Local comedy legend Jason Manford has just added a tonne of new tour dates to his 2025 UK tour, and when we say a TONNE, we mean a big metric mega-tonne of them.
To be honest, there are so many he might as well be doing a whole extra tour and a half.
Jason already had plenty of gigs scheduled all throughout the year but now the Salford-born comic, presenter and all-round performer will be pretty much doubling his work rate and then some with an additional 89 new dates – 89!
Better yet, a good old chunk of them are in and around Greater Manchester, so if you’re mad for Manford, we’re going to go out on a limb and say you will absolutely be able to grab yourself a ticket.
Jason, 43, will be bringing his ‘A Manford All Seasons’ tour to a laundry list of new locations up and down the country.
ADVERTISEMENT
Having already booked in a whopping 88 dates before deciding to hit copy and paste, this takes his total 2025 UK tour dates to a staggering 176 tour dates. Unreal.
Wouldn’t expect anything less than from a Northern lad putting the graft in, though, would you?
ADVERTISEMENT
The now Stockport-based showman’s latest comedy offering has had a warm reception from fans and critics, with The Guardian hailing it as “expert observational comedy” and the Daily Telegraph applauding his “laid-back charm and sharp turn of phrase you can’t manufacture”.
Manford has had standing ovations most nights and as for the Manc funny man himself, Jason said: “I’m absolutely blown away by the response to this tour so far. I love touring and bringing some chuckles in these difficult times and so adding these dates means I can see even more of you all over the country.”
Having amassed a following through various projects on stage and screen, be it stand-up, acting, presenting, panel shows and even singing, he’s not only a household name but a pretty family-friendly one at that – a bonus that can go a long way with audiences.
ADVERTISEMENT
I’m so pleased the ‘£15 for a single seat’ promotion is working! Come by yourself and have a chuckle https://t.co/BDy3xczF5T
Adding dates at the Stockport Plaza, Middleton Arena, The Albert Halls in Bolton; The Storyhouse in Chester, Parr Hall in Warrington, The Opera House in Buxton (let me catch my breath) and literally dozens more reaching far beyond the North West, he’s going to a busy man next year.
Oh, and there’s a big Co-op Live Arena gig thrown in there on 24 October 2025 too.
Put it this way, if you live in a place, he’s most likely coming somewhere near your direction.
Tickets go on sale this Friday, 29 November at 10am. You can get ready to grab yours HERE.
Mancs willing to give rescue dogs a forever home needed for new Channel 4 series
Emily Sergeant
Could you give a rescue dog a second chance in life? Now’s your opportunity.
In just the past couple of weeks alone, TV casting directors have been looking for open-minded single Mancs to take part in the next series of Love Is Blind UK, and Mancs keen to test their music knowledge with the chance to win a whopping £10,000 cash prize… but now, it’s time for dog-lovers to step forward.
The next series of hit Channel 4 show The Dog House is currently in the works, and producers are on the lookout for people willing to give rescue dogs a forever home.
Channel 4 is looking for Mancs willing to give rescue dogs a forever home / Credit: Channel 4
Since first hitting our screens back in 2019, the award-winning series – which is currently in partnership with Woodgreen Pets Charity – has captured the hearts of viewers across the UK, sharing emotional stories of rescue dogs and the people hoping to give them a forever home.
Viewers get to watch incredible journeys of rescue dogs finding their perfect match.
But the show demonstrates that it’s not just the dogs who are being rescued, however, as many of their new owners also find their lives transformed in the process.
Casting for the next series of smash-hit TV series The Dog House is currently underway / Credit
“Once again, we’ll be following the expert team of dog-matchers, meeting this year’s rescue dogs, and of course, getting to the know the amazing people who are looking to offer them a lifelong home,” a casting call for the next series of The Dog House reads.
“We’d love to reach dog lovers in Manchester who may be considering welcoming a rescue dog into their lives.”
Does this sound like you? Channel 4 is keen to hear the reasons why you may be looking for a new canine companion, so anyone who fancies applying for the show is asked to fill out an application form online.
Stephen Graham sheds light on the ‘possibility’ of a second season of Adolescence
Danny Jones
Pretty much everyone has been getting through the incredible yet harrowing experience of watching Adolescence on Netflix this month, and though it may have seemed unlikely at first, series star Stephen Graham recently discussed the possibility of a second season.
For those who aren’t aware, it was never expected that the four-part limited series surrounding a young boy accused of a violent crime would be the global phenomenon it has been, nor was it hoping to secure a deal for another season: the whole point of the show was to tell a powerful but self-contained story.
However, with it becoming the most-watched thing on the platform in just four days – not to mention notching all manner of streaming records – it’s no surprise that the suggestion of capitalising on its smash hit success has come up.
Many feel the kind of narrative it tells is so important that the idea should at least be explored.
“You throw the stone into a pond and this ripple effect has been huge… But we never meant it to have this impact, we just wanted to tell a truthful and honest story.” Co-writer and actor Stephen Graham reflects on his powerful new Netflix series Adolescence, which explores… pic.twitter.com/aO3JKNYH16
Speaking in a recent interview with Variety, co-creator and lead Graham sat down with his wife Hannah Walters, who also helped write and produce the show, to discuss the reaction
When asked quite simply if any discussions have been had about an Adolescence season two, while it sounds like there’s nothing official yet, he didn’t dismiss the concept outright.
“Possibly, let’s see how the figures are, but yeah, there’s the possibility of developing another story”, says the 51-year-old from Kirkby.
It might not be much to go as yet; however, just knowing that there’s room to tell another chapter is good enough – especially given the “smirk” the 51-year-old is said to have responded with during his answer.
Many fans thought the chances of a second series had been dashed early doors after fellow co-creator Jack Thorne recently went on This Morning and dismissed the potential pretty much altogether.
In his words: “I don’t think we’re the right people to tell Katie’s story […] I think there are other makers out there that could tell beautiful dramas about Katie or girls like Katie [the victim in the show], and that those shows should be made.”
That being said, just because he doesn’t sound like he’d be involved will an Adolescence sequel, it doesn’t mean Graham might not be.
The impact of the show, especially here in the UK, cannot be overstated and not just because of the cross-generational viewing figures.
Fellow Adolescence actor Jo Hartley, who was born down the road in Oldham, joined countless celebrities in waxing lyrical over the importance of the show following what she called an “overwhelming” reaction in just the first few days.
In fact, the shockwaves it sent across Britain and beyond have been so strong that the writers have even been invited to Parliament to discuss the series’ themes and how to help tackle them better.
Danny Jones -
26th November 2024 
