One in two of us will develop some form of cancer in our lifetime, but until recently, the conversation around the disease was often kept hushed up, the narrative swaying towards the negative.
One of the people who has helped to change that narrative and break the taboos is Steve Bland, a journalist, broadcaster and podcast co-host.
He’s best-known for his work on You Me and the Big C, a BBC podcast he has co-hosted with Lauren Mahon and the late Dame Deborah James since 2018.
Steve was thrust into the public eye in the most tragic of circumstances, when his wife – journalist Rachael Bland, who founded the podcast – died from breast cancer at the age of 40.
While most of us would have hidden away from the world, Steve bravely stepped up to the mic – literally.
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Steve and Rachael Bland / Credit: Instagram, @mr_blandy
He took up his wife’s seat at the podcast table alongside Lauren and Deborah to talk about loss.
The trio discussed the impact Rachael’s death had on Steve’s then-two-year-old son Freddie, the catharsis of talking, and how it feels to begin grieving even before someone has died.
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He said: “We were told she had days – it was a proper sledgehammer. She died almost exactly a week later. Every night I’d be lying there at night and she’d be asleep, and I’d be looking at her, almost waiting for her to die, watching her breathing.
“Quite a few times she’d wake up and see me staring at her and be like ‘What are you doing, why are you just watching me?'”
Steve Bland recording the You Me Big C podcast / Credit: Instagram, @mr_blandy
Since that guest appearance, Steve has become a permanent fixture on the You, Me and the Big C podcast, taking the baton from his late wife and running with it.
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They were big, brilliant shoes to fill but Steve brought a new perspective to the cancer conversation, and talked with refreshing honesty about grief, and life after death.
The group have shown that even in the darkest of days, it’s okay to find light and laughter, including telling stories of getting the giggles at Rachael’s actual funeral and, more recently, remembering Dame Deborah’s funniest moments while paying tribute to her.
They’ve also opened up a conversation about cancer that wasn’t there before, talking about every aspect of the disease and encouraging people to do the same.
In the days after Rachael’s death, Steve talked about how he didn’t shy away from the subject with their son Freddie.
Steve said at the time: “There have been occasions where I’ve lost my temper with [Freddie] and I know I wouldn’t have done in normal circumstances.
“I shouted at him because he was being a right pain, (I was) trying to get him dressed. I started crying because it really upset me that I’d shouted at him.
“And he just turned to me and he said, ‘Daddy, are you crying because of Mummy?’ and I said ‘Yes’. And he said, ‘Daddy, don’t worry, it’s just us two now. It’ll be OK’.”
Since Steve has joined the podcast, they’ve welcomed in guests to discuss everything from death admin, scientific breakthroughs, treatment options, fertility, ‘scanxiety’, changing the language used around cancer, the way it’s portrayed in the media, and even sex and intimacy when you have or have had cancer.
Steve Bland with Dame Deborah James and Lauren Mahon / Credit: Instagram, @mr_blandy
More recently, he’s talked about finding new love, and about not feeling guilty for it (he’s engaged to marry new fiancée Amy, an NHS nurse).
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He said in an interview on ITV’s Lorraine: “Why should I feel guilty? I want to be happy, I’m 40 years old, I’ve got the rest of my life ahead of me. I want to be happy and Rachael wanted me and Freddie to be happy.
“That comes down to individual decisions – for some people they won’t want to meet someone, for other people they might do it within six months of someone dying, and that’s okay as well.
“I think the important thing is to break down the taboo and make it something that people don’t even have to worry about judgement for, there’s no need to feel guilty. All I’m trying to do and all people in my situation are trying to do is be happy and make the most of life.”
He once told The Telegraph: “She always said it would really upset her if she thought I was going to pack it in at 38. I’m determined not to live a second class version of what my life was.”
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Steve is a proud supporter of MacMillan and has run the London Marathon to raise money for the charity’s brilliant work, as well as advocating for other campaigns like Stand Up To Cancer.
So although he’s technically from just across the border in Cheshire, we think Steve’s podcast work based at MediaCityUK makes him a very worthy Manc of the Month for July.
Featured Image – Instagram (@mr_blandy)
Manchester
Where to watch the 2026 Six Nations in Manchester city centre
Danny Jones
It’s that time again, the Six Nations is just around the corner, and we can practically taste the Guinness already — that being said, we thought it only right to put together a list of where to watch it and enjoy those pints.
With the tournament kicking off on Thursday, 5 February, we don’t want you scrambling around to find places showing the Six Nations in Manchester; we just want you to sit back and enjoy the games.
So, without further ado, here is our list of the 16 places to watch this year’s Six Nations here in Manchester city centre.
Don’t worry, you’re in good hands.
The best places to watch this year’s Six Nations in Manchester
Speaking of Guinness, as far as Manchester Irish bars go, there’s a very strong argument to be made that there isn’t any better than Mulligans.
