Chris O'Dowd overcomes 'dyslexic feet' for role

Chris O'Dowd has joked about having 'dyslexic feet' for his new film role. The Bridesmaids star had to take dancing lessons before playing Nick Frost's love rival in the salsa dancing comedy, Cuban Fury. "I did fit in some training, which was a lot of fun, but really tough. I was under the illusion that I would have an aptitude for it, some kind of natural skill for it, and I have been proven wrong," he said. "Learning the routines was hard. It's been tough, but it's been educational. I have a new-found respect for dancers." Irish-born The IT Crowd star Chris is encouraging people to 'escape the Olympics madness' by heading across to the Emerald Isle, and plans to watch the sporting events from there, where he is filming the second series of his Sky1 show, Moone Boy. "I love the Olympics, but I hate the congestion," he admitted. "I live in south London and love this vibrant place most of the time. But this summer, it's going to boil over and spill a bit. Ireland is only a short hop across the water and within two hours, you could be surrounding yourself with beautiful scenery, good food and great craic with the friendliest locals in the world." He added: "I think I'm doing a favour for two people. Nothing would be more helpful for the Olympics than for half of the people to leave."

Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix.

An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.