With the global debt crisis high on the agenda of this week's G20 summit, actor Alex Macqueen is starring in a spoof television advert released today (19 November 2025).  Created by Richard Curtis' Project Everyone initiative in partnership with Catholic aid agency CAFOD, the satirical commercial, Meet the World's Loan Sharks (1), exposes the global debt crisis as tantamount to pay-day loans.

Best known for his roles in The Thick of It, Hijack, Rivals and Inbetweeners, Alex will today attend a special screening of the 90 second film with MPs at the Houses of Parliament.  It is also being released across the social media channels of NGOs and influencers.  

Aid agency CAFOD is calling for the UK government to step in at this year's G20 Summit on 22-23 November to encourage members to support a new system for managing unsustainable debt for lower income countries.  The most important aspect of a new system is that all debt repayments for low income countries be put on pause as soon as they apply for debt relief (2).  Without this, private lenders have no incentive to cooperate with a system for debt relief, as they're still receiving repayments.

CAFOD is also calling on the UK government to pass a new debt justice law to force private lenders to take part in debt cancellation. UK law governs 90% of countries covered by the G20 debt relief scheme and 50% of all international debt (3). 

In the film CAFOD Ambassador, Alex Macqueen, plays the part of a fictional and predatory 'dodgy lender' - representing the private banks and hedge funds that are allowed to target vulnerable low-income countries with loans at exorbitant interest rates. Styled as a daytime television advert for a pay-day loan company, he's wearing an ill-fitting suit and offers outrageous deals, all with dodgy graphics and sinister undertones. 

His character in the film says: "Are you a small country struggling with money? Finances been hit hard, through no fault of your own, by climate change, natural disaster, war?  Can't find the cash to pay for the basics? Like roads, electricity and water? Have no other access to credit?

"We're here to help. We give cash to countries just like you, every day. We've lent to dozens of nations. All at incredible interest rates. Worried you won't be able to pay it back? That even though you're careful with money you'll be stuck in a cycle of poverty? A never ending spiral of debt? Not a problem - simply cut back your spending on other areas like hospitals and schools.

"And if you can't pay it back, don't worry, we're happy to lend you more."

It finishes with a voiceover, stating: "Find out more at unfairloans.com. Terms and conditions apply. Unless of course you're from a high income country, obviously that's totally different. Oh and we're barely regulated - governments allow us to operate this way - so there's no comeback. And in fact if you don't repay, we'll sue you."

Alex Macqueen says: "The comparison to pay-day loan sharks perfectly captures the shockingly unethical and exploitative nature of the debt crisis. Those at the sharp end of poverty are forced into debt with scandalous interest rates just to survive, but the more comfortable can access reasonable loan arrangements. Clearly something has gone very wrong.

"With nearly half the world's population living in countries that spend more on interest repayments than they do on essential services like schools and hospitals, it's ordinary people who are most deeply impacted by this terrible unfairness. With the G20 imminent, now is the time to bring attention to a too long ignored outrage."

Maria Finnerty, Lead Economist at CAFOD says: "The UK outlawed exploitative loan sharks years ago, in a hugely popular move with support across the political spectrum. If predatory lending is illegal in the UK we must not allow it to continue globally. It's time to apply the same logic and compassion to countries where millions suffer the consequences of unethical lending, decimating spending on health and education and condemning hundreds of millions to poverty. 

"The UK is a global debt superpower, with 90% of private loans to low-income countries governed by English law. The government could change the law tomorrow at zero cost to UK taxpayers, solving 90% of the problem and benefiting millions of people overnight. All that's missing is the political will."

In the last 10 years the number of low-income countries facing unsustainable debt levels has more than doubled, from 22 in 2015 to 54 (4). Across Africa debt has skyrocketed from $17 billion in 2010 to $74 billion in 2024, a 335% increase in just over a decade, with 34 African countries now spending more on external debt payments than on health or education. (5). 

Private lenders charge low-income countries interest rates of 6-10%, but wealthy nations 0-1% meaning that low-income countries are often required to repay their original debts several times over. For instance, average borrowing costs for countries in Africa are 9.8%, compared to 0.8% for developed countries like Germany (6).

The impact on ordinary people is devastating. This is money that should be feeding children, training nurses, building schools and preparing for floods. Families feel this every day — when clinics run out of medicine, when classrooms are overcrowded, and when governments can't hire the teachers and doctors their people need.

Hannah Cameron, Campaign Director at Project Everyone, said: "We wanted to find a simple way to tell the story of the global debt crisis and its human impact. With the help of Alex Macqueen's dodgy loan shark character we did just that. I hope it leads to increased understanding and public support for new solutions." 

This year's G20 in Johannesburg offers a once-in-a-generation opportunity to fix a broken system. For the first time in years, sovereign debt is on the G20 agenda and with 2025 marking a Jubilee Year, global movements are renewing their call for large-scale debt relief. Anyone wanting to learn and do more can visit unfairloans.com.