Exclusive: Mrs Doyle is new Hector
Mrs Doyle, the tea lady from hit TV series Father Ted, will be unveiled by the Inland Revenue on Monday as the new secret weapon in its battle to promote self-assessment.
The actress Pauline McLynn has been called in to replace popular cartoon character Hector, who retired in January having been its figure-head since self-assessment was introduced in 1996.
She will promote self-assessment using her now famous Irish TV character, and she could use her now notorious catchphrase, ‘go on, go on, go on, go on.’
Revenue big hitters including chairman Nick Montagu, paymaster general Dawn Primarolo and the Revenue’s first head of marketing Ian Schoolar will announce the move at its headquarters in London’s Somerset House on Monday morning.
But Mrs Doyle’s tenure as the new Hector will only last for the remainder of the year, Whitehall sources confirmed to AccountancyAge.com.
Advertising agency M&C Saatchi & Saatchi – recently appointed to develop the Revenue’s marketing campaign – are designing a new long-term strategy to take over from her at the start of next year.
An Inland Revenue spokeswoman said she could not confirm or deny the move.
Both M&C Saatchi & Saatchi and McLynne’s agent Markham & Froggit declined to comment on the appointment.