A go-to for sports fans and punters in general, not to mention Guinness’ second home in Manchester, this traditional Irish pub, sandwiched just across the road from Spinningfields, will be showing the games and promising live music every night. It’s always good craic in here.
You don’t book here – you just keep your fingers crossed for a table, but now with the added floor upstairs, you’ve got a better chance than ever.
Back once again following the biggest in the whole country, Freight Island are teaming up with Jubel JUBEL Beer to bring another massive fan zone to Depot Mayfield – the question is, will it be even better vibes than last time around?
They’ve done this for a few years now, and certainly it’s always got bigger, and not only more extensive packages available to book, but plenty of room for walk-ins across the multiple rooms, the big warehouse might just be the perfect spot.
Best of all, general admission is completely free, meaning no one has to miss out on the action.
3. Tib Street Tavern – Northern Quarter
No list of Manchester sports bars would be complete without Tib Street Tavern, one of the most popular in NQ or the city centre in general, for that matter.
With recently refurbished booths for you and all your mates to pile into, massive screens filling the walls and solid grub, this place is packed out noon till night, so you’d best book whilst you still can.
You can call them up on 0161 834 1600 for bookings of six or more, but you can still try for a walk-in.
One of the biggest, best and busiest sports bars on this list, BOX on Deansgate brings a real sense of the American sports bar culture with shuffleboard, giant steins of booze, banging food and TV on every wall — including a big 360-jumbotron screen so nobody misses a second.
With all that in mind, it makes for the perfect place for all fans to come along and watch the Six Nations.
Next up, another Irish bar and a chain that still somehow feels like it’s one of ours, even though we know full well that it isn’t. Nevertheless, we love a trip to O’Neills in the Printworks, especially when there’s live sports on the box.
You don’t have to be a Celtic native, ex-pat or Ireland fan to watch the game here, of course, just bring a healthy dose of positivity and a willingness to drink plenty of good Guinness.
See you at the bar, I guess, but we don’t want to hear any lazy attempts at an Irish accent like we did last year (yes, really – it was painful).
Once again, whether you bleed green and gold or not, it doesn’t matter: Kiely’s is a prime location not only to watch the Six Nations in Manchester, but for any live sport and for a solid pint of the black stuff, for that matter.
Yet another place for Guinness lovers and showing live sport all week-round before the rowdy live music kicks off in the evenings, we’ve spent many a night in here and can heartily recommend it for the rugby and good vibes in general.
We can’t think of many better places for a tipsy sing-song after the game than here; to be honest, you can’t go wrong with pretty much any Irish bar, so here:
For number seven, what better place to slot in than the seven screens over at The Seven Oaks? Tucked away on Nicholas Street just off Mosley St and round the corner from Chinatown, this place is great for watching all manner of sports, so of course they’re showing the Six Nations as well.
This place is always packed with plenty of regulars on matchdays and is even the local for the Northern Spurs fans, and even the Manchester branch of St Pauli Supporters Club from Germany. It’s also known for serving bartenders till late.
One of Manchester longest standing free-house sports bars, having first opened its doors all the way back in 1824, it’s known for having some of the friendliest pub staff you’ll find anywhere in town, as well as now hosting regular live stand-up, music and even the odd theatre production these days. Give it a go.
8. The Waldorf – Piccadilly
Now, if you’re looking for something right next to the station so you don’t have to walk far for your first pint or, equally, can make a quick exit if the result doesn’t go your way, The Waldorf is the one for you.
Spanning across two floors, with the upstairs not just home to MCFC’s supporters ‘The Cityzen Arms’ but also regularly dedicated to big rugby fan bookings, you’ll catch many a face watching the sport here most weekends.
Again, it fills up quickly, so bag yourself a table while you can HERE.
Located just off Oxford Road Corridor, Brickhouse Social continues to cater to sports fans in the city centre, and its fan zones come tournament time just keep getting bigger and better.
With three floors, including a rooftop terrace, solid slices of pizza up for grabs and plenty of pool tables to keep you busy in between the ruck, this place has everything you need.
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Boasting a total of 12 screens and a state-of-the-art sound system for live entertainment and the club nights downstairs in Kable, this might be one of the best places for atmosphere in Manchester when it comes to summer sports. Book your table at [email protected] or on 0161 236 4899.
Another all-time classic Manchester sports bar, The Directors’ Box, just off St Peter’s Square in the city centre, has plenty of pints and an absolutely mint menu full of sharing platters perfect for watching the game with your mates.
We’ll be straight with you, it isn’t the biggest place for the amount of people that try and get in — it’s a local favourite for a reason — so we’d advise you book your Six Nations table now if you can.
No one likes being the one who suggested a place only to not get in. Trust us, we’ve been that person far too many times – the worst.
We’ve already had a couple of Irish bars on the list, what harm could another do? Third time’s the charm, as they say.
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Mulligans, Kiely’s and O’Sheas: the holy trinity of Manc Irish pubs and just like the other two, this boozer on the corner of Princess Street has a brilliant atmosphere, especially when the rugby’s on.
