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Star of viral video with Chanel the African Grey parrot charged over £792k drug haul

What a plot twist.

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 21st April 2023

The woman who owns Chanel, an African Grey parrot who went viral in 2020 after she went missing, has been charged over a £792k cannabis haul.

Sandra Hannah, 43, and 55-year-old Ian Hannah have been charged with the importation of 237.6kg of cannabis resin from Spain.

Sandra first became something of an internet sensation back in the first Covid lockdown, when her pet parrot Chanel escaped.

She posted a livestream video in which she famously shouted down the streets: “CHANELLLLLL. CHANEELLLLLL. Please my parrot’s gone. She’s an African Grey, her name’s Chanel.”

Such was Sandra’s viral fame, she even went on to host ‘Hun Brunch’ events around the country.

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But now the Liverpool Echo has reported that she and one other adult have been charged with drug offences.

A spokesperson for Merseyside Police said: “Over the past two days there has been a joint operation between Operation Pelican, Sefton Investigations Team and the National Crime Agency which has resulted in two adults being charged with the importation of 237.6kg of cannabis resin from Spain.

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“This has been valued at approximately £792,000.

“Ian Hannah, 55, and Sandra Hannah, 43, of Cumberland Gate, Netherton have both been charged with importation of cannabis and possession of criminal property.

“Hannah and Hannah have been remanded and will appear before the magistrates’ court this morning.”

Featured image: Facebook

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Andy Burnham’s favourite Manchester pub, restaurant, neighbourhood and Sunday roast

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Andy Burnham's favourite Manchester pub, restaurant, neighbourhood and Sunday roast

Andy Burnham’s favourite pub, restaurant, neighbourhood, and Sunday roast have been revealed – and the man’s got taste.

Old footage of now-PM Andy Burnham chatting to content creator Isaac Likes has been doing the rounds again, and while the interview dates back to before Andy left us and headed down to the big smoke, his Manchester recommendations still stand.

From his go-to neighbourhood and favourite pub to where he heads for a Sunday roast, and even the song he likes to play when he gets behind the decks, Burnham gave us a glimpse into his ideal Manchester day.

First up, there’s the Northern Quarter, which Burnham reckons has to be his favourite neighbourhood in the city.

He said: “Got to be the Northern Quarter. It’s the place where it’s all happening.”

When it comes to food, he singled out Firehouse, sitting on the edge of the Northern Quarter, as one of his favourite places to eat. He also gave a shoutout to its sister venue Ramona, where he’s been known to get behind the decks.

Andy said: “On the edge of the Northern Quarter, Firehouse is a place I love to go. Ramona Pizza, I’ve DJ’d there – if the mayor DJs there it’s gotta be alright.”

For a proper pint, Burnham’s choice is a little more traditional, saying his favourite pub is the ‘proper old school’ Peveril of the Peak.

The beautiful tiled pub was recently named the best in the UK, just days before its legendary landlady Nancy passed away.

When Sunday rolls around, Burnham said he has a couple of options up his sleeve. The Wharf in Castlefield gets a mention, as does Edinburgh Castle up in Ancoats.

The Peveril of the Peak pub in Manchester
The Peveril of the Peak pub in Manchester
The Edinburgh Castle has ranked highlight in the Top 50 Gastropubs list. Credit: The Manc Group
The Edinburgh Castle
Firehouse
Firehouse
Some of Andy Burnham’s favourite places in Manchester. Credit: The Manc Group

He said: “We love our gravy, we drink it by the pint in Manchester.”

Of course, no conversation with Burnham about Manchester would be complete without talking music.

Asked to name the best Manchester band of all time, he offered a few contenders – The Smiths, New Order, and, ultimately, The Stone Roses.

“The band I think are quintessentially Manchester is The Stone Roses. That was peak Manchester,” he said.

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Featured image: Shaun Peckham (via GMCA)

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Manchester romcom Finding Emily is currently one of the best-reviewed films of 2026 so far

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant Finding Emily

A new romcom that is set, was filmed in, and actually romanticises Manchester is soon to be released overseas.

If you haven’t had the chance to see Finding Emily for yourself yet, the film is set in Manchester at the fictional Manchester City University and tells the story of a lovesick musician, played by Spike Fearn, who meets his dream girl named Emily on a night out.

Sadly though, he ends up with the wrong phone number for Emily, and so teams up with a driven psychology student, played by Angourie Rice, in a bid to find her.

Together, the unlikely duo spark a hilarious campus-wide frenzy that tests their own hearts and ambitions along the way.

Spike Fearn and Angourie Rice in a Salford diner
Finding Emily is set all over the University of Manchester campus
Finding Emily - the hit new romcom that really romanticises Manchester
Manchester romcom Finding Emily is currently one of the best-reviewed films of 2026 so far / Credit: Matt Squire / © 2026 FOCUS FEATURES LLC

The film – which is directed by Alicia MacDonald, based on a screenplay by Rachel Hirons, and produced by Working Title Films – is filled with notable local locations dotted throughout, from Manchester Central Library and Piccadilly Records, to Canal Street, the Northern Quarter, and even the Emmeline Pankhurst statue in St Peter’s Square featured for all to see.

Oh, and not to mention, if you keep your eyes peeled when watching the trailer, you can even see a small clip of Stockport band Blossoms playing a gig in there too.

Finding Emily was released here in the UK back in May, and received overwhelmingly positive reviews from fans and critics, including by The Manc Group team when we were lucky enough to see it at the Manchester premiere.

And ahead of its international release this week (Friday 26 August), those reviews have remained as glowing as ever.

In fact, over on major film review platform Rotten Tomatoes, the film stands at 95% on the ‘tomatometer’, meaning it’s one of the highest-rated romcoms of the decade so far.

That also makes it one of the best-reviewed movies of the entire year, in addition to its record score for the genre itself, as only two other films released in 2026 have retained scores higher than it – thrilling Hong Kong action film, The Furious, with a score of 98%, and the uniquely hilarious Olivia Wilde directed and starring, The Invite, with a score of 97%.

Unfortunately, box office projections for Finding Emily are pretty low for the weekend over in the US, as it has to contend with continuing big-hitters like Spider-Man: Brand New Day and The Odyssey.

But it says a lot that this fun-filled original romcom set in our incredible city is more critically acclaimed than those two blockbusters based on existing IP.

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Critics say Finding Emily ‘makes a tried-and-true formula feel brand new’, and to us, that’s about as good as you can get.

Finding Emily is no longer in UK cinemas, so if you would like to check it out, you can currently buy or rent the film on Amazon Prime UK, the Sky Store, or the Virgin Media Store.

Featured Image – Matt Squire / © 2026 FOCUS FEATURES LLC

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