TV & Showbiz

One Day star Leo Woodall says ‘soft Mancunian’ is the most attractive accent

Sometimes we write serious stuff, other times we just nerd out over people from our favourite shows.

Danny Jones Danny Jones - 27th February 2024

If you haven’t watched the recent adaptation of One Day on Netflix, first of all: congrats on not being emotionally tormented like the rest of us and, secondly, leading man Leo Woodall might have just given you an extra little incentive by declaring Mancunian as the most attractive accent.

‘Soft’ Manc, to be specific. We’re not exactly what that sounds like or where about in Greater Manchester he’s referring to it, but we’ll get into all that later.

The much-adored piece of contemporary romance was previously made into a film back in 2011 but a whole new generation of viewers are now stumbling across the love story thanks to the 14-part Netflix series which was released this February.

Don’t worry, we won’t go into too much detail on the plot as there’s no way we’re spoiling this for you but, as it turns out, actor Leo Woodall — who plays the heart-throb everyone loves to hate, Dexter Mayhew, in the show — told journalist Olivia Marks in a recent interview with that he loves Manc accents.

@olivialilymarks Let’s go Mancunians #manchester #leeds #irish #oneday #onedaynetflix #interview #leowoodall #ambikamod #actor #actress #accent ♬ original sound – Liv Marks | Celeb Interviewer

As you can see in the short clip, taken from Marks’ chat with Woodall and co-star Ambika Mod, who plays female lead Emma Morley, after receiving some praise for voice in the show, the pair are then asked what accents they find most attractive in real life after Timmy Chalamet went viral for his answer.

While Mod, who delivers a virtually flawless Leeds accent, admits she’s a sucker for an Irish accent (aren’t we all?), ‘Dex’ himself says that “a soft Mancunian [accent] is great” — yet another reason to jump on the bandwagon and watch One Day, this guy clearly knows his stuff.

Jumping at the chance to let the 27-year-old actor that she’ll “take that” as she is also a Mancunian, though she did admit she may have “lost it a bit because [she’s] been in London for so long”.

Again, similar to Leo’s very specific answer, we’re not exactly sure whereabouts in the region Olivia is from, but come back up North whenever you’re ready, mate — we’ll get the kettle on.

leo woodall dexter one day loves the manc accent
Credit: Netflix

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So yeah, do ignore our blushing but you heard it here first, a very undeniably good-looking bloke off the telly said that we have the most attractive accent and he should know a thing or two about that, just look at the state of the bugger.

Of course, he’s not the first person to state what we deem as a simple fact of human nature at this point; in fact, a survey of over 2,500 Brits carried out in 2023 officially voted us in the ‘sexiest accent in the UK’ and we’re taking that straight to the handsome bank with all the other pretty people.

Seriously though, you should all go and watch One Day on Netflix and not just because Dexter—sorry, Leo, said we sound nice. Just make sure to buy a big box of tissues and be ready to message all of your loved ones saying you need a hug.

As for the interview itself, you can watch ‘r Liv’s full chat with the cast of One Day down below:

Watch Leo Woodall show some love to us Mancunians and more.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Olivia Lily Marks (via TikTok)/Hits Radio (via YouTube)/Netflix

TV & Showbiz

Ruth Jones and James Corden are making a new Gavin and Stacey follow-up project

Danny Jones Danny Jones New Gavin and Stacey follow-up series

TV writing, directing and acting double act, Ruth Jones and James Corden, are teaming up once again for a follow-up show to UK comedy favourite, Gavin and Stacey.

After the success of last year’s one-off reunion, de facto third Christmas special and series finale – which was one of the biggest British telly events in some time – the two are getting back together to deliver their next project.

The aforementioned 2024 conclusion broke multiple records when it aired on BBC One, so it’s little surprise that there was plenty of interest in commissioning the next chapter, though it’s still unclear as to how connected to the Gavin and Stacey universe it will be.

Either way, you know there’ll be plenty of people grabbing a subscription to watch this one.

ruth jones james corden new show
Ruth Jones and James Corden in 2008, at the height of Gavin & Stacey‘s popularity. (Credit: Ben Salter via Flickr)

Amid Netflix, Amazon Prime and their long-time collaborators at the BBC all courting the new series, it is Apple TV that has picked up the latest script from Jones and Corden, as per the Radio Times.

Set right here at home, the duo will be keeping things domestic, as they are set to star alongside an all-British cast over the course of 10 episodes.

Having picked up the inaugural season for a reported £8 million, Apple’s streaming platform will no doubt be banking on a big hit.

It’s said that Corden’s existing relationship with the network was a key factor in sealing the deal, as they acquired the rights to the standalone Carpool Karaoke series format back in 2016.

