"Oliver swings between misplaced confidence and raptures of apology over his latest blunder."

Watch interview: Richard chats about filming series four and what it's like to play the role of Oliver.

Oliver is the ultimate 'Doctor Who' geek. Oliver's long-term girlfriend walked out on him almost a year ago, and between the accumulation of rubbish and porn, it's safe to say his flat has seen better days. Single after seven years, Oliver tries to revel in the freedom of being on his own with a wide screen TV and unedited living room. But he wants more, and top on his list is a date with an actual woman. Enter Jane. Will two unsuccessful, undateable losers in love find companionship together?

Steven comments: "Jane calls Oliver a cross between a puppy and an idiot, which is only partly fair. His ex-girlfriend calls him a cross between brother and sister, which is mostly cruel. He's been in a relationship for seven years and he's badly out of practice with women. But he still thinks he sort of knows his way around them. He swings between misplaced confidence and raptures of apology over his latest blunder. But underneath all his seeming sweetness and haplessness, he's angry at being dumped, angry at being on his own and, as Jane finds out, quite capable of turning on you if you push him far enough."

Richard, who is most familiar to television audiences after starring alongside Dawn French in BBC1's WILD WEST, describes Oliver as "likeable but crap with women, rubbish at dating. He is out of practice but to be honest he was probably never much good in the first place! He needs to re-invent himself."

Richard admits he was nervous joining the successful BBC comedy: "I was really nervous when I went along to audition, but also excited about the possibility of being in the show. I'm a huge fan." Another draw was the girls: "They're a bit of a wow package! I was in the bank begging for an overdraft when the call came through on my mobile to say that I had got the part of Oliver Morris and I went completely mad!"

The rest of the cast soon made Richard feel at home - but not before pulling his leg for a bit: "They started off by joking that I had won the part in a competition on BLUE PETER or that I was in a version of FAKING IT and three judges were going to turn up at any minute and denounce me as a fraud!"

However, the character of Oliver is far removed from the character of Jeff - which is why the Swansea-born actor is playing it with an English accent. Although Richard Coyle has no Welsh links, his accent was such a part of the character and so convincingly played that many viewers did not realise he was English. But it was not a stretch for Richard Mylan to manage an English accent, as he spent most of his teenage years in London: "I moved to London when I was twelve and lived there for around 14 years before I moved back to Wales. A lot of people ask me why I do not do my Welsh accent any more and I keep playing an Englishman. Some of my friends think I am not being true to my Welsh roots, but it just happens to be the parts I get."

Richard now lives back up in Cardiff with his Welsh girlfriend Catrin Powell who he met on the set of Hartswood's BORDER CAFÉ.