ACTOR Ralf Little is teaming up with his former The Royle Family co-star Ricky Tomlinson for a new series which sees them travelling across the North.

Ricky and Ralf's Very Northern Road Trip sees the two much loved comic stars head out together in a campervan across the north of England, where they'll share memories, entertain each other, and along the way discover just what sets the north apart from the rest of the UK.

The six-part series is the first time Tomlinson and Little have worked together on TV since the final Royle Family Christmas special in 2012.

The former Bolton School pupil said: "I've been lucky enough to do a fair bit of travelling around various bits of the world - but this promises to be a holiday like no other.

"Weeks on the road, in a campervan with my 80-year-old TV dad. In the middle of autumn. What could possibly go wrong? Seriously, bring it on. Who knows, I may even be able to teach him a thing or two about the north."

Little, 40, who now lives in London, said there was a big difference between the North and the capital.

"I know it's a massive cliche," he said. "In London you stick your head in your book or your phone and hope that no-one talks to you. That's the way it is. You can't go five yards in the North without, 'All right, love! How's it going?' It's totally true."

The programme’s executive producer, John Quinn, said: "They're the perfect odd couple, really. Ricky's a Scouser who's just turned 80, Ralf's from just outside Manchester and just hit 40.

"So they're united as proud northerners, yet still separated by half a lifetime and 30-odd miles of M62 - which might as well be 'half the world away' - it should all make for a unique insight into life, history and humour in vastly contrasting areas of northern England."

Ricky and Ralf's Very Northern Road Trip starts Monday, May 11 at 8pm on Gold.