Royle star plays Virgin role

Royle Family star Ricky Tomlinson has made a video to help people understand the digital switchover.

The video, which will be aired on Virgin Media’s website, follows research carried out by the company that found one in 10 people had never heard of the digital switchover. Of the of 1,000 adults surveyed, two-thirds admitted they weren’t prepared for the transition.

Ricky Tomlinson, who played Jim Royle in the Royale family, said: “To be honest I was baffled by the whole idea of the digital switchover, but when I realised everything kicks off in October, I thought I’d better get my act in gear.”

The National Consumer Council (NCC) also raised concerns that people could get ripped off or confused by the switchover, due to start in Whitehaven tomorrow.

Alison Hopkins, expert on Digital Switchover at the NCC, said: "Whitehaven residents have been well-prepared for tomorrow’s BBC 2 switch-off but it is unlikely that there will be such high levels of support in other regions where the community is larger and more diverse.

“We are concerned that as digital switchover rolls out, some people might get left behind or ripped off in the process. And although there is a help scheme available for the most vulnerable; not everyone who needs help will be eligible for it,” she added.

To make sure that consumers in other regions are well-prepared NCC wants to see better information available on the high street so shoppers understand and buy what they really need.

It also wants landlords to be responsible and not pass on unreasonable costs to tenants. It has said that local authorities and retailers should also be ready for the collection, recycling and disposal of redundant televisions and video recorders.

Tomlinson said he hoped the Virgin video would help people as it explains the benefits the impact the change will have and provide advice on the different options available from service providers.