After growing up on the silver screen, former Shameless star Jody Latham has announced he’ll be making a return to acting this year.
The Burnley-born actor – who shot to fame as the smart-mouthed tearaway teenager Philip ‘Lip’ Gallagher in the long-running Channel 4 comedy-drama Shameless set on the fictional Chatsworth Estate in Manchester – made headlines at the back end of last year after it was revealed that he now owns a business empire worth £18 million, but he was also sure to tease that he wasn’t finished with acting, and hoped “there’s more to come” in the future after his “fantastic career”.
And now it’s been confirmed that he will have a leading role in a new movie set in the 1950s about the Teddy Boys.
The 39-year-old actor turned entrepreneur – who has recently carved out a successful career in cosmetics and aesthetics, and even donated thousands of face masks to care homes and charities across the North West to help stop the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) through his company Safe and Protect UK – will begin shooting the film later this year.
It will focus on black culture and how it has shaped Britain today.
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The film is being developed by Jody himself, alongside fellow Burnley native Lucien Laviscount, 28, who played Sophie Webster’s love interest Ben Richardson in the iconic Manchester soap and pupil Jonah Kirby in the Rochdale-based BBC school drama Waterloo Road, before going on to feature in the American thriller show Scream Queens.
The pair are currently in the United Arab Emirates to gain further funding for the film.
This film is set to be the next in a long line of acting roles Jody has had to his name over the years.
In 2011, he played pimp Rob Grayson in a controversial sex exploitation storyline in EastEnders, and in 2017 he was reunited with Shameless creator Paul Abbott on the police drama No Offence, where he played Aidan McGee in the Channel 4 show, also set in Manchester.
But of course, he made his name playing Lip, the eldest of Frank Gallagher’s children, in the groundbreaking show Shameless, which ran from 2004 to 2013, and went on to win BAFTAs and British Comedy awards at the height of its popularity.
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The show even gained new eyes after it began screening on Netflix during lockdown too.
When asked previously about the possibility of the iconic show making a reunion, Jody said: “Why not? Never say never. A lot of the serious themes Shameless touched upon are still incredibly relevant today.
“I saw that Luther might be hitting the big screen, maybe we’ll be next.
“If there’s a story to be told, I’m sure Paul will tell it and I’ve always got time to chat to him.”
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Data reveals Manchester hotel prices have ALREADY surged by 462% on rumoured Oasis tour dates
Emily Sergeant
Manchester hotel prices have apparently already surged by 462% on rumoured Oasis tour dates, some new data has revealed.
Of course, absolutely nothing is set in stone yet and we are still yet to receive any form of announcement.
But with rumours having been swirling for months now that Oasis will be touring again in 2027, and several videos shared on the band’s social media platforms this week also hinting at that, it’s been revealed that searches for ‘when are Oasis tickets going on sale?’ have soared by 5,000% in the last seven days alone.
After recent data has pointed towards soaring searches for tickets, the experts at SeatPick decided to analyse the average cost of accommodation in Manchester on the suspected concert nights in June 2027 to uncover if prices have surged along with the searches.
Data reveals that Manchester hotel prices have already surged by 462% on rumoured Oasis tour dates / Credit: The Manc Group | Simon Emmett (Press Picture)
And lo and behold, it appears that they have.
The ticketing platform has revealed that hotel prices have surged by up to 462% during Oasis’ rumoured concert nights in Manchester.
The rumoured weekend date of 19 and 20 June has experienced the most noticeable price surge – with a two-star hotel costing an average of £216 for just one overnight stay.
The data also reveals that the rumoured finale on the 27 June has just a £95 difference between two-star hotels (£200) and five-star hotels (£295).
“Our analysis uncovered an enormous markup for local accommodation on nights that Oasis is rumoured to perform in Manchester,” explained Gilad Zilberman, who is the CEO at ticket platform SeatPick.
“Being aware of these accommodation costs and additional expenses can help fans plan and avoid being caught off guard by inflated prices on concert nights.
“To find the best deals on hotels, concertgoers should scan budget chains in the city or look slightly outside of the centre in hotspots served by local bus routes or regional trains, such as Salford and Trafford.
“Booking early might also be beneficial for fans dedicated to seeing the band perform.
“You can opt for free cancellation options, in case rumoured dates change, or you’re no longer able to attend.”
Featured Image – Point3D (via Unsplash)
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Aldi confirms ‘special’ 62-hour closure of all its 1,000+ stores across UK
Emily Sergeant
Aldi has announced that it’ll, once again, be closing the doors of all of its stores across the UK for 62 hours this year.
Christmas is always known to be one of the busiest periods of the year for the retail industry, and Boxing Day has a reputation for being the ultimate day for shopping deals and discounts in the UK – but this year, just like it has done on several years in the past, Aldi has made the decision to close all of its stores nationwide on this bank holiday.
The supermarket retailer says it wants to thank its colleagues ‘for all their hard work’ throughout the year by giving them some extra time to spend with their families.
This means that all Aldi stores will be closed on both 25 and 26 December.
That’s not all though, as stores will also be closed on New Year’s Day, and will reopen once again on Saturday 2 January 2027.
Aldi has announced a ‘special’ 62-hour closure of all its UK stores / Credit: Aldi UK
Opening hours at different Aldi stores across the UK will vary in the lead-up to Christmas, so it’s important to check the times for your local store, but the retailer has confirmed that most branches will be operating extended hours to ‘ensure customers can stock up ahead of the big day’
In the interim period between Christmas and New Year, stores will reopen as usual on Sunday 27 through to Wednesday 30 December, with reduced hours also likely on Sunday and New Year’s Eve.
Speaking on the decision to shut up shop for a full 62-hour period this festive season, Rachel Geary, who is the Communications Director at Aldi UK, said: “Christmas is a special time for our customers, but it is also one of the busiest periods of the year for our teams.
“Our colleagues work incredibly hard to ensure customers can pick up everything they need ahead of the big day.
“We never take that effort for granted. Closing our stores on Boxing Day is one way of saying thank you and giving colleagues a proper chance to rest, switch off and spend more time with the people closest to them.”
Emily Sergeant -
18th January 2021 
