TV & Showbiz

New crime doc explores events leading up to one of Manchester’s most prolific gangland killings

Killer Britain with Dermot Murnaghan explores British murder stories filled with detective intrigue and chilling storylines.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 1st June 2021

A new crime documentary exploring the chain of events leading up to one of Manchester’s most prolific gangland killings aired last night.

Audiences tuned into the first episode of Crime + Investigation’s Killer Britain with Dermot Murnaghan – which is hosted and curated by one of the UK’s best-known journalists, and explores British murder stories filled with detective intrigue and chilling storylines – as it focussed on the life and death of Paul Massey.

Paul Massey – the man who came to be best-known by the swaggering moniker ‘Mr Big’ – was raised in the rough-and-tumble surroundings of Ordsall in the sixties, moving from rapscallion to crime kingpin during the dawn of Madchester.

His blood-splattered story – which many Mancunians will remember culminated in his murder in 2015 – sounds like it was lifted from the pages of an airport paperback, and has proven a popular subject for crime media over the years.

This new documentary however attempts to examine the story in a light never seen before – and even features an “alternative theory”.

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Murder stories are told with archive footage and key interviews from those closest to the case / Credit: Crime + Investigation

In each episode of the new five-part series – which looks at crimes that shook local communities throughout Britain and gripped the nation until the killer was brought to justice – Dermot is joined by former Detective Chief Inspector of the Metropolitan Police, Clive Driscoll as he recounts a case he has reported on or followed at close quarters over the years.

The five murder stories are told with archive footage and key interviews from those closest to the case – including by family members of the victims and the investigating officers who were first at the scene.

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Last night’s Manchester-centred episode features interviews with Mr Massey’s partner, Louise Lydiate, and his daughter, Lydia Massey.

The five-part series will continue on Crime + Investigation each weeknight this week.

The devastating Cumbria shootings of June 2010, the callous murder of vulnerable young adult Phillip Nicholson in Boscombe, Dorset in 2015, and the dramatic twists and turns of the murder of Carol Jarvis in West Lothian in 2009 will also be featured in episodes this week.

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You can find more information about the series here, and catch-up via Sky TV On Demand / Sky Go and Virgin TV On Demand.

Featured Image – BBC

TV & Showbiz

The celebrities who could come to Manchester for the MTV EMAs this week

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson The MTV EMAs are in Manchester - here are the rumoured celebrities attending

The MTV EMAs will touch down in Manchester this week, bringing a mass of famous faces and celebrities to our city for a night celebrating the music industry.

The star-studded event will be taking place at the Co-op Live on Sunday 10 November, and also streamed and broadcast live.

Now in its 30th year, the MTV EMAs celebrates the biggest and best of the music industry across genres, with categories honouring the best music videos, collaborations, live shows and even fanbases.

This is the first time the global music celebration has ever been held in our city and it’s expected to attract some of the hottest names in the industry.

There’s a big chance, based off the nominees and already-announced performers, that we’ll have some of the world’s biggest A-listers staying in Manchester, booking up luxury hotel rooms and restaurants.

Host venue Co-op Live has sent the rumour mill into overdrive this week by sharing photos of famous faces who have previously attended the EMAs.

It posted photos of celebrities like Taylor Swift, Rihanna, Miley Cyrus, Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga, all of whom have graced the MTV EMAs stage either as performer or to receive an award over the years.

Not since last year’s surreal Chanel Metiers D’Art show, where the Northern Quarter was turned into a catwalk and Hugh Grant and Kristen Stewart popped up in town, have we been so excited about a potential event guest list.

We do know quite a few celebrities who will definitely be attending the MTV EMAs, including those who are performing, presenting or hosting at the glittering ceremony.

British R&B queen Raye, the iconic Pet Shop Boys, and backflipping crooner Benson Boone are all among those performing at the MTV EMAs in Manchester.

Also on the bill will be Shawn Mendes, Teddy Swims, Tyla, The Warning, Le Sserafim, and Peso Pluma.

Busta Rhymes is also set to receive the 2024 EMA Global Icon Award.

