From TV Christmas ad failure to West End fame: Dear England star who won Olivier Award for Harry Kane role was once dropped by Tesco for being 'too annoying' after being inspired to act by am-dram mother who died during Covid

Just a few years ago Will Close's most high-profile role was as a frivolous gap year student but was abruptly axed by Tesco from its TV adverts with Ruth Jones and Ben Miller because his character was 'too annoying'.

Today the actor is the toast of the West End after picking up a prestigious Olivier Award for playing Harry Kane in the National Theatre's hit show Dear England, which also won best new play.

Picking up the best supporting actor award - whose previous winners include Eddie Redmayne, Toby Jones and Sir Patrick Stewart - the football mad Everton fan looked shocked and overwhelmed, poignantly dedicating the gong to his late mother, a lover of amateur dramatics who died during the pandemic and inspired him to act.

But he also thanked the England captain himself in his speech - and revealed that while he has never met Harry, the footballer's friends came to watch the show and were bowled over by the performance.

Speaking on the red carpet at the Royal Albert Hall he said: 'I had a few people who came to see it who know Harry and are friends with him who were very encouraging and complimentary, which was a relief'.

Will said that he had studied Kane's intonation and his over-use of certain bland words in interviews such as 'nice' and 'obviously'. He added: 'I think that if he had been in the audience I don't think I would have been able to handle it - I would have been too nervous'.

Mr Close, originally from Worcestershire rather than Kane's native Walthamstow, thanked Bayern Munich striker Harry and Joseph Fiennes, the star of the show as Gareth Southgate, for being his 'hero'.

He also paid tribute to his mother, saying: 'My mum who passed away during Covid', adding: 'Here's to all the single mums in council housing.'

After his win he added: 'I wouldn't have been into this if it wasn't for my mum. She loved it. The am-dram stuff was her biggest passion and pleasure. It spread to me. She was so integral to me going on to do it'. 

On the morning after the awards ceremony Will admitted he had celebrated all night and had not been to bed.

Speaking to BBC Hereford & Worcester about the night, he said: 'It is mad. It is weird, I feel like I am on a cloud, it is crazy.' 

Recalling the moment he heard his name called out, Close, added: 'I felt like I was asleep, like I was dreaming.'

Before Dear England that he was best known for his part as Freddie in Tesco's fictional family where he played a 'boomerang child' back living with parents in his 20s in around four adverts.

Ruth Jones, star of TV hits including Gavin and Stacey played his mother, and Paddington actor and comedian Ben Miller, played Close's father.

In their Christmas advert they scrambled around a Tesco store looking for items for neighbours who had to have gluten free meals.

Close, whose character said he didn't know what gluten free meant, returned to the trolley with a lightbulb to eat.

Tesco soon dropped Freddie after a backlash, with only Jones and Miller returning for later ads.

The supermarket's then brand director Michelle McEttrick admitted it was because the character was too annoying.

'Freddie is on a gap year and he may have emigrated permanently. We've listened really hard to customers and looked at a lot of data so whenever we pick out anything that is an irritant then there will be adjustments', she said.

Will is from humble beginnings. He is a former student of Prince Henry's High School in Evesham - then went to drama school in Peckham, south-east London.

Best known for his comedy work - but most of his mainstream appearances were on TV adverts. 

He got the life-changing part in Dear England after sending in a video audition to Dear England's writer James Graham. 

Mr Graham admits that he 'literally cannot kick a ball' - but can clearly spot acting talent. 

Despite the success of the play. Close had not been expected to win - and he didn't think he would himself - but pipped Paul Hilton, Giles Terera, Luke Thompson and Zubin Varla to the prize.

'Oliviers 2024 tonight. Big game. Biggest of the season. Not expected to make it off the bench, but delighted to have made the squad. Come on (Dear) England…!!', he said before setting off to the Albert Hall on Sunday.

The Olivier for best new play went to Dear England by James Graham.

He thanked the National Theatre for letting him see 'if we won against France to see if we put the play on' pointing to an England football game.

Graham thanked the teachers at his Nottingham comprehensive school which he said was in the 'red wall'.

He added that he was 'so grateful' for his teachers for thinking 'working class kids' should learn theatre.

But there was some shock that Joseph Fiennes lost out to Mark Gatiss for The Motive and the Cue.

Sarah Snook is better known for playing Shiv Roy in Succession, but she was the big winner of the night as she picked up Best Actress for one-woman production of The Picture Of Dorian Gray.

After going head-to-head with fellow TV star Sarah Jessica Parker - who played Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City - as well as Sheridan Smith, Sophie Okonedo and Laura Donnelly, Ms Snook, 36, walked away triumphant.

Wearing a bespoke black velvet Erdem gown, the Australian actress was honoured for her critically-acclaimed performance at the Theatre Royal.

Ted Lasso star Hannah Waddingham, 49, returned to host the event, wearing a glittering purple gown, and opening the ceremony with a performance.

Currently the toast of Hollywood thanks to his Bafta-nominated role in All of Us Strangers and his appearance in Netflix’s Ripley, Andrew Scott, 47, made an impression in a cropped black tuxedo and a sequinned black shirt.