The Inbetweeners: Greg Davies - aka Mr Gilbert - poised to star in the movie sequel

Speaking at the launch of long-awaited Channel 4 comedy Man Down, writer and star Greg Davies, who plays the hapless head of sixth form in The Inbetweeners, told RadioTimes.com: “I have been sworn to secrecy and I have been told I will be killed if I say anything" but later added that he has a “good chance” of appearing in the next film.

The fact that the last remark was said with a wink will suggest to fans that he is a shoo in for the sequel to the smash hit Inbetweeners movie, which will be set in Australia.

Released in 2011, The Inbetweeners Movie followed the show's crew of teenagers on a holiday to Crete. It became the highest-grossing comedy film in UK box office history with takings of more than £45million.

Davies made a memorable cameo appearing in various scenes on a stag do.

The Inbetweeners originally ran for three series on E4 between 2008 and 2010.

The sequel is expected to arrive in cinemas next summer and to star Simon Bird, Joe Thomas, James Buckley and Blake Harrison, all reprising their roles from the popular TV series.

In Man Down, which he wrote and starred in, Davies plays another teacher, this time a hapless drama teacher modeled a lot more closely on his own experiences of the teaching profession, which he left in 2004.

Asked to compare the two roles he said that Mr Gilbert was clearly the “worse teacher”.

“He is a sociopath,” he said. “He is far more nutty.”

Sources at C4 say the comedy has high expectations at Horseferry Road with C4's head of programmes Jay Hunt said to be "very pleased" with the new offering which airs on C4 in mid-October.

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