Michelle Keegan to star in gritty new northern comedy written by the team behind Shameless
AFTER fighting on the Our Girl front line, Michelle Keegan is returning to her northern roots.
I can reveal she has signed up for new Sky comedy Brassic, with Being Human’s Damien Malony and This Is England’s Joe Gilgun.
As mum Erin, she plans to leave her working-class town in Lancashire with young son Tyler and boyfriend Dylan.
But the move would separate Dylan from best pal Vinnie, with whom he is part of a dastardly gang of childhood friends that includes a champion kebab eater, a sex-crazed playboy and a stolen car dealer.
The group scrapes a living by bribing, conning and scamming, hence the name Brassic, a slang word for penniless.
While the show promises to be a gut-buster, it also has a dark underbelly.
Vinnie is bipolar, a condition which affects series co-creator and actor Joe. He said: “Bipolar is a big part of my life. We want to show that you can have mental health issues and in some cases live a productive, exciting life, full of adventure.”
Shameless writer Danny Brocklehurst makes up the other half of the creation team. Some of the cast, which also features Doc Martin’s Ruth Green and Edinburgh Comedy Award-winner Tim Key, got together yesterday.
Production on the comedy is set to begin next month.
Joe was amazing in This Is England and what’s not to love about Michelle.
must watch
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Loose Women's loose woman
Stormy Daniels caused havoc when she pulled out of Celebrity Big Brother at the last minute, leaving Channel 5 bosses scrambling for a replacement.
But I can reveal the former porn star, who was being paid a rumoured £500,000 to take part, quit in a fit of rage when producers refused to let her have a daily phone call with her daughter Caiden.
A telly source said: “Stormy refused to leave her hotel room after being told she couldn’t speak to her daughter at a set time every day.
“Producers knew that she was a brilliant signing and wanted to make things work but her stipulations were ridiculous.” Stormy, who is in the middle of a custody battle with her ex husband, said on ITV’s Loose Women yesterday: “Being a mum comes first.”
She claimed that producers initially promised to let her go on last Thursday’s live show launch to explain her decision not to go into the house.
The American, with Loose Women, Jane Moore, Kaye Adams, Nadia Sawahla and Penny Lancaster, continued: “They came back a couple of hours later and said, ‘You’re either going to go on and stay in the house, follow the contract to a T or we’re deporting you in the morning’.”
A spokesman for the show said: “Hours before the show was due to go live, Stormy told the team she no longer wished to enter the house as previously agreed.
“Producers discussed a variety of options with her but were unable to agree any acceptable conditions for her to enter the house.”
This won’t be the last we see of her.
bizbit
THE Crown star Olivia Colman tops the Radio Times’ TV 100 power list. She comes above Doctor Who boss Chris Chibnall, comedy duo Daisy May and Charlie Cooper, Declan Donnelly and Idris Elba.
Imran's feeling better
THEY say women love a man in a suit and that’s certainly the case with Coronation Street’s Charlie De Melo.
I can reveal that his dapper character Imran Habeeb will woo both Battersby sisters at the same time.
The suave solicitor will use his gift of the gab to secretly two-time Toyah and Leanne, played by Georgia Taylor and Jane Danson.
A TV source said: “Neither sister knows about the other and is quite happy with the situation and doesn’t want to do anything to jeopardise it. His ego goes through the roof and he’s really enjoying the attention. He feels like he’s living the dream having two women on the go.
“But you don’t want to mess with a Battersby. No doubt it’ll come crashing down for him.”
Charlie is no stranger to romance on the cobbles. He is dating Nicola Thorp, who played Phelan’s daughter Nicola Rubinstein. Busy bloke.
soapbox
IN Emmerdale, Victoria finds Abby crying and assumes Matty told her about his transition, so she lashes out at her for not understanding. But she is mortified when she realises Abby didn’t know after all. And Matty is devastated.
Meanwhile, in EastEnders, Sonia takes Ted to A&E after he has more chest pain. Ted later tells everyone that doctors gave him the all-clear, but he has been given medication and a leaflet for angina.
And in Holby City, Essie is devastated when Josh’s condition deteriorates. When Dr Gaskell suggests a risky and unproved possible surgical solution, she has to choose between his quality of life and her own ethical concerns.
Shock Martin
THE BBC’s reality show Eight Go Rallying: The Road To Saigon is not only dreary-sounding but near-deadly, too.
I told last year how Martin Kemp and his wife Shirlie nearly croaked it when their car flipped during the drive.
Speaking about the incident for the first time, the former Spandau Ballet bassist revealed his career flashed before his eyes.
He said: “Shirlie swerved to avoid a tree and the car did a 180 [degree turn] and rolled over. My hand was crushed underneath the roll bar, so I was trapped in a crushed car upside down thinking, ‘I’m never going to play the guitar again’.”
We can but dream.
bizbit
NETFLIX denies it is adding adverts to its service after users reported unskippable video promotions. It said they are just “person-alised recommendations” and added: “A member is able to skip a video preview at any time.”
Court's big hi to Bi Life
I TOLD how last year’s Celebrity Big Brother winner Courtney Act was in line to bag her very own TV show, and now her dreams have come true.
The Aussie drag queen, pop singer and reality TV star has been handed the reins to a ten-part dating series, The Bi Life, due to start on channel E! in October.
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It is being billed as the first UK broadcast series to focus exclusively on bisexual dating.
It will see a group of British singletons sent on an adventure to Barcelona to try to find love.
Courtney, also known as Shane Jenek, said: “As if this summer hasn’t been hot enough, we decided to crank it up another notch with The Bi Life on E!
“It’s time there was a dating show for the large number of young people today, like me, who are attracted to more than one gender.”