2022 was a pretty wild ride wasn’t it – three PMs, two insane celebrity court cases, one Platinum Jubilee (and then, sadly, a state funeral), financial turmoil, ANOTHER LadBaby Christmas number one, and Sir Ian McKellen hatching out of a giant golden egg.
That’s just the national news stories too… Back here on home turf things were also getting pretty weird, and it’s those odd local gems that really kept us going throughout the year.
So we’ve looked back, dug deep, and pulled together the maddest Manc news stories from 2022 to give us a laugh as we head into 2023. Enjoy.
Storm Franklin causes chaos
Storm Franklin was an absolute monster, and it hit the north west just days after both Storm Eunice and Storm Dudley had wreaked havoc across the region.
More than 400 homes in South Manchester had to be evacuated due to the flooding risk and the public transport network well and truly gave up on doing its job.
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But the most Manc reaction to the weather chaos came from Failsworth, and a certain Pete Brotherton, who chose to look on the sunny side of his completely flooded back garden.
In a video shared on his social pages, Pete popped on his swimming trunks, a pair of inflatable armbands and goggles, and hopped into the icy water (essentially a big puddle) to swim laps.
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Mystery pooper in sofa showroom
The man taking a poo in the middle of the Sofa Club. Credit: TikTok, @sofaclubuk
One local man was so excited about the great deals on offer in a sofa showroom in Manchester, he literally couldn’t contain his excitement – or his bowels.
In a shocking video posted on LinkedIn (of all places) and TikTok in May, a man was caught on CCTV walking into the Arndale, dropping his trousers, and doing a poo on the floor.
We all know that the worker bee is the symbol of Manchester, and we all have a bit of a soft spot for the little creatures here.
But they pushed their luck again this summer, when they once again chose to swarm all over the place – and this time, it was a pedestrian crossing they made their home for several days.
We’re all used to the sight of Boombox Barry, a legendary local figure, whizzing through the streets of Manchester on his push-bike, speaker dangling from the handlebars.
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But it was a bit of a surprise to all of us when his mode of transport got a sudden upgrade, with Barry zooming around on a much faster and fancier set of wheels.
It’s a Tuesday afternoon. The streets are quiet as everyone sits at their desks cracking on with work. Except, there are the tinny strains of The Four Tops, a glimpse of a man walking around flashing his belly beneath his t-shirt, the sight of a pensioner in a 1920s-style flapper dress boogying.
Because Tuesday afternoons in The Chestergate pub are not like Tuesday afternoons anywhere else on this planet.
This completely chaotic video captured the most quintessentially British drunkenness, went viral, and won the hearts of the nation.
We still can’t get over @Sam Ryder suprising us in Manchester today and busking in St Peter’s Square! What an incredible man with an incredible voice #foryou#samryder#manchester#fyp#busking#eurovision
Manchester has tonnes of supremely talented buskers – something our 60 Seconds With series highlights – but a visitor recently gave our local talent a run for its money.
The star popped in to town to sing his heart out in front of an enraptured crowd. What a lovely dude.
The least accurate billboard of all time
Aww, sweet, well-meaning Magnum… but they really missed the mark with their absolutely enormous billboard in Piccadilly Gardens.
The ice cream brand chose to go with the slogan ‘The only thing that can make lying on Piccadilly Gardens even better‘ – directly above the absolute mud bath that the area was at the time.
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Mancs definitely saw the funny side, and the irony, and completely trolled Magnum with comments like: “Who better to share a magnum with than Dave the rabid pigeon.”
Jack Grealish having a *lovely* day out
Jack Grealish celebrating at the Manchester City victory parade. Credit: Manchester City
World Cup hero, Man City heartthrob, owner of the most famous calves in the Premier League – Jack Grealish is a lot of things, but he’s also our favourite person to ever take part in a very public victory parade.
At his club’s bus parade through town, Jack was caught well and truly letting his hair down.
The wobbly footballer was videoed saying: “I wanna see everyone at Albert’s Schloss tonight, and I’ll buy everyone a Jagerbomb,” as well as hitting Phil Foden with an inflatable banana, posing for photos cuddling the mascot Moonbeam, and wearing a woman’s handbag. Pure joy.
Mugshot madness
Jonathan Cahill. Credit: West Yorkshire PoliceRobert Rimmer
What on earth have our local police forces been putting in the water lately?
