Parkinson, Kemp star in Sky+ TV ads

Sky has hired stars including Michael Parkinson and ex-EastEnders actor Ross Kemp for an advertising campaign focusing on Sky+.

In a series of three commercials, the celebrities chat to camera about the benefits of the personal video recorder. Among others who feature are Felicity Kendal, Mariella Frostrup and David Gower.

Kemp reveals that his "nan" uses Sky+ to watch snooker, while Parkinson says: "It's sort of like automatic transmission in a car - one you've had it, you think, 'How did I ever manage without it?'"

The adverts will begin running today, the first during Emmerdale on ITV1. Sky said the campaign was its largest backing Sky+ since its launch in 2001.

Brian Sullivan, Sky's director of customer products and services, said the success of the PVR - which presently has about 3.4m users - was "built on word of mouth".

"It seems natural to tap into that strong sense of advocacy in our advertising," he said. "The campaign takes this product advocacy to the next level."