Actors from Albert Finney to Bill Murray have all had a crack at portraying the miserly one – and now Catherine Tate’s Nan gets the Christmas Carol treatment.

In her self-titled sketch show, Tate’s Nan character is a difficult, sometimes mean and negative grandmother.

And her long-suffering grandson Jamie bears the brunt of her foul mouth.

Given Nan’s hard-nosed persona, it seems only natural Tate should turn her into Scrooge for her BBC1 Christmas special Catherine Tate: Nan’s Christmas Carol.

But the pensioner’s tough exterior wasn’t the only reason Tate chose Nan for the role.

“I think out of all the characters, Nan’s the one who can sustain a story for a longer period of time,” she says.

“She’s also the one I enjoy playing the most. Perhaps it’s because getting the prosthetics on is fun and different.

“There’s always a good reception with Nan. I think so many people know someone like her.

“I hadn’t really planned to do it and then I thought, ‘Oh that would be a good idea’ and we did it.”

The Scrooge makeover also gave Tate a chance to explore Nan’s past as the three ghosts of Christmases haunt her.

“The ghosts are trying to teach her a lesson and make her change her ways so her future won’t be as awful as predicted,” says Tate.

“We get to see Nan as a child, Nan as a young girl, Nan as a middle-aged woman and then we go further into the future where she sees her death.

“First she’s visited by her dead husband, who tells her to expect the three ghosts.”

Tate, 41, is a long-term fan of Dickens’ story and says that as a child she used to watch the Albert Finney version on Christmas morning.

Reflecting on her early Christmas experiences, she says: “It was always so exciting and I’d be looking forward to Christmas since October.

“You knew Christmas was on the way when they started doing adverts for children’s toys.

“I used to get a Christmas TV guide when I was little. I used to love getting the double editions and seeing what films were on.

“I don’t plan my viewing as much as I used to do when I was growing up but I’m sure we will be leafing through a copy of something.”

It seems the lure of Christmas TV still grabs Tate as she admits: “I’m a big fan of sitting in front of the telly and watching whatever is on.

“I’ve heard they’re doing a Christmas Royle Family this year which, if it’s true, I’ll definitely be watching because I’m a huge fan.

“There’s always a good selection at Christmas – even the films are often ones you’ve never seen, which is good.”

While the nation will watch Tate in Nan’s Christmas Carol, they will also see her return to her role of Donna Noble in the Dr Who Christmas special, which also sees David Tennant prepare to hand over the time traveller baton to Matt Smith.

“David Tennant’s a brilliant Doctor, so I was just delighted to be part of it,” she says.

However, she’s adamant this will be the last episode for Donna. “I don’t think there would be any plans to bring me back to Dr Who. I don’t see how you could.

“It’s a new doctor now, with a new team. I think that’s a given. David’s era is handing over now.”

Neither is Tate planning any more sketch shows in the near future.

“I don’t have any plans for a next series. I don’t really plan far in advance. I didn’t even think of doing this Christmas special until September. So I honestly don’t know what I’m going to do next.

“I think it’s nice to keep flexible and keep open to lots of opportunities. You can have a plan – but what if the plan doesn’t work?

“I think you’ve just got to be up for what’s thrown at you. I think, ‘Just don’t obsess over things and you’ll know what’s right when the time comes’.”

Luckily, with a varied CV, including film, TV and theatre, Tate is able to turn her acting hand to any role she’s presented with.

“It’s nice to get the opportunity to do a lot of genres.

“I’ve been very lucky with being able to mix things up in the last couple of years.

“I think it’s a real blessing as an actor if you’re able to try out a variety of different pieces of work.” Catherine Tate: Nan’s Christmas Carol is on BBC1 over the festive season.