FINAL WISH

This Country creators reveal late star Michael Sleggs wanted his body and coffin to appear in season 3

THIS Country creators Daisy May and Charlie Cooper have revealed late co-star Michael Sleggs had some unusual requests for the show's third series.

Their friend tragically passed away just three weeks before they were set to begin filming the new series.

The actor, known for playing Michael 'Slugs' Slugette in the BBC Three comedy, passed away last July at the age of 33 due to heart failure.

Daisy, 33 and Charlie, 30, spoke to YOU magazine and described their dear friend's final requests as "mental", revealing he wanted the show's vicar Paul Chahidi to conduct the ceremony at his actual funeral.

He even wanted his body and his coffin to appear in the first episode of the new series.

Neither of those requests were granted.

The BAFTA-winning star, starring on the show as Kerry explained: "'We said: 'How much morphine has he had?' It was a difficult episode to write because the way Kerry and Kurtan feel about Slugs is so different to how Daisy and Charlie feel about him."

She added: "We tried to give him as good a send-off as we could, but I found it tough. I miss him so much."

Charlie, who plays Lee "Kurtan" Mucklowe on the show, admitted how challenging it was to write the third series in the wake of Michael's death.

He gushed: "He always had such good humour and such dignity."

While Daisy May continued: "It was very difficult, obviously, because Michael was a close friend of ours and he was ill right up to before we started filming.

"We thought he might get better, so it was really hard, because that was written last minute. It was important, because he was so funny, to make it funny and touching."

Charlie then commented: "He always wanted to be included, whether he was ill or not."

The BBC's documentary-style comedy follows the cousin duo Kerry and Kurtan Mucklowe during their daily life in the Cotswolds.

The mockumentary-style show will open series three with a special tribute to Michael in honour of his memory.

He featured in seven episodes of the award-winning comedy and is a long-time friend of Charlie and Daisy May.

Michael's character Slugs debuted on This Country as a dull friend of Kerry and Kurtan, who like the man behind the role, was battling a terminal illness.

He then began a relationship with Kayleigh (Celeste Dring) after competing with Kurtan for Kayleigh's affections.

Series three of This Country will be released weekly on BBC iPlayer from Monday 17 February at 7pm.