Ding-dong merrily in Highbury as festive Amandaland turns leafy street into SoHa

For two series, she has insisted that her post-divorce move from Chiswick to South Harlesden was not a fall from grace, but a rebrand.Played by Lucy Punch, Amanda rechristened the area around Wormwood Scrubs ‘SoHa’ and set about rebuilding her social life from a rather less grand terraced house.But in this year’s Amandaland Christmas special, even her powers of reinvention cannot disguise the chaos at her front door.Exclusive photographs obtained by the Daily Mail show the festivities taking a dramatic turn, with Amanda assisting her distressed pregnant friend Anne.In one image, Ms Punch, 48, stands in a Santa hat and deep red fur coat, worn over a fur-trimmed minidress with sheer tights and bow-trimmed heels.In another, she holds on to Anne, played by Philippa Dunne, 44, whose mustard-yellow raincoat stands out in a scene crowded with festive props and plastic reindeer.And residents of leafy Islington, which is where much of the BBC comedy is actually filmed rather than the less salubrious fictional area in which it is set, have told of seeing ambulances on their street and hearing screams during filming – although the cause of the drama is being kept under wraps by the BBC.‘The ambulance gave us a bit of a fright. We knew filming was happening, but we didn’t expect to see the emergency services,’ one resident said. Lucy Punch, 48, stands in a Santa hat and deep red fur coat, worn over a fur-trimmed minidress with sheer tights and bow-trimmed heels Lucy Punch, as Amanda, holds on to Anne, played by Philippa Dunne, 44, whose mustard-yellow raincoat stands out in a scene crowded with festive props and plastic reindeer The late-Victorian terraces of Ferntower Road were transformed into Amanda’s version of ‘SoHa’ during what locals described as the programme’s most lavish shoot there yet, with Christmas decorations everywhere Ms Punch, who has described her outfit as that of a ‘middle-aged wannabe sexy Santa,’ was also seen dashing between houses. One neighbour said: ‘It’s quite surreal opening your front door and seeing Lucy Punch running past as Father Christmas.’The festive drama was, however, unfolding against a considerably grander backdrop than viewers are led to believe. For Amanda’s supposedly ‘shabby’ South Harlesden terrace is, in fact, several miles away on a leafy street in Highbury, where houses can sell for more than £2million.Last week, the late-Victorian terraces of Ferntower Road were transformed into Amanda’s version of ‘SoHa’ during what locals described as the programme’s most lavish shoot there yet.Around 45 crew descended for four days of filming, while cast trailers were parked on nearby Poet’s Road and the production took over part of the Mildmay Club on Newington Green for catering.A source said: ‘It was a considerably bigger budget and longer shoot than in previous years. The bigger budget meant they not only took over the actual house that Amanda “lives” in, but also another person’s house just two doors down, which is having the rival Christmas party.’To complete the festive feel, residents were paid around £500 to let the crew festoon their front gardens with fairy lights and place Christmas trees in their windows. One said that the two parties at the centre of the episode could be distinguished by their decorations alone. Lucy Punch waves during filming as Philippa Dunne sits on the pavement in Highbury Set dressers put the finishing touches on the festive scene. Around 45 crew descended for four days of filming, while cast trailers were parked on nearby Poet’s Road Rochenda Sandall, who plays Fi, is seen on the set in a dressing gown alongside Lucy Punch and their other cast members ‘The set dressing crew made it clear that Amanda’s Christmas party is achingly tasteful with a nice wreath on her door, stylish twigs and subtle lights going up her outside bannisters,’ they said.‘The neighbour’s party two doors down was obviously very tacky, dressed with endless Christmas gnomes, gaudy lights and a vast inflatable Santa.’A letter delivered to residents before filming, seen by the Daily Mail, revealed that the crew planned four days of shooting between September 29 and October 2, continuing until 10.30pm on the final night. It warned of external lighting, temporary traffic controls and parking suspensions across six surrounding roads, while promising to limit noise by using in-ear radios and silent battery-powered lights.It explained that Amanda would be hosting a Christmas party while, unknown to her, a neighbour was holding another celebration nearby.Those living nearest to Amanda’s fictional home described ‘bright production lights’ shining towards their windows and heard a director calling ‘action’ repeatedly into the evenings. However, most residents were enthusiastic about their street’s latest starring role. ‘All the neighbours that I know actually rather like having the filming done here,’ one said. And two students living opposite Amanda’s house added: ‘We’re looking forward to watching those scenes in Amandaland that we have seen in real life.’With its late-Victorian terraces built from London stock brick, Ferntower Road could stand in for any number of neighbourhoods in the capital – particularly after a little artful distressing.Indeed, when Amandaland began filming its first series, crew members scattered bin bags outside Amanda’s flat and overturned a shopping trolley to make the well-to-do Islington street look rather less polished.‘I was amused by how they managed, with only a little bit of set dressing, to turn our quite nice street into a grotty one,’ one resident said. ‘We thought it was funny that we were supposed to be in Harlesden.’ In the show, 'the neighbour’s party two doors down was obviously very tacky, dressed with endless Christmas gnomes, gaudy lights and a vast inflatable Santa' Philippa Dunne, as a heavily pregnant Anne, takes a break from filming Alexander Shaw, who plays Amanda's son Manus, and Samuel Anderson, who stars as her love interest Mal, are seen during filmingThe geographical joke is central to Amandaland, which follows its heroine as she adjusts to life after an acrimonious divorce forced her to leave Chiswick.Her mother Felicity, played by Dame Joanna Lumley, 80, once arrived at the house demanding: ‘Darling, let me in before I get mugged’, before complaining that the entire area ‘smells like buses’.The episode will follow a triumphant year for the comedy. Its 2025 Christmas special attracted 7.4million viewers within 28 days, making it the most-watched British comedy episode of the year. The second series averaged 4.5 million viewers, while the first won Best Scripted Comedy at this year’s Bafta Television Awards.‘Amandaland is easily the best comedy on UK television at the moment,’ a neighbour said. ‘It’s great we can play a part in it.’Amanda may insist that she reigns over SoHa.But when the festive special airs, one corner of Highbury will know exactly where she lives.