Iconic North-West sitcom Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps is all set for a comeback, the show’s creator has confirmed.
Susan Nickson – who penned the original BBC comedy series – revealed that she is planning to reboot the show after more than a decade off screens.
Two of the series’ main stars – Will Mellor and Ralf Little – are apparently on board for the new series, with discussions currently being held with the BBC.
Susan Nickson told the Drama School Dropout podcast: “We are talking to the BBC.
Two Pints original cast // BBC
“They are a corporation and in a corporation there are many cogs and those cogs move extremely slowly.
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“So basically what you’ve got, it’s me, Will, Ralf and all three of us are just going, ‘Yeah, we’re here, we’ll do it,’ and the BBC are going, ‘Ah brilliant, yeah let’s do it,’ and I’m sort of sat here going, ‘Ok, when?’ and they go, ‘Well, we don’t know.’”
Two Pints, which ran for nine series from 2001 until 2011, had Little, Mellor, Natalie Casey, Sheridan Smith and Kathryn Drysdale in its original lineup, with Luke Gell also becoming a main cast member in 2008.
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Nickson said she was unsure whether Sheridan, Casey, Drysdale or Gell would return just yet, but did confirm that the reboot of Two Pints may include themes such as toxic masculinity.
“I would like to pick up the story with two ageing working-class geezers in a pub combating the terrible things that we say about men at the moment,” Nickson stated.
“Some men might not understand that the bad guys exist. I want to see the comforting story of people like Gaz and Jonny, who live in a world where bad guys don’t exist.
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“I want them to acknowledge the bad guys are out there though, but I don’t want Gaz and Jonny to be them.”
All 80 episodes of Two Pints are currently available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
TV & Showbiz
I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! lineup confirmed, with Wayne Rooney heading to the jungle
Daisy Jackson
The lineup of stars heading into the I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! jungle have been revealed – and Wayne Rooney is one of the famous faces heading into camp.
11 celebrities will spend the next weeks living in the Australian jungle, as the hit ITV reality show returns for its 26th series.
Ant and Dec will be hosting an impressive cast of stars as they survive Bushtucker trials, the public vote, and the dunny.
This year’s star-studded lineup includes none other than former Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney, just a couple of years after his wife Coleen finished as runner-up.
Joining him around the campfire this year will be Kaiser Chiefs frontman Ricky Wilson, Gavin & Stacey star Joanna Page, and reality star Chloe Burrows, plus Ade Adepitan, who will make history as the show’s first wheelchair user.
Here’s who will be swapping their everyday lives for jungle camp.
Wayne Rooney – Footballer
The former Manchester United and Everton star, who retired from playing in 2021, said he has finally found the time to take part in his favourite reality show. His wife Coleen appeared in the jungle in 2024 and Wayne said he’s ‘just looking forward to experiencing it in my own way’.
He also added that jumping out of a helicopter is a big fear, and he doesn’t like snakes, but he will ‘try everything’ if an eating Bushtucker trial comes up.
Ricky Wilson – Kaiser Chiefs singer
The Leeds-born frontman and former The Voice coach said friends, including former contestant Tony Blackburn, encouraged him to sign up, and added that he’s looking forward to camp life and a break from touring.
Joanna Page – Actor
Best known as Stacey Shipman in Gavin & Stacey, Joanna hopes the experience will give her three weeks away from motherhood and a chance to rediscover herself. She admits spiders are a major fear and has spent the last few weeks watching them on TV to try and ready herself.
Chloe Burrows – Reality TV star
The Love Island 2021 finalist and podcast host is a huge fan of the programme. She is looking forward to making friends, facing creepy crawlies and enjoying a digital detox, adding that she’ll enjoy ‘no dating, no bikinis – just massive rats, spiders, and snakes’.
The former wheelchair basketball Paralympian will make history as the show’s first wheelchair user (producers are adapting the camp to ensure accessibility). Ade said that going on I’m A Celebrity… is ‘the sort of thing you dream about as a kid’.
Sharky – Content creator
The Beta Squad YouTube star, whose group has 12.1 million subscribers, is excited about taking on the trials and spending time away from his phone. He should be good value when it comes to any eating challenges, saying: “Whenever I do eating challenges on YouTube, I am always throwing up or gagging. There’s a whole compilation of me throwing up on YouTube.”
AJ Odudu – TV presenter
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The Big Brother presenter is swapping hosting duties for the contestant experience, describing the jungle as her scariest television challenge yet. She added: “It also feels quite weird the tables have turned on me.”
Jack Skipper – Comedian
The stand-up comedian, formerly a carpet fitter, is excited to meet his fellow campmates and tackle the eating trials. He said: “I am never going to have another opportunity to eat testicles, so let’s do it. I’ve also jumped out of a plane before and that was a great experience.”
Leomie Anderson – Model
The Victoria’s Secret model wants to challenge perceptions and show young women they can take risks and embrace new experiences. Leomie said: “I definitely want them to know they can get stuck in, they can get dirty, try new things, take risks and truly be themselves.”
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Claire Sweeney – Actor
The former Coronation Street and Brookside star is a longtime fan (she’s dreamed of being a campmate ever since the show started) and is looking forward to meeting people outside her theatre world. As for the eating trials, she revealed: “My dad was a butcher and he used to bring all sorts of things home. I am used to trying things.”
Mariella Frostrup – Broadcaster
The journalist and Loose Women star hopes to prove age should never stop anyone embracing new challenges. She’s most worried about how much she’ll miss her family.
I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! returns Monday 16 November at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
‘Surreal’ moment Stevie Wonder dines at Stalybridge restaurant after enormous Manchester gig
Daisy Jackson
Stevie Wonder has stunned a local restaurant in Stalybridge after he popped in for dinner after his massive Manchester show.
The soul icon had performed a huge gig at Co-op Live on Sunday night, performing hits from his illustrious, decades-long career.
And while you might expect someone of Stevie’s fame and stature to dine at one of the city centre’s many Michelin-recommended restaurants, the star instead headed straight for the suburbs.
He was spotted dining at Cafe Continental, an independent restaurant that’s become one of the Greater Manchester’s most-hyped neighbourhood haunts since it launched two years ago.
The stylish spot is famed for its European-style restaurant and cafe culture, aiming to recreate the atmosphere of the sort of place you’d stumble upon down a back street in Rome or Paris.
On the menu they’ve got a rotation of small plates, open-fire dishes, pastas and burgers, along with their divine Parisian hot chocolate, served with a bowl of whipped cream on the side.
Cafe Continental has had a good track record for pulling in local famous faces, but arguably nothing comes close to Stevie Wonder himself.
Inside Cafe Continental in Stalybridge. Credit: The Manc GroupSoup and focaccia at Cafe Continental. Credit: The Manc Group
The night before Stevie’s visit, they’d served his band and daughter – and clearly word got back to Stevie fast, because he returned the next night to test it out for himself.
Cafe Continental posted: “Surreal things happen now and again. This is one of them! Pleasure to welcome Mr Stevie Wonder to the restaurant to close off his tour!”
And according to the MEN, Stevie left a whopping £1,000 tip for the staff.
Not only did Stevie Wonder support a local hospitality business, but he also arrived dressed in Drama Call, a Manchester-based sportswear brand.
The Manc -
19th July 2021 
