Coronation Street is workingwith a local charity to create a hate crime storyline based on a horrific real-life murder.
The ITV soap is collaborating with the Sophie Lancaster Foundation – which was set up in memory of a young girl who was murdered for ‘dressing like a goth’.
Sophie and her boyfriend Robert Maltby were attacked by a gang of teenage boys whilst walking through Stubbylee Park in Bacup in 2007.
Robert was left in a coma as a result of the attack. Sophie never recovered and died from her injuries 13 days later.
Working with members of the Sophie Lancaster Foundation, Coronation Street’s upcoming story will explore the “issue of intolerance and hatred towards people from different cultures and subcultures”.
Series producer Iain MacLeod said: “The issue of intolerance and hatred towards people from different cultures and subcultures is arguably more relevant now than it’s ever been.
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“This incredibly hard-hitting storyline, which centres on a senseless act of violence, will draw in characters from all corners of our narrative universe and will, we hope, leave the audience with a clear message – everyone, regardless of how they look, how they dress or any aspect of how they live their life, should be treated with tolerance and respect.
“The story will run across the rest of the year and beyond, with many twists and turns, and will be heartbreaking and dramatic in equal measure.
“In the end, the story will see an optimistic outcome emerge from the traumatic attack.”
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EXCLUSIVE: Coronation Street is set to tackle the issue of hate crime when Nina and Seb are subjected to an unprovoked violent attack because of her alternative identity.
Sophie’s mother Sylvia – who set up the organisation – said: “I know first-hand the abuse, harassment and violence that alternative people suffer.
“Hate crime is usually directed at already stigmatised and minority groups and Sophie was assaulted three times before that final, sustained and brutal attack that took her life – but she never reported the earlier assaults.
“Coronation Street covering this issue means such a huge amount to me. We want alternative people to know that they shouldn’t be putting up with this prejudice and intolerance, and they should report it.
“We want the wider community to really appreciate the horror of this violence and understand that difference in itself, is not frightening, it just makes us all who we are.
“We will also use this platform to continue raising awareness of Sophie’s case with the police and judiciary to make sure that hate crime against alternative people is recognised and treated with the degree of severity that it deserves.”
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The episodes – which will centre around characters Nina and Seb – will air in May on ITV.
Featured image: ITV
TV & Showbiz
Jane McDonald announces huge new arena tour, with gig in Manchester
Daisy Jackson
National treasure Jane McDonald has just announced a brand-new arena tour, including a show here in Manchester.
The singing sensation has shared details of a new UK tour and album for 2026, with the Living The Dream tour hitting 19 stages.
Jane McDonald, star of stage and screen, will be performing at the AO Arena in Manchester next September, following the release of her new album in the spring.
Living The Dream is her 11th studio album, and boasts nine original songs plus four re-workings of country classics.
Jane has been a British icon ever since she appeared in the BBC docusoap The Cruise back in 1998.
Since then she’s sold out some of the world’s most iconic venues, including the Royal Albert Hall and the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
As well as her singing and stage career, she’s known for her TV work including the BAFTA Award-winning Channel 5 series Cruising with Jane McDonald, Celebrity Gogglebox with best friend Sue Ravey on Celebrity Gogglebox, and her starring position on Loose Women.
She’s also recently launched her sold-out cruise charter, Cruise with Jane McDonald, with a seven-night round-trip for 1,400 fans planned for next October.
Before heading out on tour, TV audiences will also see Jane undertaking an ocean expedition for Jane McDonald: From Pole to Pole, where she’ll be travelling from the Antarctic to the Arctic.
In May 2026 Jane will headline the main stage at Mighty Hoopla festival in London in her first ever festival headline appearance.
Making the announcement, Jane said: “It’s true, I am officially Living The Dream so what better way to celebrate that than with a new album and a new tour.
“I love Country music and I love partying with you so I want to bring that together by bringing you some exciting new music along with the songs you know and love.
“We had brilliant fun on the last tour and we’re stepping it up a notch this time to visit even bigger venues so buckle up and let’s make even more memories together.”
Jane McDonald will play the AO Arena in Manchester on Thursday 10 September.
Tickets will go on sale at 10am on Friday 28 November HERE, but you can pre-order Jane’s album HERE for access to the pre-sale.
Bongo’s Bingo is hosting a series of special ‘Christmas Cracker’ and New Year’s shows
Danny Jones
Britain’s beloved Bongo’s Bingo is hosting a series of massive end-of-season specials to ring in the new year, announcing a number of their famous ‘Christmas Cracker’ and festive parties.
They’re also holding a ‘Big Fat Bingo of the Year’ (we don’t see any trademark issues whatsoever…), including one for NYE.
As one of the best nights out, not just in the North but in the country, they’re hoping to send you into 2026 singing, dancing, laughing, and hopefully with some lasting memories and maybe a prize or two.
Confirming the latest raft of shows starting this month, you can expect all the usual Bongo’s madness and more, plus all the bells and whistles, as well as plenty of tinsel and holiday cheer.
We’d love a new hoover for Christmas, to be fair. (Credit: Press shot)
Returning to Albert Hall as it regularly does throughout the rest of the calendar, Bongo’s Bingo is promising to give Manchester a Christmas and New Year’s period they’ll never forget.
As they put it, the hosts will be “transporting everyone back to the time when coloured tree lights and flammable tinsel ruled supreme, because the halcyon days of turkey with all the trimmings, mini bottles of Babycham and not a naughty elf in sight are BACK big time at Bongo’s Bingo.”
Bloomin’ ‘eck, they don’t half know how to get a crowd fired up even before they’re in the room, do they?
Set to deliver all the best festive tunes, “dodgy Santa Clauses” – their words, not ours – as well as plenty of foil hats fresh from the Christmas cracker, they’ll be partying with us Mancs multiple times throughout December, not to mention a bonus show at the end of November as we fully swap autumn for winter.
As for the ‘Twixmas’/’Christmas gooch’ period (again, not our words…), the format will then switch to the Big Fat Bingo of the Year, with quiz elements featuring all the biggest memes, tunes and cultural moments of 2025.
You can see the full list of Bongo’s Bingo festive dates for 2025 down below:
Bongo’s Bingo Christmas Cracker and Big Fat Bingo of the Year dates
Christmas Cracker
November – Fri, 28
December – Sat 6 Dec (day and night), Sat 20 Dec, Sun 21 (day), Mon 22 and Tues 23
Big Fat Bingo Of The Year
Sat, 27 Dec (day and night), Sun 28 (day) and NYE 2025
If you’re interested in booking onto Bongo’s Bingo this Christmas and/or New Year’s, you can find out more information and grab your tickets right HERE.
The Manc -
26th April 2021 
