Catherine Tate attends The Nan Movie screening in character

Catherine Tate has attended The Nan Movie screening as famous character Joannie Taylor while sporting a Ukraine flag scarf in a nod to the ongoing conflict.

The comedian, 52, transformed herself into the character for the screening at London’s Ham Yard Hotel on Tuesday evening, complete with prosthetics, orthopaedic shoes and a wig.

The character first appeared on The Catherine Tate Show on BBC Two in the early 2000s before making a number of TV spin-off appearances.

Mathew Horne, who plays her grandson Jamie, told the PA news agency the film was a “milestone” moment for Tate.

“It was really fun, quite emotional, we’ve been doing it 20 years.

“There was lots of laughter and it was a real milestone for her.

“Its great to see Nan become a character in the long form and its great to see the origins of the character, that’s why it was such a milestone for her, so I’m thrilled for her.”

The film follows Nan and her grandson on a road trip to Ireland with the aim of making amends with her estranged sister Nell, played by Katherine Parkinson.

Tate told PA: “I’m made up. It was absolutely fantastic, I had the time of my life, lot of laughter.

“It was really great, I’m excited.”

Former Big Brother winner Pete Bennett – who plays Bradley, a character with Tourette’s syndrome – said the film was a “career highlight”.

He told PA: “This is one of the best things I have ever worked on.

“Suddenly Catherine Tate is auditioning people with Tourette’s to come and get involved, it was a wicked experience.

“Especially getting the part and swearing at each other in auditions and her absolutely loving it, we got on really well, bounced off each other.

“It was crazy, hundreds of people working on one scene, a different experience altogether, I loved it.

“I pretty much just played me, I had to fake my Tourette’s in the film which I found quite hard actually, I found it harder to fake my Tourette’s than do actual real ones.”