A new female-led BBC Three comedy series about growing up and navigating life in Manchester is hitting our screens this autumn.
Written by and starring Mancunian comedy writer Soph Galustian and produced by Jax Media, Peck’Eds is a female-led, coming-of-age, out-and-out comedy about the testing moments of growing up as a young, working class woman in South Manchester.
Based on lived experiences and real surroundings, it is also a celebration of what it truly means to grow up in this specific part of the country.
The show, which is directed by Bethan Seller – known for work on the Comedy Central sketch series Flaps – will follow the journey of Melissa (Galustian) and her group of best friends, Abbie (Hannah Donelon) and Naz (Leah Choudhry), to get a taste of true council estate, high school life – with everything from period troubles, to sexuality discoveries.
Peck’Eds is set to “blow the dust off these awkward memories and flood back feelings of nostalgia, womanhood and an extra-large portion of cringe.”
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Filmed at @kw_sch in Cheadle, @sophgalustian's Peck’Eds is a female-led coming-of-age, out-and-out comedy about the testing moments of growing up as a young, working class woman in South Manchester.
The show is Soph Galustian’s first television commission.
If you’re unfamiliar with Soph’s work, she a Mancunian comedy writer-performer of Armenian heritage, who making a huge impact for her self-produced sketches and spoken word pieces on social media that have amassed over 1.5 million views and praise from peers and industry names.
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“Writing Peck’Eds has been so exciting for me,” Soph said of the series ahead of its release.
“The thought of creating something based on my own experiences and being able to film it in the exact spots that I grew up in, was truly magical. My upbringing will always play a huge part in my work and I hope that it shines a light on working class, northern voices.
“I am so proud of my background and where I come from. Us council estate lot know how to have a laugh, and that’s what Peck’Eds is all about – learning to make the best of what you’ve got.”
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Peck’Eds is a celebration of what it truly means to grow up in Manchester / Credit: Instagram (@SophGalustian)
Molly Seymour – Producer and Head of Jax Media UK – adds: “Developing and producing Peck’Eds with Soph and the BBC has been a truly fantastic process [as] Jax focuses on telling stories we haven’t seen before, delivered in the funniest and most unique way [and] this is what Peck’Eds is.
“We couldn’t be more excited to be collaborating with Soph and the rest of the team on this original and brilliantly comedic show.”
Peck’Eds will air on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer this autumn.
Featured Image – BBC Three
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Pete Tong’s Ibiza Classics is returning to Manchester later this year
DJ and radio presenter Pete Tong MBE is making his way back to Manchester with a whole host of guests ready to help you dance the night away.
Known for his live radio shows such as the ‘Essential Mix’ on BBC Radio 1, Tong is bringing back his widely successful Ibiza Classics club night to Manchester with an equally impressive roster of guests.
The ‘Ibiza Classics’ concept originated and debuted back in 2015 with Tong and co. taking on Royal Albert Hall as part of BBC Radio 1’s Proms schedule, paying homage to the island’s infectious anthems.
Since then, the English DJ has built a music event bigger than he could have ever imagined, and this year it’s celebrating a milestone 10-year anniversary tour heading out across the country.
Pete Tong, Jules Buckley and The Essential Orchestra are bringing Ibiza Classics to AO Arena in Manchester.
Some of Tong’s notable releases include ‘Where’s The Music Gone’ and ‘Apocolypse’, alongside some very respectable dance music artists. He delighted the crowd with this event back in 2023 when he brought Ibiza to Aintree Racecourse.
Other tracks to his name include ‘You Got The Love’ and ‘Time’, both collaborations with Jules Buckley, one of the famous faces you’ll get to see on this special Ibiza Classics tour.
Alongside being a frequent feature on Tong’s hits, Buckley is a well-renowned composer who has worked with the likes of Florence and The Machine, Dizzee Rascal, Arctic Monkeys and more.
Pete Tong and Jules Buckley won’t be fronting AO Arena alone either, as they’re also bringing along another familiar group who are often credited alongside the duo, The Essential Orchestra.
This night is expected to be filled with pure dance hits, and based on recent shows, there might even be appearances from even more musical talents and special guests.
He even invited American-English vocalist Vula, known for hits like ‘Turn Me On (Dr. Love)’, onto the stage, who performed a rendition of Tong’s classic track ‘Good Life’.
Pete Tong, Jules Buckley and The Essential Orchestra are bringing Ibiza Classics to AO Arena on Saturday 6 December with tickets already on sale HERE.
A shocking new study has claimed that one in five vapers in the North West have reverted back to smoking following the disposable vape ban.
With the ban on single-use disposable vapes now in full force across the UK after taking effect from 1 June, one in five (16%) North West residents who used to vape have hinted that they’ll now go back to smoking cigarettes, according to some eye-opening new research by the life insurance experts at Confused.com.
While the study did reassuringly find that that more than a third (34%) of survey respondents planned to quit vaping after the ban, this doesn’t tell the full story.
Worryingly, more people than not say they plan to keep vaping, with 21% claiming the ban on disposables will actually encourage them to switch to refillable vapes instead, rather than give up all together.
One in five northerners plans to revert back to smoking following the disposable vape ban / Credit: Pxhere
According to Confused.com’s latest data, there has been a 44% increase in the number of people declaring they smoke or vape on their life insurance policy since 2019, but if these survey results are anything to go by, we can expect these figures to be higher in the years to come.
Almost a third of North West vapers (27%) said they started between the ages of 18-25.
Around one in 10 (4%) said they were under 18 when they started vaping, and then at the other end o the spectrum, a third (33%) apparently started at 41 or older.
The single-use vape ban came into force across the UK on 1 June 2025 / Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Despite the more concerning findings, Confused.com is choosing to look on the more positive side of things, with Tom Vaughan, who is one of the life insurance experts at Confused.com, commenting: “It’s refreshing to see that many people who vape are using the ban as a springboard to try to quit for good, particularly with the financial and health implications of maintaining the habit.
“We’ve had a significant increase in smokers’ policies for life insurance, which are extremely important for family security and future prospects.
“So when applying for life insurance, it’s important that smokers or vapers declare their habit, as it could impact policies due to the long-term health impact.”
Emily Sergeant -
9th September 2021 
