A first look at a new BBC Three and Netflix horror series set and filmed in Bolton has been released as the young cast is unveiled.
Created by Bolton-born twins, Michael and Paul Clarkson – best known for their work on See, and The Haunting Of Bly Manor – Red Rose is an eight-part original horror series that “explores the intoxicating relationship between teenagers and their online lives”, and it is set to air on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer in the UK, and on Netflix across the world.
After filming took place in Bolton in 2021 and 2022, the BBC has finally released first look images of the new series and unveiled the long-awaited cast list.
The cast of Red Rose includes a number of young rising stars, such as Amelia Clarkson, Isis Hainsworth, Ali Khan, Ellis Howard, and Ashna Rabheru, as well as celebrated actors Adam Nagaitis, Natalie Gavin, and Samuel Anderson, and exciting newcomers making their television debuts – Harry Redding, currently playing Jem Finch in To Kill A Mockingbird in the West End, and Laurence Olivier Bursary-winner, Natalie Blair.
Some of the cast’s credits include appearances on The Last Kingdom, Poldark, Sex Education, Chernobyl, Doctor Who, Catherine The Great, and so much more.
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Red Rose is set and filmed in Bolton, and will air on BBC Three in the UK and Netflix across the world / Credit: BBC / Netflix
Red Rose is produced by multi-award-winning production company, Eleven (Sex Education, Glue, The Enfield Haunting), directed by Ramon Salazar, whose credits include the highly-successful Spanish Netflix show, Elite, as well as Henry Blake, Lisa Siwe, and casting by Kharmel Cochrane.
A plot synopsis for the series on the BBC website reads: “Set in the long hot summer following GCSEs, our heroes’ friendships are infiltrated by the Red Rose app, which blooms on their smartphones, threatening them with dangerous consequences if they don’t meet its demands.
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“The app exposes the group to a seemingly supernatural entity and the seductive, terrifying power of the dark web.
“Red Rose is ultimately a story of friendship, told through the prism of a classic horror-thriller.”
🌹 One long hot summer after GCSEs, a friendship group is infiltrated by the Red Rose app, which blooms on their smartphones, threatening them with dangerous consequences if they don’t meet its demands…
First-look images & cast of @BBCThree's new 8-part horror #RedRose here👇
Speaking ahead of the release of the new series, The Clarkson Twins said: “We are thrilled with the talented cast that we’ve assembled in Red Rose.
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“They have so brilliantly captured the spirit of the North with their nuanced, devastating and hilarious performances [and] we can’t wait for the rest of the world to fall in love with them, just as we have.
“They’re doing Bolton – and us – proud.”
Nawfal Faizullah – Executive Producer for the BBC – added: “We are delighted that Michael and Paul’s fantastic scripts have attracted such a brilliant cast of rising stars, and we’re sure audiences will love this gang of misfits as they fight to survive Red Rose.”
No official release dates for the new series have been announced as of yet by the BBC and Netflix, so viewers will have to keep their eyes peeled.
Manchester has been named one of the most ‘affordable’ cities in the UK – this is why
Emily Sergeant
A list of the top 10 most affordable cities in the UK has been revealed, and Manchester has made the cut for one very specific reason.
On a bit of a budget? Aren’t we all.
The cost of living crisis has been raging on for quite a few years now, and unfortunately, despite how much we all wish for it to, it doesn’t appear to be slowing down – with prices for everyday items, especially typical fridge and cupboard stables, shooting up by the day, even though supermarkets are showing efforts to prevent it.
And it’s the noticeable price increases in groceries that led delivery insurance provider, Street Cover, to uncover which UK cities don’t strain your food shopping budgets too much just yet.
As it was found that food and non-alcoholic drinks inflation reached 1.3% this past summer, a new study has revealed that Sheffield is officially the most affordable city in the UK, with several other northern locations on the list.
Manchester has been named one of the most ‘affordable’ cities in the UK / Credit: MCC | Aldi
The study compared the 2026 Grocery Index for the largest UK cities with the UK average, as well as available 2025 Grocery Indices, to track the changes in food affordability.
The cities are ranked by the index difference from the national average – which is 67.3 – but the report also uses direct monetary values for a grocery basket to provide some additional context too.
Manchester took sixth place on the list, with an average grocery basket price of £23.08, while some of the other northern cities in the top 10, besides Sheffield at number one, include Liverpool, Leeds, and Newcastle.
Top 10 Most Affordable UK Cities For Groceries
Sheffield
Milton Keynes
Liverpool
Reading
Newcastle
Manchester
Leeds
Bristol
Cardiff
Southampton
As the only other North West city in the top 10, Liverpool may have come in third place overall, but the study found that the grocery bill here is the smallest in terms of actual monetary numbers – with it setting shoppers back £22.08 for a regular supermarket basket, which is a whole £1 cheaper than in Manchester.
“Data shows households in the North East of England have the lowest average food spend in the country, around 11% below the UK average, while Yorkshire sits 6.6% below,” Al Taylor, who is the Head of Street Cover, commented on the study’s findings.
“Sheffield’s position at the top reflects lower property costs for retailers, less competition from premium chains, and a supermarket landscape dominated by value-led options.
“The practical implication for household budgets is significant – the difference between budget and premium shopping can easily be £1,000 or more per year for a family, which can be spent on other things or saved for future plans.”
Featured Image – Aldi
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Mancs wanted to take part in a new series of the ‘hardest quiz show on TV’
Emily Sergeant
Call yourself a clever clogs? The BBC is currently looking for contestants to take part in what is widely considered the hardest quiz show on TV.
That’s right – Only Connect is back for another series on BBC Two.
Presented by Victoria Coren Mitchell and first broadcast all the way back in 2008, Only Connect takes TV quizzing to the next level, as it sees two teams compete against each other by finding connections between seemingly unrelated clues.
In this quiz show – which viewers have dubbed one of the most challenging there is – knowledge only takes you so far, as the ability to think laterally is also deemed ‘vitally important’.
A casting call for the upcoming 2027 series has been shared on the BBC website, with people from Greater Manchester encouraged to apply.
Mancs wanted to take part in a new series of the ‘hardest quiz show on TV’ / Credit: BBC
The casting call reads: “The popular BBC Two quiz show presented by Victoria Coren Mitchell returns for a new series in 2027.
“Only Connect is seeking teams of three players OR single applicants or teams of two looking for like-minded teammates to pool their combined wits to solve fiendish conundrums and vexing puzzles.
“This is the quiz series where, as in life itself, knowledge will only take you so far: patience and lateral thinking are also vital. It’s all about making connections between things which may appear, at first glance, not to be connected at all.”
Reckon you’ve got what it takes then? Applications are now open, and all applicants must be aged 18 or over and a resident in the UK or Channel Islands.
Emily Sergeant -
31st May 2022 
