Julian Ryder to appear in new series of Red Dwarf

Yes, that really is Eurosport MotoGP commentator Julian Ryder on the set of the new Red Dwarf mini-series.

Ryder plays the part of a bus driver in Red Dwarf: Back to Earth, which goes out on Dave over the Easter weekend.

He landed the gig after getting to know Danny John Jules, more widely known as the staggeringly shallow Cat in the surreal space sitcom. “Danny’s an R1 boy,” reveals Ryder.

“He came up to the commentary box a couple of times and we stayed in touch. This is all his doing.”

It turns out that obnoxious hologram Rimmer (Chris Barrie) is also a biker, though he prefers classics. “It was a thoroughly intense experience,” said Ryder, who spent half a day filming for his one-line part.

“It was a strange thing to see Kryten and Rimmer walking around a car park in Shepperton.”

Red Dwarf: Back to Earth runs for three nights on Dave from Good Friday.