Once again, details remain tight-lipped at the moment, and it’s unclear if any familiar faces (be they actors and/or their actual on-screen characters) will be returning besides Jones and Corden, but an insider told RT that fans can expect it to be “uplifting, gentle and very funny.”

The source goes on to add that, besides just appealing to folks on our side of the pond, by introducing a “new format and new characters, they wanted to let an international audience enjoy their work”, and hopefully, have moments like this:

It goes without saying that America is obviously a big target market, given the former Late Late Show host’s eight years spent in the States, but Apple TV’s global reach is a big plus for the pair.

Nevertheless, they are hoping to achieve a similar heartwarming feel and those ‘water cooler’ moments with the Gavin and Stacey follow-up, and we can’t wait to see what they come up with.

Already said to be hard at work writing the show, we don’t care if it’s a sequel or spin-off show per se, we just pray it’s as touching and funny as their magnum opus.

That ending was pretty perfect, wasn’t it? Well, by one little niggle we had…

Viewers find just ONE flaw with ‘perfect’ Gavin and Stacey finale

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Featured Images — BBC (screenshot)

TV & Showbiz

The story behind one of Noel Gallagher’s best bits of songwriting and greatest ever performances

Danny Jones Danny Jones The

Noel Gallagher is not only one of the greatest songwriters of a generation, but perhaps one of Britain’s best-ever; he’s certainly in the top five of all time from Greater Manchester, but did you know how the story behind how one of his best (you heard) songs, ‘Dead In The Water’ came to be?

Or rather, do you know how one little radio performance produced one of his best vocal performances to date? Keep reading…

In case you’ve never heard the haunting ‘Dead In The Water’, taken from Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds LP three, Who Built The Moon?, it is very much just that: an almost ghostly and preciously quiet, acoustic song that became a cult favourite on the LP and even more beloved live track.

But this tune was never even supposed to be on the album; the deep cut, which was only ever played live a few times during concerts prior to its being released to the world, was taken from a radio show on Irish station RTÉ 2FM – and Noel didn’t even know it was being recorded.

Played during 2015, and it barely even needed ‘mastering’ before being released in 2017.

As explained by RTÉ’s Damian Chennells, Noel was promoting the previous album, Chasing Yesterday (his sophomore HFB outing and just second solo album up to that point), and during the session in the studio, Damian decided to hit record on an otherwise behind-the-scenes moment.

You can actually hear him going back and forth with the sound engineer at the start of the track – one he’d only just finished writing the night before – before he actually starts playing and the rest, as they say, is history.

We love the notion that the piano player didn’t even know what he was doing until Noel started playing.

Taped and ultimately tracked thanks to a spur-of-the-moment decision made in 2FM Studio 8 at the national free-to-air network’s radio centre in Dublin, Oasis and High Flying Birds fans, as well as lovers of Noel and music in general, got one of the most beautiful stripped-back listening experiences imaginable.

Returning to Ireland some time later, and just four years prior to getting Oasis back together for the Live ’25 world tour show that is now well underway, he performed it once again for The Late Late Show, which goes out on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player.

Some might argue he sounds even better this time around, but just as he says in the interview above, there is something truly special and unfiltered about that first raw and ridiculously good live recording.

From 2015 to 2021, and even present day, the story behind the original ‘Dead in the Water’ recording is fascinating.

Many have even speculated that the chatter recorded at the start and played to crowds on just a handful of occasions may have even foreshadowed the eventual reunion, as it seems to feature discussion surrounding Liam

The radio tech himself said in the recent retrospective interview of his own, he felt in the moment that “this song is an Oasis B-side” and was the only one played on the day that could easily slip onto one of their records.

As for Who Built The Moon?, a.k.a. HFB3, the album never featured ever B-sides of its own; instead, it just had one extra bonus track right at the very end of the 48:46 run-time – ‘Dead in the Water (live at RTÉ 2FM Studios, Dublin)’.

So there you have it: one of Noel’s most emotional, in-the-zone/lost-in-the-moment vocal performances in history, and one that so many still rate right up there with his very bits of music, may never have been if it wasn’t for ‘Damo’. So thanks, mate, I guess…

Are there any other tracks like ‘Dead in the Water’ where you love the back-story almost as much as the song itself? Bonus points if they’re by Greater Manchester artists.

A new online series spotlighting Manc songwriting is set to debut this month
Speaking of songwriting, there’s still plenty of it coming out of Greater Manchester.

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Featured Images — Jose Francisco Del Valle Mojica (via Flickr) RTÉ One/Sour Mash Records

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