BBC show The Assembly features more than 30 interviewers who are autistic, neurodivergent or learning disabled

He’s fresh from his success with The Way, a highly personal project set in his hometown of Port Talbot in South Wales; Sheen co-created the drama, directed it and even had a small role. He can also currently be seen at the National Theatre as Nye Bevan in Nye, a play about the man behind the NHS. However, despite his full schedule, Sheen was only too pleased to take part in this programme too.

“I was thrilled to be asked to be a guest on The Assembly,” says the actor, who is best known for playing Tony Blair in The Deal, The Queen and The Special Relationship, as well as his onscreen partnership with David Tennant in Staged. “It’s such a fresh and exciting idea and I can’t wait for what I’m sure is going to be a surprising and challenging experience. I really don’t know what to expect, which is both exhilarating and a little bit terrifying.”

The format has been inspired by that of French programme The A Talks. Launched in 2022, it quickly became the country’s most-watched unscripted show of the year; versions have since been made in Spain, Denmark and Poland.

The original show included interviews with French President Emmanuel Macron and Call My Agent star Camille Cottin. Rather than facing the usual sugar-coated questions asked during PR junkets, they received some mischievous and soul-searching queries; in return, they offered perhaps more revealing answers than they might ordinarily give – Macron was even asked if he thought marrying one’s teacher was something a role model should do.

With that in mind, there’s no wonder Sheen admits to being a little nervous!

The show is being made by Rockerdale Studios, a company that has already made a mark by producing Channel 4’s Mission: Accessible, while co-founder Stu Richards is the co-creator and writer of BBC Three comedy The Jerk. Both Richards and his producing partner, Michelle Singer, have worked with autistic and neurodivergent groups to ensure that every element of the programme works for and with the community.

“The Assembly has been the most remarkable project that most of us have ever worked on,” claim the duo. “And sure, it’s brilliant representation of a part of society we rarely see given agency on our screens but, far more than that, it’s also mischievous, funny, profound, and can turn from one to the other in a heartbeat.”

“When we saw the French version of the show it blew my head off,” adds Stu, “and it’s quite a large, cumbersome head so it really takes something impressive.”

So be prepared – this promises to be unlike any chat show you’ve ever seen before. Eat your hearts out, Graham Norton and Jonathan Ross!