Countless Brits tuning in to watch Coronation Street’s Boxing Day episode this festive season were left ‘in tears’ as they watched long-serving character Peter Barlow leave the show afterthe best part of two decades on the fictional Manc street.
For those not up to speed, Barlow, played by Chris Gascoyne, has had a rough few months in Weatherfield following the accidental death of Stephen Reid (Todd Boyce), struggling ever since and in desperate need of looking after — his wife Carla (Alison King) having taken on that job.
After spending an emotional Christmas Day together, Carla surprised him with a one-way ticket to Spain to join his friends on their trip around the world, a decision neither took lightly but agreed in the show’s closing moments was “the right thing to do”.
Saying goodbye to his friends and family for one last walk along the cobbles, Barlow’s final moments saw him embrace Carla before saying goodbye to his home and jumping on the tram to the airport to start the next chapter.
Peter Barlow cracks that wry smile that had been missing for so long as sets off on his journey.
There were homes all across the North and, indeed, the whole of the UK welling up as they sat down to watch Peter Barlow’s final moments, with many jumping on social media to pay tribute to the beloved Corrie character.
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Even prior to his departure on Boxing Day, one person wrote “How is it [his] last episode tomorrow?” along with numerous crying emojis, while another added, “23 years of Peter Barlow and I have absolutely no words right now”; almost every post revolved around tears in some fashion.
A third shared the following: “Goodbye Peter Barlow, you are by far the best character I have ever loved. It has been the honour of a lifetime watching your story and I’m so f***ing proud of you. Life won’t be the same without you, I’m going to love & miss u forever. Until we meet again but for now, be happy.”
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Safe to say the character, no matter how “perfectly flawed” as one viewer put it, meant a lot to so many people, so it was only right that Gascoyne gave them a special farewell himself.
Filmed on his penultimate day on the cobbles, Chris Gascoyne says farewell after 23 years of playing Peter Barlow with a heartwarming goodbye message 💚 #Corrie@ITV@WeAreSTVpic.twitter.com/6HUTHNMXyz
Speaking ahead of his final episode airing, the 55-year-old son of Ken and Valerie, not to mention brother of fellow fan favourite Tracy, admitted it was “emotional” reading that last script, adding that it was “not because I was leaving, but I genuinely, genuinely felt moved by it.”
He also explained how they didn’t rehearse the scene and never really do, stating that the raw feelings felt in the scene were captured in just one or two takes and that he believes “most people will have had exactly the same thing in their life, so they’ll identify with it.”
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The Nottinghamshire-born actor also went on to give fans some hope of a return by stating, “Of course, I’ve not ruled [a return] out, it’s been such a part of my life. I’ve grown up with so many people there but I need a rest and to look to do something different, I’m not getting any younger.
Gascoyne is currently enjoying a turn in a pantomime in St Albans and has only ever been out of the show for a total of four years (2003-2007) since he joined the cast back in 2000. That being said, having arrived on Coronation Street with nothing but a bag and now leaving with one, fans believe the door is wide open for a return.
Release date set for Oasis reunion tour documentary by Peaky Blinders creator
Danny Jones
If you had any doubt that the upcoming Oasis reunion shows weren’t going to be heavily documented, you’re an absolute fool. However, we’ll admit we weren’t expecting to hear the creator of Peaky Blinders‘ name connected to the tourthat’s soon set to be relived in theatres.
Yeah, as in the Brummies with the flat caps on the telly – them ones.
That’s right, the same man who brought Tommy Shelby and Birmingham’s most infamous gang to our screens has been overseeing the major documentary project, which will chronicle the return of the Gallagher brothers and put the best bits on film.
Better still, now we have a full release date and know where it will be shown, including information about its cinematic and streaming rollout.
The great wait is over.
