With around 80,000 new and returning students set to arrive in the city over these new few weeks, some famous Manchester faces have a word or two for them.
The freshers experience is set to be a very different this year amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
With nightclubs still closed and strict social distancing measures in place in bars – as well as the new rule of six and reports of a 10pm curfew expected to be announced by the government in due course – usual bar crawls and club nights are out of the question.
Concerns surrounding the potential breaching of these current local lockdown restrictions by students is what has prompted a number of famous faces to step in.
Radio DJ Gemma Atkinson, presenter Vernon Kay, Coronation Street actresses Catherine Tyldesley and Brooke Vincent, boxer Anthony Crolla, and reality TV star Scott Thomas are among the Manchester celebrities who have posted videos on social media urging students to “think twice” before hosting or attending any house parties or large gatherings.
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The celebrities involved were approached by Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham and Night Time Economy Advisor Sacha Lord to drive home the importance of following the latest government guidance.
Are you a Fresher or a student returning to Greater Manchester? Over the next few days, we have some important messaging from some familiar local faces. pic.twitter.com/lcLFesGIAa
Well-known Boltonian TV presenter Vernon Kay said: “It’s important that we get our region back on its feet, and if you’re thinking about hosting a party or going to a student party, please think twice about doing it.
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“As you’ve heard, Bolton is on its knees and Greater Manchester is struggling, we need to get the cities up and running again and we can do this by preventing the spread of COVID-19.
“If you do your bit, it will have a massive knock-on effect for everyone else.
“Stay safe, enjoy it, I’m very jealous that my further education was many many many years ago, and I enjoyed every minute of it, so you do the same.”
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Another message from a friendly face. If you are a Fresher, or a student returning to Greater Manchester, please do your bit. pic.twitter.com/itKHcPz8zE
Corrie co-star Catherine Tyldesley asked students to “sit tight” and added: “We know all the clubs are shut and yeah, it’s depressing, but please please please help protect our amazing city by not hosting or attending house parties.
“Help slow down the virus, because the quicker we do that, the quicker the clubs can open and we can have a belting time.”
Brooke Vincent said: “I know it’s a little bit rubbish and not the start of your uni year that you expected. Manchester at the minute is really really trying to get back on track, to recover, and we need your help.
“If this was another time I’d be at the house parties myself, on the table, with a drink in my hand, but we need to keep everyone safe.
“I assure you, once everything is up and running, I’m pretty damn sure Manchester will do an amazing celebration and you guys can get fully involved.”
Hits Radio Manchester presenter Gemma Atkinson admitted that things were “a little bit difficult”, but urged people to support each other and said: “Please don’t be that person who has these house parties, it’s not worth it.
“This city needs to get back to normal.
“Let’s all do each other proud and keep safe.”
Scott Thomas – Love Island star, social media figure and director of Manchester-based PR agency The Social PR – addressed students saying: “You must be buzzing, but we must keep our city safe.
“Be patient.
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“The more patient we are, the quicker we will recover.”
These urgent messages of warning to students come after the UK government announced last month that police in England have been given the power to distribute fines to the organisers of illegal gatherings.
Those responsible could be hit with five-figure penalties for playing their part in arranging events with more than 30 people.
For the latest information, guidance and support during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the UK, please do refer to official sources at gov.uk/coronavirus.
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James Acaster reveals eerie song all Traitors contestants are forced to listen to before every roundtable
Emily Sergeant
James Acaster has revealed the eerie (and pretty surprising) song that all Traitors contestants are forced to listen to before every roundtable.
In case you’ve been living comfortably under a rock, you’ll probably be aware that comedian James Acaster is currently a contestant on this current season of BBC‘s smash-hit reality TV competition show, The Celebrity Traitors – a show that viewers in their millions are tuning into each week, with some big names on the cast.
Acaster is currently (spoiler alert… but it shouldn’t be at this point, we are several weeks in after all) one of three Traitors competing on the show, and he’s doing a pretty good job at it.
But we wonder how much of his success can be put down to the producers’ love of a certain song they like to play before every roundtable? Probably next to none, but it’s surprising to find out how much of an integral role the tune plays though.
The song we’re referring to here, it has been revealed, is ‘The Hanging Tree’ – a folk ballad made popular by The Hunger Games.
‘The Hanging Tree’, composed by James Newton Howard and Suzanne Collins, was famously sung by Jennifer Lawrence’s character Katniss Everdeen in the third instalment of the film franchise, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1.
The lyrics are as follows:
Are you, are you Coming to the tree Where they strung up a man They say who murdered three? Strange things did happen here No stranger would it be If we met at midnight In the hanging tree
So, as you can see, the song does make reference to ‘murder’, which is a key part of The Traitors game (not real murder, of course), but even with that context, we’re still not sure why the producers are keen to play it out before every roundtable.
During a viral TikTok clip from an on-stage Q&A this week, Acaster revealed the song’s usage to the audience: “You all walk in silence down the corridor, and you all sit down, and they don’t announce it’s gonna happen.
“The first time this will completely blindside you, but they do it every single roundtable. They play that song from The Hunger Games, that ‘coming to the tree’ song. Like acapella, Jennifer Lawrence.”
He continued: “It was every f***ing time, it was the only song we heard the whole time we were in there, and all day I would have it in my head constantly, everyone would, I’d go ‘have you got coming to the tree in your head?’ and they’d go ‘yes, it’s in my head, again’.”
Viewers who watch the show may have spotted the song being played in the background or transition between certain scenes, but now it’s been revealed that the contestants hear it too.
Who would’ve thought?
Featured Image – Euan Cherry / BBC / Studio Lambert
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Tickets officially go on sale for rare 70mm IMAX screenings of Dune: Part Three in Manchester
Emily Sergeant
Tickets have now officially gone on sale for rare 70mm IMAX screenings of Dune: Part Three in Manchester.
Arriving on screens from 18 December and gearing up to be one of the most anticipated films of the year, Dune: Part Three – which is the third and final instalment in director Denis Villeneuve’s Dune franchise – will be screening in IMAX 70mm at Vue Manchester Printworks, one of only three venues to show it in this format nationwide.
There are only 40 other venues across the globe showing the film in IMAX 70mm, and Manchester is the only city outside of London to screen the blockbuster this way too.
Based on the novels of Frank Herbert and set nearly two decades after the previous film, Dune: Part Three features an ensemble cast of all-star names led by Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya.
Alongside them will be Jason Momoa, Florence Pugh, Anya Taylor-Joy, Rebecca Ferguson, Robert Pattinson, Charlotte Rampling, Javier Bardem, and Josh Brolin.
After seats for a special early screening of the film in IMAX sold out in less than 30 minutes last month, the IMAX 70mm showings – which officially went live today (20 October) – are expected to be snapped up fast by film fans in Manchester.
“A decade in the making, Denis Villeneuve’s epic Dune trilogy is reaching its dramatic conclusion this December,” explained Dean Cross, who is the Senior Screen Content Manager at Vue.
“As the only venue outside of London to be screening Dune: Part Three in IMAX 70mm, it’s a privilege for us to offer this unique way to experience the film.”
Emily Sergeant -
21st September 2020 
