Bewildered reactions flooded in on social media after former cabinet minister Nadhim Zahawi made a surprise appearance in the ITV drama Mr Bates vs the Post Office.
The Tory MP, who is still serving, volunteered to play himself in the programme, asking for his fees to be donated to charity.
In a short clip, Zahawi is seen questioning then-Post Office chief executive Paula Vennells in a 2015 Commons inquiry into the Horizon computer system.
The MP appears in the third episode of ITV’s four-part drama.
Zahawi’s cameo sparked a number of comments on social media, with some describing his appearance as “odd”.
But according to tax expert Dan Neidle, “Zahawi did a really good job on the select committee, and is one of the MPs who I think made a difference.”
Related: The real Mr Bates leads calls for Paula Vennells to be stripped of CBE