INTERNET star Old Man Stan is back – starring in his Christmas Special video, based on a much-loved festive tune.

The team behind the grumpy puppet creation, whose videos have amused tens of thousands of web-surfers on YouTube, is now shooting the new film around Basildon.

As with Stan’s previous efforts, the film adapts a popular song – the Pogues’ and Kirsty MacColl’s festive hit – with a distinctly local slant. And Fairytale of Basildon will introduce Stan fans to a new character, Stan’s wife, Mad Nanny.

Puppeteer and the voice of Stan, Steve Waters, said: “She’s goggle-eyed, obviously with no teeth and she'll be playing the Kirsty MacColl part.”

The voice of Mad Nanny will be provided by a 46-year-old Dandy Dan. He said: “I haven’t quite perfected it yet – she still sounds a bit like a man at the moment, so it’s a work in progress. Mad Nanny is Stan’s long-suffering wife – or maybe Stan’s the long suffering one!”

More than 25,000 fans have now logged on to hear Stan singing about the highs and lows of Basildon life, via several rewritten pop classics.

The most popular so far is set to Ian Dury and the Blockheads’ 1978 number one and is called Hit Me With Your Bazzo Stick.

Steve, 41, of the Fryth, Basildon, said: “Everyone on the team has lived in Basildon all their lives. We all know what it’s like here – a bit rough and ready – but what Stan says about the town is really quite affectionate.

“We normally rely a lot on putting Stan in front of a screen with Basildon backdrops, but decided to do more filming on location this time.

“We’ve filmed in the Towngate pub and St Martin’s Square. We’ve also taken shots of the police and fire stations and Basildon Hospital.”

The video is being shot in black and white, just like the original promo for Fairytale of New York.

The team also filmed Basildon shoppers dressed in Santa hats and tinsel for the video. Dave Hall, 39, of Little Thorpe, Basildon, pulled on a Santa hat and was filmed with mum, Violet Hall, 77, and her friend Beryl Ashdown, 64, also of Little Thorpe.

He said: “A lot of people around Basildon like Stan. In fact, I think we’ve all got a little bit of him in us.”

Violet added: “You’ve got to have a laugh. I love Christmas and it’ll be fun to be in Stan’s video.”

Fairytale of Basildon will go up on YouTube on December 18.

You can watch an Old Man Stan video by clicking the RELATED LINK