Taylor Swift could be among the celebrities at the MTV EMAs in Manchester
Taylor Swift could be among the celebrities at the MTV EMAs in Manchester
Credit: Instagram, @beyonce

Then there are the presenters, including the main awards host Rita Ora, plus awards presenters already announced like Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jodie Turner-Smith and Lucien Laviscount.

But then there are all the big names on the nominees list, who may appear in person or may just opt to send pre-recorded messages of acceptance.

Taylor Swift herself is leading the nominations for the MTV EMAs for a second year running, with seven nods, with other top contenders including Sabrina Carpenter, Billie Eilish, Charli XCX and Ariana Grande.

It’s a huge deal for Manchester to be the host city, especially with our very own Liam Gallagher going up agains rock icons like Bon Jovi, Coldplay, Green Day, Kings of Leon, Lenny Kravitz and The Killers in the Best Rock category.

Beyonce herself is nominated for a few, as is this summer’s music darling Chappell Roan, plus nods for Post Malone and Lady Gaga.

You can see the full list of nominees for the MTV EMAs – and thus the potential celebrities you could spot – HERE.

Who’s your money on?

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Featured image: The Manc Group

TV & Showbiz

Some of the very best memes about Gary Barlow’s ‘massive’ son

Danny Jones Danny Jones Best Gary Barlow's son memes

We don’t know why the internet does what it does sometimes, all we can tell you is that on occasions like this when seemingly the entire country is making jokes and some truly incredible memes about Gary Barlow’s ‘massive’ son, we’re just glad.

In case you’ve been living under a rock – or in his case, a planet – Gary Barlow has gone viral after sharing what clearly thought was an unassuming family picture on social media.

Well, to be more accurate, his son Daniel has gone viral due to the seemingly enormous height difference between him and his dad which, naturally, has become the funniest thing in about a decade by UK standards.

The British sense of humour is elite, we all know that, but when we tell you we’ve been literally streaming tears reacting to the endless flood of memes about Gary Barlow’s big son, we’re doing so through uncontrollable fits of laughter. Here are some of the very best we’ve come across:

Honestly, typing this out has been more of a challenge than anything I’ve ever written, mainly due to the convulsive and all-consuming chuckles.

We were today years old when we learned that there’s a word for the giggles, by the way: the technical term is ‘gelastic seizures’, so feel free to enjoy that bonus fact.

Anyway, back to the nonsense.

There’s a somewhat small comfort in knowing that while the online landscape is full of very negative things going on right now, it can still be an escape for simple-minded folks like us to laugh at a pretty tall kid from Cheshire.

For context, the 24-year-old Barlow child isn’t anywhere near as big as you’re probably thinking; as far as we can tell, it’s more a case of he’s just taller than his below-average height popstar dad.

According to our very intense research (that definitely didn’t take us less than a minute before we started scrolling through the memes again), Dan Barlow clocks in at around 6’2″ and Gary is roughly 5’7″.

Sorry to spoil the party and shatter the illusion. We can all just forget that bit and keep carrying on like Gary Barlow’s wife Dawn Andrews gave birth to a ‘giant’ if you like?

Oh, sod it – here’s a few more:

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Honestly, just go on Twitter (no, not X; this is peak old-school Twitter comedy at its best) and look on the ‘Gary Barlow’ trending feed and take a few minutes, or an hour, to p*ss yourself at the endless wave of ridiculous memes about a boy who is basically just a bit taller than his dad.

As for the Take That star himself, the 53-year-old is yet to comment on the whole situation, probably because it’s utterly ridiculous but still, crack a joke would’ya, Gaz?

Brits are the funniest people in the universe. FACT. We also hope it goes without saying that this is very tongue-in-cheek; there is no sizeism or offence intended here whatsoever and he can see the sunny side of this sheer silliness.

Daniel Barlow just happens to be taller than the man who wrote the absolute banger that is ‘Relight My Fire’, so they’re both winners if you ask us. Happy meming!

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

Featured Image — Gary Barlow (via Instagram)

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