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Twice this year we’ve seen mugshots of wanted men go viral because people were flooding the comments with remarks about their appearance.
Our favourite comment of the lot was this one: “What’s his crime breaking hearts or houses?”
The arrival of Karen’s Diner and THAT very cross pensioner
News of Karen’s Diner reaching our shores drummed up a mixed reaction last year – half of us thinking that getting deliberately taunted by staff was an insane prospect, the other half thinking it was quite a hilarious concept.
Tell you who didn’t see the funny side though, and that’s the unsuspecting, 73-year-old grandmother who was dragged along by her family with absolutely no explanation of the Karen’s Diner concept.
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It gave us all some hilarious content, though, as Barbara turned the tables back on the deliberately rude wait staff and gave them a stern telling-off.
Millions of people were stunned when this – apparently legit – business started advertising its very unusual product on Facebook.
A couple of amateur Manchester taxidermists created stationery holders using dead squirrels they found in Heaton Park… the headless mammals apparently make ‘perfect holder’s for pens, cutlery etc.’
Shocking and horrifying some, whilst genuinely intriguing others, the post’s accompanying images show decapitated, hollowed-out squirrels with crossed arms and, in some cases, pink painted nails and rhinestone collars.
Featured image: Facebook
Trending
The Oldham Man and The Sea: the documentary about the Latics owner’s record-breaking Atlantic voyage
Danny Jones
It doesn’t matter if you’re not an Athletic fan or native to the borough; we think everyone should go along to watch the much-anticipated documentary about football club owner Frank Rothwell and his record-breaking journey across the Atlantic Ocean: The Oldham Man And The Sea.
One of the simplest and most satisfying names for a film we’ve heard in a long time.
For anyone who doesn’t know about the Oldham Athletic FC chairman turned OBE’s incredible story, Frank Rothwell has set multiple records with his impressive sea-faring feats in recent times.
This new doc, which just premiered at this year’s Manchester Film Festival, charts his latest trip across one of the biggest bodies of water on the planet in March 2024.
As you can see from the recent trailer, it’s almost as arduous a tale as the original Hemingway story.
This movie – produced by Journeyman Pictures and Chief Productions – made its full debut at the Odeon in Great Northern Warehouse for MFF 2026, and is set to have a number of other screenings in and around Greater Manchester in the coming weeks and months.
One of those is happening rather soon, in fact, over at Saddleworth’s Millgate Arts Centre on Saturday, 28 March, which is ideal for those local to the region; grab your tickets now.
ln fact, there’s also one happening even closer to his hometown the following month, with Oldham’s very own Queen Elizabeth Hall also hosting a special screening of Rothwell’s incredible achievement.
You can reserve your seats for that one right HERE.
Having not only become the eldest (70) Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge finisher back in 2021, but now holding the Guinness World Record for the oldest person to ever complete the crossing while rowing solo at 73 years old, he’s become nothing short of a local hero – and that’s just his stewardship of the Latics…
The film does, obviously, touch on his time at the helm of the League Two side, who finally returned to the EFL last June, but the heart and soul of this inspiring watch is the sail itself.
More importantly, it also documents not just the gruelling nature of the 64-day, seven-hour and 53-minute trek, but also how Frank has now helped raise more than £1.4 million on behalf of Alzheimer’s Research UK.
What an absolute icon.
Hopefully, this should be just about all the reason you need to watch The Oldham Man And The Sea the very next opportunity you get to do so – and, of course, all proceeds from ticket sales will also be going to charity, because just the kind of bloke he is.
And here’s hoping we get a streaming version sometime soon.
MOBOs 2026 in Manchester – all the award winners and iconic performances
Thomas Melia
Manchester had its second major music award show visit of the year courtesy of the MOBOs, and here’s all the awards, winners and iconic performances from the night.
We knew 0161 was known for its impact on the music industry, but it’s recently become a place for music celebration on multiple occasions with the BRITs and, most recently, with the MOBOs.
As expected, this was a night full of A-listers, rising stars and incredible music makers, who all united for an award show dedicated to celebrating one aspect of the industry in particular – Music of Black Origin.
Created by Kanya King back in 1996, Manchester had the pleasure of hosting the MOBOs as the award show celebrated its 30-year anniversary right here at the 23,500 seater Co-op Live.
MOBOs 2026 – all the highlights from the night
Get ready to find out everything that happened during the MOBO Awards 2026, including the awards, winners and iconic performances.
