AHOY there me hottie! A hunky Italian actor has been picked to be the new Captain Birds Eye – and we wouldn’t mind being his catch of the day.
The frozen food giant has replaced their former skipper with fin-tastic Riccardo Acerbi, 56, as part of an £8million advertising campaign that launches tonight.
There’s nothing fishy about Riccardo, who has clearly been picked for his rugged good looks.
The new fish finger-flogger replaces retired fishery worker Mitch Commins, who took on the role aged 68, less than two years ago.
An insider said the company “wanted to evolve the captain into a more contemporary version”.
The original Captain Birds Eye, John Hewer, who was famed for his cuddly looks and Santa beard, appeared on our TV screens between 1967 and 1998. He died in 2008, aged 86.
Riccardo landed the coveted role after a gruelling audition process.
His love of water sports, including sailing and canoeing, equipped him with the necessary seafaring qualities, Birds Eye bosses said.
But Riccardo isn’t the first young captain, with 31-year-old Thomas Pescod taking the helm in 1998.
The move turned out to be a flop and Captain Birds Eye disappeared from our screens for nearly 15 years.
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The new captain makes his debut at 6.45pm today in a 20-second ad during Hollyoaks, on Channel 4.
Riccardo is shown jumping into the cold sea on a hot day with his grandson, before tucking into a plate of fish fingers.
A Birds Eye spokesman said: “With almost 35 years' experience in front of the camera, Riccardo nabbed the role following a rigorous audition process at which he impressed Birds Eye with his genuine approach to portraying the Captain and love of the sea.”
He has already impressed fans with one woman writing on Twitter that he "can grill my fish finger any day of the week".
In October, an eagle-eyed military buff spotted something fishy in the Birds Eye advert.
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