The Syndicate: Joe Sugg impresses fans with ‘on point’ northern accent as YouTube star makes TV acting debut

One viewer wrote that the former Strictly Come Dancing star was ‘smashing it’

Fans of Joe Sugg have been impressed by the YouTube star’s acting debut in the BBC One drama The Syndicate.

Sugg, who is also known for his appearances on Strictly Come Dancing, appears in the latest series of The Syndicatealongside Line of Duty’s Neil Morrissey and Taj Atwal, as well as Emily Head and Katie McGlynn.

He has previously acted on stage, playing the role of Ogie Anhorn in the West End musical Waitress, but The Syndicate marks Sugg’s screen debut.

The series follows a group of dog kennel workers whose lives are transformed when they win the lottery.

It originally ran from 2012 to 2015, but was revived with the participation of creator Kay Mellor for a fourth series, which is currently airing.

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In the show, Sugg plays Sam, the musician boyfriend of lottery winner Roxy (played by Atwal).

With the Wiltshire actor having to affect a Northern accent for the part, some fans had questioned whether he would struggle to convince in such a high-profile debut role. However, initial reactions to the performance on social media were positive.

“Look at @Joe_Sugg absolutely SMASHING it on #BBCTheSyndicate,” wrote one person.

“Proud of Joe Sugg tonight , accent was great,” wrote another.

Someone else, meanwhile, described his accent as “on point”.

The Syndicate returns at 9pm on Tuesday on BBC One, with previous episodes available to watch on iPlayer.