With great Guinness, classic Irish snacks like Taytos, a solid food menu and live music most nights, what more could you ask for? To be honest, at this point, we might as well just give all the places decked out in green – you won’t go far wrong with any the many mint Irish bars in Manchester.
Not a bad place to go Walkabout… See what we did there?
In all seriousness, the massive pub, club and local nightlife institution has plenty of food, pints and screens to cater to the hordes of punters, and it’s one of the last proper holdouts of Printworks classic lineup following the unfortunate closure of Bierkeller and Shooters (RIP).
Better still, with its Australian roots, there’s a real love for rugby in here, whether you’re a Wallabies, England fan or otherwise. Book your place HERE.
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Credit: The Manc Group
13. The Grosvenor – Oxford Road Corridor (formerly The Footage)
Another student favourite and budget-friendly venue, we spent many a uni day watching live sport in The Footage, and we have to say, no matter how many years and tournaments have gone by, there’s nothing quite like a fever-pitch rugby crowd in this place.
It might have changed name after a short hiatus from the busy student strip, but the prices in here are still great, and it’s looking bigger and better than ever. Big tellies, pool tables, beer pong – they’ve got you sorted from noon until night.
You can, of cours,e book a table if you want to secure the perfect spot, but this place always has plenty of rooms to try your luck with a walk-in.
The penultimate round on this fixture list, not only is this one of the cheapest places for a night in town, possibly the country, but it’s yet another prime location to watch the sport.
It might be very student-heavy most nights of the week, but with a large interior, huge outdoor area with coverage, as well as plenty of value for money grub and bevs up for grabs, you can’t go wrong with the old stomping grounds.
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You are never—we repeat, never too old for Courtyar,d and it NEVER disappoints when the game is on.
‘The Brotherhood of Pastimes and Pursuits’ is another tried and tested favourite come any matchday, and the team over there does a great job of building a proper atmosphere across their two floors. You can tell how much they love sports from the original posters they create for each tournament alone.
It’s a great post-work spot any day of the week, let alone when there are big events on like this. Food, pints, pool, table tennis and more. 10/10, no notes from us.
Not a bad place to love you and leave you to enjoy the Six Nations this year. Walk-ins are welcome, but you’re best reserving your table HERE.
So, if you’re still wondering where to watch the 2026 Six Nations in Manchester, that should be plenty of options for now. It’s one of the biggest competitions on the sporting calendar, and we don’t plan on missing a single second.
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It may still be a bit nippy this time of year, but we’ve never been ones to let the weather put us off going out and having a good time.
TWO Greater Manchester restaurants awarded prestigious Michelin Bib Gourmands
Daisy Jackson
Two restaurants in Greater Manchester have been presented with one of the most prestigious accolades in hospitality – a Michelin Bib Gourmand.
Both Erst in Ancoats and Cantaloupe in Stockport have been awarded the distinction, alongside Almanac in Glossop (technically just outside the region, but close enough).
The new additions bring our region’s total to five Bib Gourmands in total, joining El Gato Negro, Higher Ground, and The Sparrows.
Michelin Bib Gourmand recognises ‘restaurants that serve high-quality food at great value’ and are often much more accessible than the Michelin Star selections.
The news of the extra additions comes ahead of the Michelin Guide ceremony, where the ultimate accolade of the Michelin Stars will be awarded.
Michelin inspectors said that Erst is ‘inch perfect’ and a ‘great fit’ for the local dining scene.
Erst is one of the Greater Manchester restaurants awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand
They wrote: “A restaurant that feels inch perfect for 2026, Erst combines a natural wine bar with small plates and stripped-back industrial design.
“It’s a great fit for the Manchester dining scene and is another success for the city after receiving several other accolades in recent years.
“Bold flavours burst out of every dish, with the signature topped flatbreads being just one highlight.”
As for Cantaloupe in Stockport, the guide pointed out that the North West has a glut of wine bars and small plates restaurants, but praised this one in particular for its ‘welcome simplicity’.
They wrote: “Another wine bar and restaurant designed for sharing – anyone living in northwest England is certainly spoilt for choice.
“It’s Stockport’s turn this time, with Cantaloupe offering locals and visitors alike a daily changing menu packed with bright Mediterranean flavours and a welcome simplicity. The chefs know when to hold back and their dishes are all the better for it.”
Addressing their win, Cantaloupe wrote: “Well, wow, what fantastic news. Today we’ve discovered we’ve been awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand. We’re thrilled and are grateful to all our staff for making it happen.
“Big thanks to all our guests too for spending their hard earned money and time with us.”
And of Almanac, the Michelin Guide said: “One of three new Bib Gourmands in and around Manchester this year, Almanac has revealed itself as a gem of Glossop High Street.
“Operating as both a bar and restaurant – look out for the concise but well-curated wine list – it’s got the kind of welcoming feel that makes you want to come back again and again. The cooking is traditional and proud of it; order the mince on dripping toast for evidence.”
Daisy Jackson -
22nd July 2022 