An epic new documentary film from BAFTA and Oscar-nominated writer, producer and director Steven Knight, directed by Dylan Southern and Will Lovelace, will tell the story of the Oasis reunion the world was waiting for. Featuring unprecedented on stage and… pic.twitter.com/hgR2ERlz0n
That’s right, while there still isn’t a set title for the doc (we’re pretty sure it’s a very Ronseal kind of deal), we do know it’ll be coming not just to cinemas but even IMAX theatres.
Landing on 11 September 2026, just over a year on from when the boys got back on the road and gave us one of the greatest summers ever, it will launch on Hulu and Disney+ internationally.
With additional direction from Dylan Southern and Will Lovelace, the Steven Knight-produced project is arguably set to be just as big a cultural event as the Live 25′ themselves.
Knight, who was confirmed as the co-creator, writer and producer of the Oasis ‘Live ’25’ world tour documentary movie back in March, recently teased that the initial rough edit was around four hours long.
While we doubt it’ll remain so significant in length, who knows how it will compare to the likes of Supersonic or the Knebworth documentaries?
The brain behind Peaky Blinders is creating the second Oasis doc after 2016’s Supersonic. (Credit: Taylor Rooke/BBC/IMDb)
It’s worth noting to begin with that, besides the BBC’s blockbuster gangster series, which is soon to be followed up with the franchise’s first feature film on Netflix, Knight does have some background in music-related media.
The 65-year-old created the six-part BBC drama, This Town, which revolves around the rise of ska and the ‘two-tone’ revival movement in the Midlands during the 1970s; he also wrote the script for the 2024 opera biopic, Maria, starring Angelina Jolie.
Southern and Lovelace are also two of the names behind the LCD Soundsystem film, Shut Up And Play The Hits, which covers frontman James Murphy’s final gig as part of the band at Madison Square Garden in New York.
You can watch The Devil Wears Prada 2 for ‘FREE’ across Greater Manchester
Thomas Melia
Did you know you can watch The Devil Wears Prada 2 for free across Greater Manchester just by taking a quick trip to the shops?
If you’re eager to watch Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep), Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway) and the Runway Magazine crew on the big screen once again, you can do so for ‘FREE’ – well, basically…
After making its cinema premiere earlier this month, 20 years since the first film, The Devil Wears Prada 2 continues the story with more iconic quotes and a whole host of celebrity cameos.
One of these is pop phenomenon Lady Gaga, who also appears on the soundtrack for this stylish sequel alongside artists like Miley Cyrus, Doechii, and Brit acts Raye and Olivia Dean.
Just like real life, the story follows the real-life fashion news outlet and media brand, Runway Mag, undergoing some major changes.
For instance, they’re wrestling with scrapping print editions of their beloved publication and swapping this for online short-form content.
The sequel to this fashion-focused film also sees role reprisals from Stanley Tucci and Emily Blunt, with new additions from Lucy Liu, Kenneth Branagh and Justin Theroux.
Now, enough of us talking at “a glacial pace”, let’s get all of you fashion fans those free cinema tickets before they go out of style.
An all-new promotion courtesy of not one, but three notable names: The Devil Wears Prada 2, Diet Coke and Sainsbury’s.
The UK Supermarket chain is currently running a promotion during the film’s big-screen run, where if you purchase a 30-pack of Diet Coke, you can get free tickets to The Devil Wears Prada 2.
Simply purchase one of the big crates of Diet Coke between Wednesday, 29 April and Tuesday, 19 May, before snapping a picture of your receipt and uploading it online.
So it really is that simple, all you have to do is buy a 30 pack of Diet Coke and get a free cinema ticket for doing so – did somebody say girl maths?
For more info and to upload your receipt, visit the promotional website HERE.
There’s even an exclusive The Devil Wears Prada 2 X Diet Coke pop-up in Manchester city centre TODAY (Friday, 8 May) at Exchange Square from 12-8pm.
And they’re not just handing out a few Cokes; there’s even limited edition merchandise and more to get your hands on.
Danny Jones -
27th December 2023 
