Peter Kay, Michelle Keegan, and Marcus Rashford have topped the list of ideal celebrity flatmates in Manchester.
It’s been revealed thanks to a poll by Get Living of 1,000 people from Manchester.
Beloved Bolton-born comedian Kay, actress Keegan, and Manchester United and England star Rashford join other famous Manchester residents such as comedian Jason Manford, footballers Cristiano Ronaldo and Jack Grealish, soap stars Gemma Atkinson and Kym Marsh, and ex-Love Island contestants Molly-Mae and Tommy Fury in the top 10 of Manchester-dwellers people most want to share a home with.
The poll was commissioned by Get Living – which operates and rents homes at the pet-friendly neighbourhood New Maker Yards at Middlewood Locks, conveniently located between Manchester and Salford city centres – to celebrate the launch of a further 500 fully-furnished new homes to rent.
There’s also an additional flexible space for residents to use for co-working – named The Lock – which is home to 92Degrees’ second coffee shop in Manchester.
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The survey hasn’t just revealed the most ideal celebrity flatmates either.
If you’re a decent cook, know how to separate your plastics from your cardboard, and have a cracking sense of humour, then you’re also in luck as that means you’re one of the most desirable flatmates in Manchester.
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The poll found that those who can work from home without making a racket, give you some of their leftover takeaway, and don’t mind throwing a house party also came out as the best traits that people in the city of Manchester look for when choosing who they live with. Other top traits include being older than 32 and taller than six feet, a Manchester United fan, not flashy with their stuff, and a dog person.
Top 10 Qualities in a Flatmate
Clean and tidy
A sense of humour
Can accurately split the bills
Recycles properly
Hard-working
A good cook
Can fix things in the flat
Good taste in TV
Is quiet when they work from home
They read
The play is celebrating the launch of a further 500 homes for rent at New Maker Yards / Credit: Get Living
The revealing of the results from the poll also comes as New Maker Yards hosts an immersive play by Ancoats’ award-winning Hope Mill Theatre across a number of brand-new flats in the neighbourhood.
Titled‘Mates’, the play will celebrate the city’s culture and lifestyle, featuring immersive mediations, comedy, a photo booth and a house party complete with techno DJTicketholders to the free play can finish off the experience by enjoying a free pint or burger at Seven Bro7thers Beerhouse.
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The play is running between 13-21 November, and you can bag free tickets
Elsewhere in the poll, three quarters (75%) said Manchester was friendlier than any other city – with 138,935 residents claiming they never want to move out of the city – the top three most popular neighbourhoods in Manchester are the Northern Quarter, Spinningfields and Salford, the latter of which are within a 10 minute walk of New Maker Yards. Almost a third (31%) thought the city’s best feature was the fact there’s so much going on, despite it being less expensive than London.
For its new homes at New Maker Yards, Get Living has partnered withideal flatmate, the match-making platform for renters, and then commenting on the results of the survey, Tom Gatzen – Co-Founder at ideal flatmate – said: “When it comes to what people look for in a flatmate, this survey showed that in Manchester, it is all about having a great time and living with people you can build a friendship with outside the barriers of a standard flatmate relationship.
“It’s clear the people of Manchester value social qualities and spending time with people that can make them laugh and bond with over the same taste in TV programmes, all while eating a home-made meal.
“That said, my advice would be to ensure that you live with people you can see yourself spending time with rather than just passing each other in the corridor.”
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Kim Quickfall – General Manager of New Maker Yards at Get Living – added: “Our residents are always up for a good time, and with 500 new homes available to rent this winter, we wanted to showcase what living at New Maker Yards is all about [and] we’re delighted to be working with the incredible Hope Mill Theatre to take this immersive play out of the theatre and into our living rooms.”
The play is celebrating the launch of a further 500 homes for rent at New Maker Yards / Credit: Get Living
Like the sounds of New Maker Yards then?
Homes are available to rent starting from £940 per month for a one bedroom apartment, £1,190 pm for a two bed, and £1,695 pm for a three bed, with flexible tenancies, no fees, and no deposits.
Homes come ready with superfast WiFi included and pets live free.
Dame Sarah Storey is going on Strictly Come Dancing 2026
Danny Jones
Record-breaking local athlete and Paralympian, Dame Sarah Storey, is set to become the latest to join the Strictly Come Dancing annals.
