IF you thought that all it took to be a Santa was a red suit and a beard, two-part documentary Bad Santas should make you think again. It follows a group of unemployed men in their 50s, who are looking to make a fresh start by enrolling in one of the UK’s most successful Santa schools (yes, apparently there is more than one.

Under the watchful eye of James Lovell, managing director of the Ministry of Fun, the men have to pass a series of challenges before being given a red and white hat of their own. Not only will they have to prove they can pull off a Santa costume with confidence and deliver a sufficiently hearty “ho ho ho”, they’ll also have to become au fait with this year’s most-wanted toys.

Perhaps most importantly of all, they’ll have to show they can come up with convincing answers to kids’ trickiest questions.

That may seem like a lot of hoops to jump through for a position that will probably only last a month, but Lovell believes that being a Santa is one of the most rewarding jobs in the world, and will represent a positive first step for the men.