James Nesbitt stars in a particularly "poignant" episode of ‘Car SOS’.
The 53-year-old actor appears in the first episode of the sixth series of the National Geographic show, and James believes that the episode will be especially emotional for viewers, because it features former engineer Billy, whose son John and daughter-in-law Lynette were tragically killed in South Africa in 2014.
James reflected: "This is the second anniversary of the darkest time in Billy’s life. So there is an enormous amount of sensitivity today.
"As much as this is something that will give him a great lift, it’s also very poignant that he was going to restore this car with his son John. It’s a very, very human story."
James – who helps to restore the 1959 MGA Roadster, which has been rusting for over 40 years, during the episode – explained how he became involved with the car show.
He shared: "Billy’s brother, Ian, works in my facilities company in Northern Ireland. He contacted me and asked if I would get involved. I wasn’t initially sure what the format would be, but the moment I arrived on Saturday, I could sense this was something special.
"The car has undergone an extraordinary transformation from scrap to this absolutely stunning MGA."
The former ‘Cold Feet’ star also revealed how Billy’s family set up the car’s restoration.
He said: "Billy’s daughter Kathryn started the ball rolling on this project because she saw that the family could have fallen apart after John’s death.
"She knew that Billy has been the glue that has held his family together and that he truly deserves this moment."
‘Car SOS’ premieres on March 8 at 8pm on National Geographic.
James Nesbitt’s Car SOS episode is particularly ‘poignant’