With the Strictly cast for 2026 steadily being unveiled, we always keep an eye out for the Greater Manchester names in particular.
That being said, we’re buzzing to see the hugely successful Stockport swimmer turned cyclist will be swapping her Team GB kit for sparkly, sequined ballroom gowns and an entirely different type of sport and fitness.
Announced on Friday, 17 July, Storey is the seventh celebrity to be confirmed for the 24th series of the hit BBC show and dancing competition.
Having represented her country not only at nine Paralympics but across two different disciplines after switching to the racing bike back in 2005, she’s our most decorated competitor in the entire history of the Games with 30 medals to her name – 19 of which are gold.
Absolute GOAT levels.
But now the Cheadle Hulme-born is once again set to show her versatility to see how she fares on the dance floor later this year.
Commenting ahead of the new-look season which starts this September, the 48-year-old said: “Embarking on a new challenge so soon after stepping down as an athlete is hugely exciting.
“I have always loved watching Strictly, and my daughter Louisa is a very talented dancer, so to be able to learn from the best and hopefully understand even more about her world is incredibly motivating! I can’t wait to get started!”
This latest sea-change comes not long after the local legend and sporting icon officially announced her retirement from professional sport more than three decades on from first bursting onto the scene.
Thank you for taking the time to leave all the incredible messages. It’s so wonderful to read them and thank you for being the greatest supporters 🥰
— Dame Sarah Storey (@DameSarahStorey) July 9, 2026
What a career she’s had; it obviously didn’t take her long to get tired of sitting still for once, either.
She will be joined by the likes of Lacey Turner, Dani Dyer, Delta Goodrem, Chris Appleton, Cach Mercer and Will Best.
In case you missed it, the upcoming edition of Strictly Come Dancing will be the first since Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman stepped down, with Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and pro dancer Johannes Radebe stepping in as replacements.
In other starring Stockport news, we’ve finally got more info on the final season of a popular programme filmed in the area. Find out more down below.
Family-friendly LGBTQ+ festival returns to Manchester Pride 2026
Danny Jones
Exactly what it says on the tin, Proud Fest returns to Manchester for 2026, promising plenty of fun for all ages away from the main hustle and bustle this summer.
Best part of all? It’s completely FREE.
Taking place in the heart of the city centre, it offers a viable alternative to many who want to avoid the major crowds that flock to Gay Village’s Pride party every year.
Just the second year that this LGBTQIA+ festival has been set up, making its colourful debut in 2025, there’ll be everything from live music, games and other interactive opportunities for all ages, arts and crafts, plus workshops and plenty more; there’s something for everyone here.
Championing “entertainment, family-friendly activities, music, creativity, and plenty of Pride spirit”, the 2026 edition of Proud Fest is set to be one of the biggest ever.
Based around Great Northern Warehouse just off Deansgate and Peter Street, it’s set to be hosted by drag queen ‘Aida H Dee’, as well as Sara Gosney-Hughes, best-known for her travel expertise and work as a broadcaster and producer at nearby station Hits Radio.
With both calling Manchester home, alongside lots of other organisers behind the free festivities, you can expect plenty of hometown passion and pride – pun very much intended.
Set up in partnership with Proud 2 b Parents (P2bP), mums, dads and more will also be able to enjoy the official Pride parade from a viewing area in the dedicated Community Hall, where they’ll get a perfect spot to watch the floats and performers go down the strip.
Canal Street is already gearing up for those sublime, sun-soaked evenings at the end of August.
Speaking ahead of the latest iteration of the annual festival, Founder and CEO of P2bP, Matt Taylor-Roberts, told us in a statement: “Proud Fest is about creating the spaces many of us wished existed when we first became parents.
“It’s a celebration of LGBTQ+ families in all their diversity and a reminder that every family deserves to feel seen, supported and celebrated.”
At its core, this is about creating a safe and friendly option for families to still feel connected to the queer community and play their part in the wider celebrations.
You can grab your completely complimentary tickets right HERE.
And if you’re looking for other great days out for the family in Manchester this summer, there’s another free event happening at Circle Square earlier in the month.
Emily Sergeant -
17th November 2021 
