Mr Bigstuff: How Rotherham actor Ryan Sampson drew on personal experience for new Sky TV show

His new creation Mr Bigstuff takes a sideways look at family dynamics in extreme circumstances.

And it includes characters who resemble "oddball” villagers from his home area of North Anston.

Ryan plays the part of a boring carpet salesman, who was going through an uneventful life until his estranged brother (Danny Dyer) re-appears.

They are polar opposites - Ryan’s character Glen has a mundane life and is plagued by erectile dysfunction, and is engaged to a shoplifting fiancée. Dyer’s Lee, is described as "an alpha male with a prescription drug addiction and a biscuit tin full of their dad’s ashes”. The programme is said to tackle "conversations around masculinity, family and brotherhood” all with typical Sampson quirky flourish.

Ryan, who went to Anston Brook primary and Wales High School, said he had adopted storylines and scenes based on his background.

He said of Mr Bigstuff: "Is a comedy show, but there is a bit about a broken family coming back together again. "I feel after the loss of my mum everybody went off in different directions and part of writing that show was imagining how a family might all get back together.

"Luckily, right now, my sister is pregnant and I think that is doing the job! Everybody is kind of rallying together.”

His late mother had been an influential figure in his development from an awkward teenager into a successful actor and scriptwriter - as were some of the less orthodox folk of Anston.

His new creation Mr Bigstuff takes a sideways look at family dynamics in extreme circumstances.

The programme is said to tackle "conversations around masculinity, family and brotherhood” all with typical Sampson quirky flourish.

Ryan, who went to Anston Brook primary and Wales High School, told the Advertiser he had adopted storylines and scenes based on his background.

He said Mr Bigstuff: "Is a comedy show, but there is a bit about a broken family coming back together again.

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"I feel after the loss of my mum everybody went off in different directions and part of writing that show was imagining how a family might all get back together.

"Luckily, right now, my sister is pregnant and I think that is doing the job! Everybody is kind of rallying together.”

His late mother had been an influential figure in his development from an awkward teenager into a successful actor and scriptwriter - as were some of the less orthodox folk of Anston.

"My mum was like: ‘You can do anything you want if you just put the work in.’

"And also if you are a little lonely kid on your own I feel like you have to pour yourself into something.

"I was lucky to find something I was really into, like writing and acting stuff.

"Also I am from this little village and that and places like that are filled with oddballs!

"It is awash with oddballs and people actually thrive in that sort of small village place, in a way they never have to conform, you get a lot of unique characters.

"I spent my formative years watching these people, working them out.

"And they became characters in different things I have worked on. Like Tommo (Brassic) and even Grumio (Plebs).”

During those early developmental years, he considers himself to have been “a weird kid at a time when you can’t be weird at that age at school”.

"I didn’t have friends for ages,” he said.

"I was an odd little dude but that’s fine. I do have some fond memories, but only me on my Tod!”

He said that while he was "not massively” bullied, he “just didn’t fit in”.

Ryan, (now 38) describes himself as "5 foot 5 and as gay as the Easter Bunny” adding: “I’ve always felt on the outside looking in.”

He is hugely proud of his father’s career as a club singer.

"He is in a really good band Out of the Blue. a rock band that plays all around the area, they are unreal, honestly.

"He is 67 and still doing it. He doesn’t look it - he’s very sprightly.”

The actor said he thought people in Rotherham and elsewhere will enjoy his latest TV offering.

"I am really excited for people to watch it' I think it is going to grab people.”

Mr Bigstuff is on NOW and Sky Max.