The sad news of comedian Sean Lock’s passing was announced earlier today and social media has been filled with heartbreaking tributes.
The 8 Out Of 10 Cats legend lost his battle with cancer aged 58 and the news sent shockwaves across the UK with most people blindsided by the news due to Sean’s private nature keeping it from the public eye in recent years.
Dozens of comedians who have worked with Sean, who would regularly visit Manchester to film 8 Out Of 10 Cats and Cats Does Countdown, have come online today to share their memories of him with fans, including close friends Jon Richardson and Bill Bailey.
Manchester comedian Jason Manford, who worked closely with Sean on the original series of 8 Out Of 10 Cats, even shared his last text to his former co-captain, in a tweet that read: “I texted him a couple of weeks ago and I’m now so glad I did.
“If you’ve a friend who’ve you not spoken to for a while, drop them a message and check in. It could be the last time. RIP Sean.”
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The text reads: “Hi Sean, hope you and your family are doing okay. Did Countdown last week and missed having you there. I often think back to my days on Cats with you and how much I appreciated working with you, the buzz I’d get on the rare occasions something I said would make you laugh!”
Sean, left, with Jimmy Carr and Jason Manford on the set of 8 Out Of 10 Cats // ITV
“Anyway, just wanted to check in and wish you and your family all the best. Lots of love and hopefully see you soon. Jason.”
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Jason isn’t the only celebrity who has come out on social media today to pay their respects, in fact, most of the comedy scene and TV personalities on the social media platform have had their say on his passing, showing just how loved and respected he was amongst his peers.
Brutal news about Sean Lock today. I loved him. I’m watching clips of him right now – laughing & crying. I’ll miss him so much.
I idolised Sean as a comic long before I became a comedian myself and ten years working alongside him didn’t diminish that in the least. An incredible comic brain and a truly unique voice. pic.twitter.com/4ZH8HRQrIU
This👇🎙 The silhouette striptease. 🕺🏼 A “challenging wank” 🧔🏼♀️ Nazi Island 🏝 And so much more that’s had us crying with laughter. Devastating news today. A huge loss to comedy. Thoughts with Sean’s wife, kids and nearest and dearest. He will be missed by so many. 💔 https://t.co/0BIBrYmQMA
Sean has left a huge hole in British comedy and will be missed a great deal.
UK News
Oasis address Glastonbury headline rumours – but heavily hint at something much bigger
Danny Jones
Oasis have come out to address the widespread rumour that they will be headlining Glastonbury 2025, playing down the speculation and instead hinting at something much bigger.
The world’s heartbeat has barely even settled since the Gallagher brothers confirmed they will finally be getting back together for a series of reunion shows next summer, but they have continued to get pulses raising with each and every social media update.
For instance, their most recent post is arguably much more momentous than playing the globally renowned music festival.
While the official Oasis account did dismiss talk of them being the Glastonbury headliners for 2025 rumours, they did seem to casually announce a world tour instead. As you do…
As you can see, the words are there in black and white (quite literally): “Oasis Live ’25 World Tour”.
While it feels premature to jump straight to the conclusion given how nonchalantly this supposed announcement was delivered, the post does suggest rather blatantly that plans for a world tour – i.e. separate from the limited number of dates already announced – do exist.
If that wasn’t their intention then they really should have chosen different words as the replies were quick to fill up with reactions like, “WORLD TOUR YESSSSS. KNEBWORTH HERE WE GO”, “World tour???” and many more to that effect.
Once again, while there has been no official standalone announcement post detailing tour dates, it looks like the 14 comeback shows are just the start of the reunion and that the Oasis boys will be heading back out on the road properly after the likes of Heaton Park and Wembley shows.
Questions have also been circling around whether this reunion will include other previous members of the legendary Britpop icons or just the Gallagher brothers.
For now, as much as we want it to be true, there’s nothing definite and we’ll just have to settle for still being absolutely over the moon that one of the greatest rock bands of all time is returning to our lives in the most important music news for a generation.
Meanwhile, fans are currently being tested on their Oasis trivia in order to access the red-hot pre-sale ticket ballot. They’re making us work for it.
As well as announcing massive gigs at Wembley Stadium, Murrayfield in Edinburgh, Cardiff’s Principality Stadium and Croke Park in Dublin, they will also be playing a total of four shows on home turf here in Manchester at the legendary Heaton Park, where they last played as a pair back in 2009.
