Jamie Quinn, who plays mild-mannered Ian on the show.

“I have never been involved in a show where there is SO much excitement around its return,” he marvels. “The fanbase is now properly fanatical and passionate. Swifties (Taylor Swift fans) haven’t got a look in…”

The BBC Scotland sitcom returns on November 24 for its seventh series, with Beth and Eric (Arabella Weir and Alex Norton) enduring more pain and suffering thanks to foul-mouthed Christine (Elaine C Smith), weedy Colin (Jonathan Watson) and monstrous Cathy (Doon Mackichan, back from her travels to everyone’s surprise, to create havoc once more).

The cast of Two Doors Down (Image: BBC)

Jamie plays Beth and Eric’s son Ian, who is in for a surprise himself in the new series.

“A blast from his past shows up and it shakes things up quite a bit,” he reveals. “It’s brilliant to be back. Ian is great – a lot more diplomatic and calmer than I am, to be honest. I'm just another crazy creative.

“Having Cathy back is great. Doon is such a brilliant actress and it’s kind of a dream for the writers, there is so much drama to be had in her return.”

Although most of Scotland will be glued to their screens next Friday (November 24) for the opening episode, Jamie will be otherwise engaged.

Jamie is also frontman of indie rockers Penny Mob (Image: Penny Mob)

In his “other life” as frontman of indie rockers Penny Mob, he will be playing at the Garage G2 to mark the release of the band’s latest single, Addicted.

“Yeah, we were joking about screening the first episode in the middle of our set,” he says, grinning. “I don't know if the balance would work – ‘glad you enjoyed the comedy, ladies and gents, now here's Addicted….”

The new song is “personal”, says Jamie.

“Every second person you meet has either had personal experience of addiction or has loved someone who has,” he says.

Penny Mob play Glasgow on November 24 (Image: Penny Mob)

“It's a universal issue, sadly. I wanted to write about addiction, without sentimentality, but in a more visceral and honest way. It became more of a love song about what it's really like to live with someone with addiction problems. And I didn't want to pull any punches.”

He adds: “But I had no idea just how much this song would resonate with people. Even before it was released we got tons of messages about the rough version we recorded on our phones and stuck up on YouTube, and people kept coming up to us after gigs saying how much it meant to them.

Jamie and Kieran Hodgson, who play Ian and Gordon (Image: free)

The band – singer/songwriter/guitarist Jamie, drummer and backing vocalist Andrew Mullan and bassist Jay Luther – have been amazed by the response to the single.

“People messaging us from all over the world online - it’s quite an amazing and overwhelming thing,” says Jamie. “Addiction and recovery are such massive points of connection for so many people, it's cool if a song you've written is even a little part of that.”

Jamie, who has been writing songs since he was 13, “fell into acting”, he says, growing up in Airdrie and Coatbridge.

Penny Mob (Image: Priti Shikotra)

“It was a working class area, and kids’ heroes in those types of communities tended to be from the sporting world,” he says. “I loved football, so I probably wanted to do that more as a child.

“But I followed my brother into our little local drama group, because I was a cheeky and confident little kid, then through the group we met a guy who gave him the number of a Glasgow agent, who then started getting us auditions for TV, film and theatre…”

He trails off, with a laugh: “It was a string of coincidental events. She also did acting classes, which is where I started to look at performing as more of a craft."

After a spell at London's Drama Centre, "a pretty heavy duty method acting school", Jamie says he "never looked back." Before Two Doors Down, he was known for his roles as Private Kevin "Mac" McDowell in Bluestone 42, and Fergie in Still Game.

He now divides his time between home in Stepps, and London. After the Glasgow gig, Penny Mob are planning a UK tour.

“Every time we play Glasgow it's always bouncing,” says Jamie, grinning. “People really take us to their hearts.

“We're playing both Glasgow and London before the end of the year, and then we'll be doing a full UK tour in 2024.

“We love gigging, we're essentially performers by trade, so as much as I love the writing and recording side of things, playing to an audience is when the band really comes alive.”

Penny Mob play the Garage G2 on November 24. Their new single, Addicted is out now.