Casting for the next series of the The Traitors is now open and underway, and Mancs are being asked to apply.
There’s absolutely no denying The Traitors is a cultural phenomenon at this point, is there?
While the first series of the smash-hit BBC reality competition show proved pretty popular when it premiered back in 2022, the second series – which started airing on BBC One and BBC iPlayer at the start of the new year, and finished up last Friday (26 January) – took things to a whole new level, and truly seemed to capture the attentions of the nation like no other.
Viewers tuned in in their millions to the three episodes each week, and consistently took to social media to share their thoughts and weigh-in on every little twist and turn.
So it really doesn’t take much to work out that those millions of enthusiastic fans will be extremely keen for the next series then, does it?
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BBC is currently casting for next series of The Traitors and wants Mancs to apply / Credit: BBC
Well luckily, the BBC has confirmed that series three of The Traitors is, in fact, happening and in the works as we speak – with the show’s producers, Studio Lambert, opening applications and actively-casting for the right participants.
A casting call on the BBC and Studio Lambert website reads: “The Traitors is back, and we’re looking for fun, smart, and strategic players to take part in the ultimate game.
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“The Traitors is a competition series built on strategy and suspicion. The aim for the ‘Traitors’ is to stay undetected until the end, and the aim for the ‘Faithfuls’ is to banish all of the Traitors before the game ends. Throughout the series, there will be twists, turns, shocks and surprises for the players.
“It’s game of trust and treachery… but do you have what it takes to play?”
Reckon you’ve got what it takes then? Fancy sticking an application in for series three of the show? Why wouldn’t you.
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To apply for series three of The Traitors, you just need to be over 18 years of age, a legal resident of the UK, and be available to take part in filming for the programme for up to four weeks – which is currently anticipated to be this spring or summer.
You have until Sunday 11 February to get your applications in, so you’ll need to be quick.
Channel 4 is looking for Mancs who think they can survive the apocalypse for a new TV series
Lydia Mastrolonardo
Have you always wanted to see how long you’d last in an apocalypse?
Well now’s your chance, as Apocalypse is potentially coming back to Channel 4 for a second series, with producers having put out a nationwide casting call for contestants willing to take part.
The casting call simply reads: “Do you think you have what it takes to survive the end of the world?”
Described as a dystopian series designed to test the creativity, resourcefulness, and resilience of our nation, Apocalypse sees players are pushed out of their comfort zones and put to the ultimate test.
In the series, ordinary people are tasked with surviving for 28 days in an abandoned city – used previously only for the military to practice urban warfare – with no food, running water, electricity or heat.
Produced by The Garden – which is part of ITV Studios – for Channel 4, the show’s creators are now calling on Mancs and people up and down the country with the ‘courage and ingenuity’ to compete, to get in touch and apply for the potential second series.
Does your mate always bang on after watching a post-apocalyptic film that they would’ve done things differently? Or is the news at the moment freaking you out and you want to give the end of the world a bit of a practice run? Either way, sign up, test that plan you’ve built in your head, and see if you’ve really got what it takes.
Applications are now open, and all you need to do is fill in a short application form and one of the production team will get back to you if they would like to proceed. Come on, let’s prove what Mancs are made of.
Iconic Manc movie 24 Hour Party People is set to return to cinemas for its anniversary
Emily Sergeant
One of Manchester’s most iconic movies is set to return to the big screen next month.
Remastered in 4K and returning to UK cinemas to mark 24 years since its original release, Michael Winterbottom’s 2002 biographical comedy drama film, 24 Hour Party People, tells the story of Manchester‘s popular music community from 1976 to 1992 – specifically about Factory Records‘ founder Tony Wilson.
The film begins with the punk rock era of the late 1970s, before moving through the 1980s into the rave and DJ culture, and of course, the ‘Madchester‘ scene of the late 1980s and early 1990s.
The narrative largely follows the career of Tony Wilson, played by Middleton-born actor Steve Coogan, while also covering the careers of the major Factory Records artists – especially Joy Division and New Order, as well as A Certain Ratio, The Durutti Column, and Happy Mondays.
If you haven’t seen 24 Hour Party People before, it’s a dramatisation based on a combination of real events, rumours, and urban legends, as the film is sure to make clear.
Coogan is joined by a cast by a mixture of big names and, at the time, rising stars like Paddy Considine, Shirley Henderson, Lennie James, John Simm, Ralf Little, Andy Serkis, Sean Harris, John Thomson, and even Peter Kay, alongside cameos from other figures connected to the Manchester music scene.
Before it returns to cinemas, the film will first open music and media festival/conference, Beyond The Music, at MediaCity in Salford on 6 October.
The screening at the festival will also be followed by a Q&A with Coogan, Winterbottom, and producer Andrew Eaton.
24 Hour Party People will then be re-released in UK cinemas from 9 October, and you can check your local cinema for screening times and book tickets online now.
Emily Sergeant -
31st January 2024 
