TV & Showbiz

Mancs wanted for new BBC adventure travel show with ‘life-changing’ prize

Producers are promising it'll be "an epic journey".

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 2nd September 2024

Are you a fan of travelling? Got a bit of a competitive streak in your nature? This might just be your calling then.

The BBC is currently casting for a brand-new travel adventure series.

At this point, not a great deal is known about the new series, with a lot of the details seemingly being kept under wraps, but the broadcaster has revealed that the show currently has the working title of ‘Destination X’, and is being described as “the world’s biggest guessing game”.

The show’s producers, Twofour, are on the look-out for budding travel enthusiasts who love solving clues, playing detective, and outsmarting their competition.

Not only does the experience promise to be “an epic journey”, but there’s also the chance to win a life-changing prize.

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Casting is closing towards the end of this week (6 September), and filming for the show is set to begin next month and run through to November.

Putting out a UK-wide casting call for the show on the BBC website, producers Twofour wrote: Have you got what it takes to play the world’s biggest guessing game? Twofour are now casting for the BBC’s brand new travel adventure series. If you love solving clues, playing detective and outsmarting your competition, then we want to hear from you.

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“This experience promises to be an epic journey, with a chance to win a life-changing prize.”

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Fancy it then? Applications for the exciting new series are now open for anyone over 18 years of age, with a deadline date of this Friday (6 September 2024), and you can find out more information and apply via the BBC website.

Stick your applications in here.

Featured Image – BBC

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TV & Showbiz

Why fans are fearing cancellation of Catfish and The Bottlemen’s massive Manchester gig

Thomas Melia Thomas Melia Will Catfish Manchester gig Heaton Park be cancelled

Indie rockers Catfish and The Bottlemen are playing a headline show at Heaton Park in Manchester, but plenty of gig-goers have a genuine fear of a potential cancellation.

The Welsh band known for their stacked roster of hits, including ‘Cocoon’, ‘Kathleen’, ‘7’, ‘Pacifier’ and many more, are set to play Heaton Park on 13 June, but there has already been a fair amount of scepticism among fans online.

Just last year, Catfish and The Bottlemen cancelled an array of international shows, including one rather long-awaited gig in Ireland.

This Irish date would’ve marked the band’s first show in the country in five years; however, 15 minutes before doors were due to open, the Dublin date got cancelled.

Catfish and The Bottlemen are expected to play at Heaton Park on 13 June
Catfish and The Bottlemen are expected to play at Heaton Park on 13 June / Credit: Supplied

No comments were made by the band as to why this decision happened, instead, all updates and communication came from the ticket company directly.

MCD Productions, who were in charge of hosting the would-be gig at Fairview Park, revealed that the reason for the abrupt cancellation of Catfish’s Ireland gig was due to ‘artist illness’, stating that all attendees would be issued and are entitled to a full refund.

The following week, Catfish also cancelled all of their US and Australia tour with no official statement from the rock group, and fans were frustrated to say the least.

Two weeks after these stark cancellations, the indie rockers announced two stadium shows: Cardiff and London, with the Manchester date in Heaton Park revealed a month later – all scheduled for this summer.

The issues don’t just lie with gig cancellations either; the band’s lineup has been in turmoil over recent years, with musicians joining and leaving this Welsh rock act.

Catfish and The Bottlemen back in 2016 ahead of Sound City in Liverpool
Catfish and The Bottlemen back in 2016 ahead of Sound City in Liverpool / Credit: Supplied

Most notably, former guitarist Johnny Bond, who originally left the band in 2021, issued a statement in 2022 via Instagram about “behaviour constantly re-occurring” that he found to be “intolerable”.

Only two original members remain: Van McCann, lead singer and now the main guitarist since Billy Bibby left in 2021, and Benji Blakeway, the band’s bassist and backing vocalist.

Many have speculated on some of that behaviour, and the source behind at least some of the band’s problems is the extremely talented, charismatic, but often frenetic frontman himself; you only need to search his name on the likes of TikTok to fall down the rabbit hole.

While there are lots dismissing some of his behaviour on stage as nothing more than loose, in-the-moment ‘rockstar energy’, others have expressed concern for his well-being at times.

Catfish’s latest Instagram post reporting the fact that the Heaton Park date is now sold out has been met with hundreds of comments from fans worrying that it won’t go ahead.

One user wrote, “Are u gonna cancel this one 7 mins before doors open too?”, while another took to the comment section to say, “I’ll be there. Don’t know about van tho”.

Replies to their tweets on X (formerly Twitter) have been similar too, as one fan writes: “Don’t worry guys, it’ll be cancelled soon!”.

These are, of course, just a taste of a much larger sample size, as their ‘comeback’ in February 2024 with ‘Showtime’ – their first new song in five years – looked like it could be the start of a new album cycle, but there hasn’t been anything else since then.

Barring the 10th anniversary version of their debut LP, The Balcony, and the re-release of old single and cult favourite ‘ASA’, there’s very little to suggest that there is even a latest project that currently exists to make any progress on.

Catfish and The Bottlemen are scheduled to play Heaton Park in Manchester on 13 June – let’s hope it’s not a ‘Longshot’. For those of you going, do you have any actual doubts whether or not it will go ahead?

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For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images – Publicity Pictures (via Supplied)/Kaleb Nimz (via Unsplash)

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TV & Showbiz

Manchester Gogglebox favourites the Malones announce the heartbreaking death of family dog

Danny Jones Danny Jones Malone family dog Bob dies

Beloved Manchester-born and bred Gogglebox mainstays, the Malones, have announced the sad passing of another one of their family dogs, Bob.

The Rottweiler, who regularly appeared sitting on the sofa next to the ever-amusing Manc lineup.

As well as the Stretford-based Channel 4 stars themselves, viewers up and down the country have been saddened by the news.

Grieving in her own post, mother Julie wrote, “We are heartbroken, RIP our beautiful Big Bob”, while youngest son Shaun shared a number of moving images of the precious pup, including a personal favourite clip from one of his cameos.

Writing in the caption, the 30-year-old said, “Today is the day we had to say goodbye to big Bob, absolute great dog like a big cuddly bear.”

Countless followers have since shared their condolences on social media, with several commenting, “run free over the rainbow”, while another user simply added, “Playing with Dave.” 

For anyone not clued up on the show, Dave was another equally popular Rotweiller who unfortunately died back in 2023 at 12 and a half years old.

Even casual viewers will likely have seen the famous clip of him playfully mauling dad Tom Malone Sr. whilst wearing a dog mask. Speaking at the time, the family said: “There are no words to describe the pain we are feeling or how much we loved you, Dave.”

Dave wasn’t even the first pup to pass away either, as before that came female duo, Lucy (2022) and Izzey (2021) moved on to their ‘forever home in the sky’ in recent years.

As for Tom Malone Jr., who left the show in 2021, he also shared a simple but heartfelt post paying tribute to “good boy Bob.”

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The Malones did adopt another dog named Tilly just three years ago, so there’ll still be a familiar and friendly Rottweiler face on your screens in future episodes of Gogglebox.

It’s never easy losing a pet, especially when it’s not your first.

Our thoughts are with the Malone family and, last but not least, rest in peace, Bob – we hope there are unlimited treats, walks and cuddles waiting for you.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Channel 4/Shaun Malone (via Instagram)

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