All the awards and winners from MOBOs 2026 in Manchester
MOBO Global Songwriter Award – Pharrell Williams
MOBO Lifetime Achievement Award – Slick Rick
Album of the Year – The Art of Loving by Olivia Dean
Song of the Year – Olivia Dean, ‘Man I Need’
Best Male act – Jim Legxacy
Best Female act – Olivia Dean
Best Newcomer – DC3
Video of the Year – Raye, ‘Where Is My Husband!’
Best R&B/ Soul Act – Flo
Best Alternative Music Act – Nova Twins
Best Grime Act – Chip
Best Hip-Hop act – Central Cee
Best Drill Act – Twin S
Best International Act – Ayra Starr
Best African Music Act – Wizkid
Best Caribbean Music Act – Vybz Kartel
Best Jazz Act – Ezra Collective
Best Electronic/ Dance Act – Sherelle
Best Gospel Act – DC3
Best Media Personality – Niko Omilana
Best Performance in a TV Show/Film – Stephen Graham, Adolescence
Best Producer – P2J
Pharrell Williams receiving his ‘MOBO Global Songwriter Award’ and Flo accepting the ‘Best R&B/ Soul Act’ / Credit: The Manc Group
Who performed at the MOBOs 2026 in Manchester at Co-op Live?
Flo opened the show with their iconic silhouettes, just like on their Access All Areas Tour, which we had the privilege of witnessing live at Manchester Academy last Autumn.
If you’re worried you’ve lost a backstage pass to all things Flo, think again. Their latest single continues the unrestricted theme with its aptly-fitting title ‘Leak It’, and they set standards high.
A variety of grime acts dominated the stage as curated by DJ Target with Chip, D Double E, Wiley, Nolay and Scorcher with staple hits like ‘Legend’, ‘Street Fighter Riddim’ and ‘Wot U Call It?’
Slick Rick treated Co-op Live and the MOBOs audience to a medley of hits like’Children’s Story’ and ‘Landlord’ while bringing out the wonderful Estelle to sing ‘Mona Lisa’ alongside the respected rapper.
Flo opened the show with a live debut of new single ‘Leak It’ / Credit: MOBO Organisation (supplied)
Folk-pop star Miles Smith had the crowd in the palm of his hand as they all sang ‘Stargazing’ in unison, almost as though it was their own performance. This singer-songwriter returns to Manchester and Co-op Live this winter.
When Tiwa Savage walked onto the stage, this Manchester indoor venue knew they were in the presence of royalty, the Queen of Afrobeats to be exact. She performed ‘You 4 Me’ and dropped a preview of her new hit ‘Energy’.
The multi-MOBO winner Olivia Dean showed off her vocal prowess with an exclusive live performance of ‘A Couple Minutes’ accompanied by a beautiful orchestra arrangement.
Ms Dean blew our minds with her ‘Man I Need’ performance at the BRITs just last month, and she can’t keep away from Manchester, returning to Co-op Live next month for ‘The Art of Loving Tour‘.
Credit: MOBO Organisation (supplied)
Moston’s own Aitch had the crowd going crazy with his The Stone Roses-sampling track ‘1989’ and one of his biggest hits to date, and Ashanti-sampling record ‘Baby’.
Dancehall diva Shenseea closed the night with not one but four of her cathartic bangers like ‘Hit & Run’, the empowering ‘Shenyeng Anthem’, UK Top 20 single ‘Shake It To The Max (Remix)’ and newest effort ‘Talk To Me Nuh’.
Which stars attended the MOBOs red carpet in Manchester?
Manchester is the music capital of the North, so it makes a lot of sense that some of music’s biggest names decided to pop over to this city for a visit.
Alongside all the nominees and performers, there was a whole host of acts in attendance from the music, film, TV and social media industries.
Everyone from former Little Mix member turned independent artist Leigh-Anne and Bemi Orojuogun, more widely recognised by her digital moniker ‘Bus Aunty’, strutted their stuff on the MOBOs red carpet.
Audio North had the incredible opportunity of chatting with a whole host of talented artists and creatives straight from the red carpet, including shaking hands with legendary multi-hyphenate Nile Rodgers.
This was a truly beautiful night which celebrated the contributions and impact made within the music industry across the past 12 months and beyond, soundtracked by some class live performances.
Daisy Jackson -
4th January 2023 
