Stephen Graham has been awarded an OBE, and has dedicated it to all the kids who dream of a career in the arts but are told to “get a proper job”.
With an entertainment career spanning more than two decades, Stephen Graham has gone on to become one of the most celebrated and well-loved actors working in the British film and television industry today.
And now his talents have been recognised with one of the country’s most prestigious honours.
The Kirkby-born actor was made an Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2023 New Year Honours list for his services to drama, and was presented with the award by the Princess Royal during a ceremony at Buckingham Palace yesterday.
The 47-year-old took to social media after the ceremony to share a couple of pictures of him holding his OBE medal, while also making sure to dedicate the award to those he loved.
“For you mum… And to all those kids that are told to “get a proper job”, this is for you too,” he wrote in on both Twitter and Instagram.
Graham dedicated the honour to his mother, who he announced at the end of 2022 had passed away.
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As well as making sure to dedicate it to his late mother, he also took a moment to offer some words of encouragement to any children who are hoping to one day go into acting or have a career in the performing arts industry – adding that his OBE is also for “any kid that’s ever been told to ‘get a proper job’.”
Being from Merseyside, and getting his start in the Liverpool Everyman Youth Theatre at aged 14, before attending drama school at the Rose Bruford College of Theatre & Performance in London, it’s likely that Graham had that discouraging phrase said to him a couple of times.
Stephen Graham dedicates OBE to all the kids that are told to ‘get a proper job’ / Credit: Channel 4 | ITV
First appearing on screens back in 1990, Stephen Graham now has over 100 acting credits to his name.
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Leading and prominent roles in films such as This Is England, Gangs of New York, Snatch, and Pirates of the Caribbean, as well as TV series like Boardwalk Empire, Band of Brothers, Taboo, and Coronation Street helped make him a household name.
Some of Graham’s most recent acting credits include Yardie, Rocketman, Boiling Point, The Irishman, Peaky Blinders, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, and Matilda the Musical.
He has also been nominated for and scooped several acting awards throughout his career.
Graham’s leading role in Channel 4’s drama film, Help, alongside fellow Liverpudlian actor Jodie Comer saw him garner critical acclaim and win ‘Best Actor’ awards from several organisations.
Beloved Manc butty shop Bada Bing set for a sensational return to the city centre
Danny Jones
Sandwich lovers rejoice because one of the finest butty shops to ever grace Manchester is returning: that’s right, Bada Bing is bada-back!
The Sopranos-inspired deli and sandwich shop that took its name from one of the central locations featured in the iconic US drama (yes, the strip club), was a huge success when it first opened in Manchester a few short years ago, so it was a huge blow when it closed in February 2022.
Starting out by serving sandwiches out of a window at The B Lounge pub on Paton Street near Piccadilly, before moving to a small kitchen on Radium Street and eventually setting up their stall inside Ancoats General Store, they would regularly have lines around the block every lunchtime.
These Italian-American sarnies were so popular you’d often struggle to get your claws on one – and believe us, they really are a two-handed task – as they’d sell out on what felt like most days. But now, whether you were a regular or someone who missed out, there is hope once again:
Announcing their sensational return to a new site over in the Northern Quarter, which will now mark the fourth premises they’ve popped up at, Bada Bing is back with a bang and, as you can, they dropped the news with one of the best reveal videos we’ve ever seen.
If you know, you know…
Set to take over 125 Oldham Street, owners Sam Gormally and Meg Lingenfelter haven’t yet graced us with an opening date but the new unit should hopefully be open sooner rather than later.
The duo, who previously worked at fellow NQ favourite Another Heart to Feed, came up with the concept during lockdown and it didn’t take long for the idea to take off, nor for them to earn their spot amongst the very best sandwich places in Manchester.
Seriously, these things were so big and unwieldy (in the best way possible) that they even used to come with eating instructions: both hands and the trademark Tony Soprano hunch recommended, though the slightly stained wife-beater, boxer shorts and open dressing gown look is optional.
From slices of provolone cheese, all the thinly sliced Italian meats you could think of and the closest thing to actual ‘gabagool‘ as you’ll find in Greater Manchester, the menu was fitting of being served up to the iconic characters that once sat outside Satriale’s and a big approving grin from the man himself.
Simply put, we cannot wait and we will certainly keep you posted when we find out exactly when Bada Bing confirms their official reopening date.
Will Mellor’s new BBC documentary about real-life Post Office scandal victims airs tonight
Emily Sergeant
A new BBC documentary about real-life victims from the Post Office scandal fronted by Will Mellor is hitting TV screens tonight.
As the country finally starts to wake up to the full scale of the Post Office scandal – which involved the British postal service pursuing thousands of innocent subpostmasters for apparent financial shortfalls caused by faults in an accounting software system between 1999 and 2015 – actor Will Mellor is on a mission to find out what happened to the real-life sub-postmasters in this new BBC documentary.
The Stockport-born actor famously played the part of Lee Castleton in the ITV drama, Mr Bates vs the Post Office, and says he feels a “real affinity” will the families he spoke to for the programme.
For the new documentary and accompanying five-part BBC Sounds podcast series – which is titled Surviving the Post Office – Will actually speaks to Mr Castleton himself, as well as four other affected people and their families whose lives have been “torn apart”.
Will Mellor has fronted a new BBC documentary about real-life Post Office scandal victims / Credit: ITV
Surviving the Post Office ventures to all four corners of England, including East Yorkshire, County Durham, Lincolnshire, West Sussex, and Cornwall, as Will discovers that many of the sub-postmasters want to “take back control of their lives”.
According to the BBC, for some facing the past, that proves to be a “troubling experience”, while for others, it ends up being a “liberating” step forwards.
As well as exploring the financial losses for many, including the people featured in the documentary and podcast series, Will also gets to find out how they are coping with their emotions, trying to move on from the whole ordeal, and how the victims are finding support in unexpected ways.
📢 Actor Will Mellor meets the real-life victims of the Post Office scandal in a brand new documentary from BBC Local
Surviving The Post Office is coming to @BBCOne and @BBCiPlayer tonight at 8.30pm. The podcast series is on @BBCSounds now
“I feel a real affinity with these families, so it was a privilege to hear their stories for this documentary and podcast,” Will said ahead of the documentary airing on BBC One.
“What shocked me the most after meeting so many sub-postmasters is just how far the impact and trauma has spread – the effect it’s had on people’s health, their children, and their whole communities has been massive.”