We know Liam already played their musical mecca himself back in 2022, but this is as close to a proper Knebworth 2.0 as you could probably ever ask for. With that in mind, here’s how the world reacted to the biggest music news in a generation:
Well, despite having both maintained it would never happen for years, being publicly unpleasant about each other almost for sport at times, and supposedly having not spoken full stop for “about a decade”, it turns out the two have finally had a conversation – and quite a watershed one at that.
Noel famously said it would take a lot more than money for the two of them to even begin discussing a potential reunion, but did taunt Liam in June last year by saying, “I f***ing dare you to call me […] because then we have to be in a room together and we both know how that ends.”
In fact, rather than a merely transactional phone call to confirm that both parties are now willing to put on these biblical shows, it appears as though the Gallagher brothers have indeed met in person once again, with stills from the photoshoot promoting the reunion being shared online.
How surreal does this look all these years later?
This one yes but the photoshoot was real I don't know why they keep using this one pic.twitter.com/Pbufw6D4pi
Yes, understandably based on the chosen lead photo – which is almost certainly edited for whatever reason (probably because Liam preferred his hair better in one of them or something…) – fans were reluctant to believe they had even been in the same room as each other yet.
However, as per multiple reports, the secret photoshoot between the two long-feuding brothers is rumoured to have taken place sometime last month and those present were forced to sign NDAs to keep news of the reunion under wraps.
It’s still unknown as to exactly when and where these photos were taken but they look pretty bloody real, if you ask us, and are credited to notable British photographer Simon Emmett.
Speaking to the tabloids, a source said: “It was a pinch me moment to have Noel and Liam together. The shoot was top secret and barely anyone knew about it. For their fans to see them together again will be an amazing sight, the atmosphere in the room was fizzing, it was electric.”
Again, it’s unclear how much time the two have actually spent back in each other’s company at this point, but boy would we have loved to have been a fly on the wall during that moment.
If you don’t get the hype, that’s fine. There are bands that write better, play better, perform better. That are more inventive, more creative, more reflective. But for working class kids in the mid-90s, #Oasis were ours. And possession is nine tenths of the lore. #oasisreunionhttps://t.co/khAfGwURaX
Even more interestingly, now 15 years on from the infamous Paris storm-out which brought an abrupt end to the legendary Britpop band, Noel has actually been saying nice things about his younger brother for a change. I know, we’re as stunned as you are.
Chatting with industry journalist and fellow musician John Robb in a recent interview with Louder Than War, a chat held ahead of the deluxe Monnow Valley Recordings of Definitely Maybe being released for the debut album’s 30th anniversary, the 57-year-old was actually complimentary about Liam.
Released in full on YouTube last week, the songwriting genius and legendary guitar player conceded: “When I would sing the song, it would sound good, when he would sing it, it would sound great.”
He did go on to jokingly compare Liam’s voice to “10 shots of tequila on a Friday night” whilst he was more like “half a Guinness on a Tuesday”, but the significance of actually speaking positively about his counterpart on several occasions throughout the exclusive cannot be overstated.
And then came that first teaser played live not only at Reading and Leeds Festival but right after Blossoms’ headline slot at Live From Wythenshawe Park, where Noel played the exact same stage this time last year…
Liam had shared a number of cryptic tweets in the days leading up to that short teaser video including one post that simply read, “never did like that word FORMER”, and another in reply to a fan online saying, “See you in the front you big f***y.”
Besides both being rather importantly out of album and tour cycles following festival season, many fans have also speculated that several other wider factors have played into the stars finally aligning.
Everything from their mum Peggy (now 80) having once again urged the two to mend fences, to Noel’s split from his wife Sara MacDonald who also famously didn’t get on with Liam, and even the sheer timing of the dates and announcement – 15 years on, 30th anniversary and so on – were all put forward as evidence.
noel gallagher recently had an interview where he spoke of liam in a very kind and reminiscent manner. anyone who is a fan of oasis, or even just noel, knows this is very unordinary for noel. pic.twitter.com/J4cZ0Ce5eK
— billie with the lights up! (@youdfallapart) August 25, 2024
The Manc -
18th August 2021 
