Remember at the end of 2020 when we all thought 2021 couldn’t be any crazier than the year just gone? Well, we were wrong.
It’s been one hell of a year.
2020 may have been the year that life as we once knew it was flipped on its head thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic – with several lockdowns and continuous restrictions introduced – but 2021 was the year that madness continued stronger than ever, and although some level or normality did start to resume as the year went on, we still had a good few months spent twiddling our thumbs with time to kill.
So it’s a good job we’ve had television to keep us sane and entertained, right?
In 2020, Twitter user @thediyora decided to create a thread rounding up some of the most iconic TV moments in one place, so we wouldn’t go forgetting them any time soon – and it’s fair to say it was absolutely hilarious.
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And this year, we have Twitter user @scottygb to thank for doing the same thing.
Not only is Scott a pretty well-known Twitter user, but his actual job is being a TV critic and broadcaster, so if there’s anyone we can count on to round-up all of the best and, in his words, “WTF moments”, of British TV in 2021 to give us a good laugh, it’s him.
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It has been a hard week, so as a distraction from all of it here’s my favourite WTF British TV moments from 2021 ✨
From that time on the Great British Bake Off when Prue Leith talked about how she always put in “two holes” in her doughnuts so she could “squirt” the filling, to when a groom on Married at First Sight thought he was meeting his bride as she walked down the aisle, but it was actually one of the bridesmaids, and most-recently, when Oscar-winning actress Olivia Colman accidentally “dunked on” comedian Jack Whitehall’s American accent in his new film during a clip that was shown on the Graham Norton Show, the list is guaranteed to have you giggling at least once or twice.
And that’s only touching the surface, as there’s a total of 33 brilliant TV moments that make up this Twitter thread.
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There’s plenty to unpack here.
4. When Prue Leith talked about how she always put in “two holes” so she could “squirt” on Bake Off pic.twitter.com/6wKx2AwCMr
Are there any other iconic British TV moments you would add to the 2020 list?
As mentioned, there’s 33 moments that feature on this list in total, so we haven’t included every single tweet from the thread in this article, but if you do fancy having a look through the full thing, then head on over to @scottygb’s Twitter here.
Featured Image – Channel 4 | ITV
TV & Showbiz
Beloved Greater Manchester-born presenter Judith Chalmers has died at 90
Danny Jones
Well-known Greater Manchester native and beloved British TV presenter Judith Chalmers has sadly died at 90 years old.
The former Wish You Were Here…? host was known not only for the once smash-hit travel programme, which ran for the best part of three decades, but she also enjoyed a spot on BBC Radio 2, along with the Strictly forerunner, Come Dancing, among many other guest appearances over the decades.
Judith Rosemary Locke Chalmers OBE, to use her full title, was born in Stockport back in 1935 and is said to have passed away peacefully at home on Thursday evening, 21 May.
The tributes to the broadcasting legend are continuing to pour in online.
A familiar Northern face, Chalmers presented the primetime show from its inception in 1974 until 2003, and was made an OBE for her services to broadcasting in 1994.
The proud Gatley girl enjoyed a long and successful stint on screen before having to step away from her various duties in her later years due to declining health.
She leaves behind her husband, Neil Durden-Smith – himself a former sports commentator – along with two children, including Mark Durden-Smith, who has also gone on to a career in presenting
Unfortunately, Chalmers was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s a few years ago, meaning she gradually withdrew from the public eye even further; those around her have done plenty of important fundraising for the cause ever since.
Stopfordians have also been honouring the local lass’ legacy and much-admired reputation.
I met legendary broadcaster Judith Chalmers, who has died aged 90, when as a boy I won a competition to be VIP guest at a celebrity cricket match played at @StockportCounty Judith, who hosted the event, was happy to be home as she was raised in Gatley #SCFC#StockportCountypic.twitter.com/58pcm39y3V
In a statement issued to ITV (once her long-time employers), her family said: “After living an extraordinary life that involved over 60 years in broadcasting and countless adventures all over the globe, Judy sadly passed away last night, surrounded by the family she loved so much after suffering with Alzheimer’s for some years.
“We will miss her greatly, but she leaves behind a giant suitcase of the happiest of memories.”
Our thoughts are with her family, friends and long-established fan base up and down the country at this difficult time.
Rest in peace.
Featured Images — Thames TV/ITV (archive images)
TV & Showbiz
A special UK exclusive screening of the new Star Wars movie is taking place here in Manchester
Danny Jones
Calling all die-hard Star Wars fans across the galaxy (or at least here in Britain, anyway), a special screening of the franchise’s newest film, The Mandalorian and Grogu, is coming exclusively to a Manchester cinema.
Even better still, it’s the only place in the UK that will be showing it. So damn cool.
The new spin-off set to land in theatres this month is the latest addition to the Star Wars cinematic universe and expands the hit Mandalorian TV series.
Most exciting regarding its domestic release here in the likes of Manchester, the VUE cinema in the Printworks is the only place putting on the IMAX version of the new movie.
Made specifically for IMAX, this is the first Star Wars film shot for and using fully IMAX-certified digital cameras and designed specifically for the experience.
The Mandalorian and Grogu – which is set to drop later this week – features 53 minutes presented in Printworks Manchester’s towering IMAX 1.43:1 aspect ratio.
Aimed to maximise screen size, deliver the most high-end visuals as possible, and further help with overall immersion, there really is nothing quite like it.
If you’ve ever seen a film in IMAX, you’ll know just how much extra enjoyment it brings.
With the Printworks branch selected as the UK’s exclusive destination for the film’s expanded 1.43:1 IMAX presentation, Greater Manchester are in for an absolute treat.
You can see the most recent trailer down below.
Let’s just say it’s received ‘mixed’ reviews, so far…
To celebrate launch day even further, VUE Printworks will also be hosting a limited one-off early morning screening at 6am, giving the most dedicated fans a chance to be among the first audiences in the country to see Din Djarin and Grogu make their big screen debut.
If anything, the seemingly divisive early reactions to the full feature film expansion of the ‘Mando’ lore have kind of made us want to watch it even more.
As always with these things, we’d encourage you to go along and make your own mind up, but we’ll be honest: our heavy Star Wars obsession will most likely make us biased to love this almost unconditionally. Tickets are live now right HERE.
Will you be going to see it?
Just over 2 hours, The Mandalorian and Grogu film hits streaming later this year. (Credit: The Manc)
Emily Sergeant -
20th December 2021 
