STUDENTS got to rub shoulders with the stars on the set of a new Christmas film.

Pupils from Terrington Hall School and their teacher, Claire Stubbs, jumped at the chance to appear in Father Christmas is Back, which is being filmed in Sand Hutton and includes a high-profile cast.

The family comedy stars Elizabeth Hurley, John Cleese and Kelsey Grammar – alongside the supporting cast including Nathalie Cox, Talulah Riley, Kris Marshall, Caroline Quentin and Ray Fearon.

The plot centres around Caroline Christmas (Elizabeth Hurley), a control freak who wants to host a perfect Christmas with her sisters at her country manor.

Caroline wants to compensate for the fact their long-lost father (John Cleese) abandoned the family on Christmas Day many years ago.

On Christmas Eve, their father arrives on the doorstep with his new girlfriend and chaos follows.

After a series of family mishaps, Caroline uncovers a family secret.

“It was an absolute pleasure to have the children of Terrington Hall School, one of their teachers, Mrs Stubbs, and some of the Terrington mums appearing in our film Father Christmas is Back,” said director Philippe Martinez.

“Our cast thought the children did very well, and we hope they had a great time experiencing the film set and understanding first-hand how a film is made.”

After watching his son perform in a nativity production at Terrington Hall School, Philippe was inspired to feature a children’s nativity in his next Christmas film.

The Martinez family relocated from Spain to Yorkshire in 2019 and had never seen children re-enact the Nativity of Jesus.

Philippe added: “I hope that the film will make everyone laugh and raise our spirits.

“We all need uplifting stories to inspire us and a big Christmas comedy is the perfect antidote.”

The director has also been filming locally with Kelsey Grammer and Nathalie Cox on his latest project, Miss Willoughby and the Haunted Bookshop.

Father Christmas is Back is set to be released in December next year.