No, Tom Hardy isn't in A Christmas Carol

Rumours have been swirling that Hardy would be making an appearance in the BBC's A Christmas Carol, a show he is executive producing.

Sadly this seems to be nothing more than wishful thinking, as his chiselled face won't be seen at all during the three-part series.

The news was confirmed by the show's director Nick Murphy, who took to Twitter to set things straight.

https://twitter.com/nickmurftweets/status/1202921148226387968?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1202921148226387968&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.radiotimes.com%2Fnews%2Ftv%2F2019-12-23%2Fa-christmas-carol-bbc-release%2F

There was certainly a basis for the rumours – A Christmas Carol was created by Steven Knight, the writer of Peaky Blinders and Taboo which Hardy has himself appeared in.

The Venom star is also no stranger to a cameo – in 2017 he famously played a stormtrooper in Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

Alas, it seems that Hardy's work was purely behind the camera this time, however perfectly he may have fit with the show's dark, gritty tone.

The first episode aired on Sunday 22nd December and split audiences with its anachronistic rude language.

Actors who actually are in the BBC's A Christmas Carol include Memento (and Neighbours) star Guy Pearce as Ebenezer Scrooge, mo-cap legend Andy Serkis as the Ghost of Christmas Past and Line of Duty's Stephen Graham as Jacob Marley.

Peaky Blinder star Charlotte Riley, who is married to Tom Hardy, appears as Lottie and The Favourite's Joe Alwyn plays kind-hearted Bob Cratchit.

A Christmas Carol continues at 9pm on Monday 23rd December and 9:05pm on Christmas Eve on BBC One