Big Zuu is one of the ascendant stars on TV right now. The rapping chef stole the show on the recent TV Baftas with his double win and hilarious thank yous. He’s currently cooking up a storm on his own vehicle, Big Zuu’s Big Eatsas well as judging BBC culinary competition Hungry For It.
Now he has his hand turned to acting and it seems that there is nothing Big Zuu can do. He’s one of the best things about a new sitcom sneaker heads (Dave) — and there’s a lot to like about this rambunctious retail satire. Created by Scottish playwright Gillian Roger Park, it is both a paean to Britain’s high street and an acclaimed workplace comedy.
Hugo Chegwin (better known as DJ Beats from People just don’t do anything) stars as shoe fanatic Russell, who believes that “trainers are the gateway to the soul”. This lovable loser has wasted nine years working at the Peterborough branch of Sports Depot – a thinly veiled facsimile of Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct, complete with giant promotional mugs.
When his boss is fired for being pregnant (one of many comments about the tyranny of zero-hours contracts), Russell fails in a leadership role. He promptly becomes the David Brent of casual wear, despite his reluctance to turn into “a corporate machine, trading my New Balance for brogues or Chelsea boots”.
His ragtag team consists of wannabe entrepreneur Mulenga (Big Zuu), slacker Amber (YouTube sensation Lucia Keskin), eccentric Edgars (the extravagantly stripped-down Mark Silcox) and power-crazed Jemma (Francesca Mills). One of the rare missteps here is how Mills plays the local bully. She does a brilliant job, but it’s a shame that the only character with disabilities has to be the pantomime villain.