Latest news with #Byker
Daily Record
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Byker Grove star who was 'beaten up by fans' now has £17-an-hour job
Lyndyann Barrass was just 11 years old when she was cast as Spuggie in Byker Grove and was soon a household name She was the fiery, red-headed dynamo of Byker Grove, yet over 30 years later, Lyndyann Barrass has hung up the mantle of the teen idol known as Spuggy. Nowadays, she embraces the world of cleaning with the occasional side act – and claims she's never been more content. Now 47, the erstwhile juvenile sensation who charmed audiences as Kirsty "Spuggie" Campbell in the celebrated 90s youth soap, operates her own cleaning enterprise in Sunderland. Her current situation is worlds apart from rubbing shoulders on set with Ant and Dec, but she maintains a relationship with the Tyneside twosome, even sharing that she's messaged Declan Donnelly about the possibility of a guest appearance in the recently publicised revival of Byker Grove, now titled Byker, slated for development in 2023. "I'd go back in a heartbeat," she told to The Sun in 2023. "But it would have to be streamed, and appeal to a TikTok generation now." Entering the Byker Grove scene in 1989, Lyndyann became an instant darling of the show. Her portrayal of the forthright Spuggy captured hearts nationwide, and she looks back at those days with affection – not least due to the camaraderie she shared with a youthful Dec, whom she endearingly calls "Deccie-poos", reports Chronicle Live. "There was an instant chemistry between all of us," she said. "If we weren't filming or in school, we were all in a holding room playing pool." Her time on the programme ended when she was 16, which she attributes to a hesitance by producers to elevate her salary: "They couldn't suddenly have everyone turning 16 on that sort of money". After her stint on Byker Grove, Lyndyann briefly joined a girl band named Angel and ventured into some theatre and TV work. However, following a savage attack on the street in her twenties, where she was knocked unconscious by individuals who recognised her as Spuggy, she decided to leave the limelight permanently. "That was the final straw," she said. "Thankfully I wasn't badly injured, but I just thought, 'I'm done.'". Her life has taken quite a turn since her time as Spuggy. Having married her childhood beau Allan Power and brought up two children - Joe, now 23, and Scarlette, 18 - Lyndyann took a completely different path. Post-divorce, she found herself working at a bank call centre, which was followed by her launching her own cleaning business, Dusty Springclean. The company faced challenges when the pandemic struck just a year after its inception, leading her to dip into savings set aside for home improvements, yet she persevered. In a recent update on the firm's Facebook page, she announced an increase in their hourly rates to £17.5, citing escalating costs as the reason. "I'm not just cleaning houses," she expressed back in 2023, referring to a previous rate hike to £14. "I'm supporting my kids. That's always been the most important thing." She is immensely proud of her offspring: Joe has become a qualified plumber, and Scarlette is showing promise as a goalkeeper with Sunderland's academy, the same nursery that produced four Lionesses. Decades on from her days in Byker Grove, Lyndyann still finds herself being recognised, even while cleaning a client's house. During one memorable encounter, her client did a double-take before asking, "Are you...?" to which she responded, "Yes, that's me. Spuggy." 'I will always love the character and appreciate how much she meant to people", she said, "It's not something I ever want to forget." Currently, Lyndyann continues to pursue her passion for acting by participating in theatre productions now and again and featuring as a guest on various British TV programmes. News emerged earlier this year about Ant and Dec's plans to reboot Byker Grove, although it remains unconfirmed if they will return as their characters PJ and Duncan. Nevertheless, Lyndyann admits to reaching out to Dec, saying, "I'd love a cameo. I think people would get a kick out of seeing some of us again." Having kept in touch with the duo since their time on set, Lyndyann revealed that when her daughter Scarlette was in urgent need of surgery for a dangerous brain condition, she turned to Dec for support. In an incredible show of thoughtfulness, a signed I'm A Celeb Bushtucker Trial star from Ant and Dec arrived at their doorstep shortly after. Lyndyann said: "She's their biggest fan, and she just burst into tears. She keeps it on her bedroom mirror. To do that for her meant so much."
Daily Mirror
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Byker Grove star who shot to fame as 'Spuggy' now has 'normal' job
Lyndyann Barrass shot to fame playing Kirsty "Spuggy" Campbell on the iconic 90s teen drama, but now the 47-year-old is running her own cleaning business in Sunderland Lyndyann Barrass, the former Byker Grove redhead who once sparkled on-screen as Spuggy, is living a whole new life three decades later - trading acting for cleaning - and she couldn't be more content. Now 47, the ex-child actress, famed for her role as Kirsty "Spuggy" Campbell in the cult 90s youth series, heads up a cleaning venture in Sunderland. Her days are no longer filled with the lights and drama of working alongside Ant and Dec. Despite this, she's held onto her Geordie connections, even hinting at a possible appearance in the 2023 announced reboot 'Byker', whispering to The Sun: "I'd go back in a heartbeat, "But it would have to be streamed, and appeal to a TikTok generation now." Since stepping into Byker Grove back in 1989 and shooting to popularity, Lyndyann reminisces about the set-life comradery and the unique bond with co-star Dec, affectionately nicknamed "Deccie-poos". With nostalgia, she said: "There was an instant chemistry between all of us, if we weren't filming or in school, we were all in a holding room playing pool," reports Chronicle Live. However, at age 16, her journey with the show came to an abrupt halt amidst speculation over producers balking at higher wages saying: "They couldn't suddenly have everyone turning 16 on that sort of money". After her stint on Byker Grove, Lyndyann briefly experimented with a music career, joining girl group Angel. She also ventured into theatre and television work. However, following a harrowing incident in her twenties, where she suffered an attack by strangers who recognised her as Spuggy, she decided to leave the spotlight behind. "That was the final straw," she said. "Thankfully I wasn't badly injured, but I just thought, 'I'm done.'" Life took a turn after her portrayal of Spuggy. Marrying her childhood beau Allan Power and welcoming two kids - Joe, now 23, and Scarlette, 18 – Lyndyann chose a completely different path. Post-divorce, she found herself working at a bank call centre before establishing her own cleaning company, Dusty Springclean. The business faced testing times when the pandemic hit a year after its inception, requiring Lyndyann to dip into savings meant for home renovations, yet she remained steadfast. In a recent update on the firm's Facebook page, she informed customers about increasing their hourly rate to £17.5 owing to inflation. 'I'm not just cleaning houses," she explained back in 2023, referring to a previous rate hike to £14. "I'm supporting my kids. That's always been the most important thing." She beams with pride over her children's achievements: Joe has become a plumber, while Scarlette shows promise as a goalkeeper within Sunderland's academy, a programme that once nurtured four Lionesses. Decades on from her 'Byker Grove' days, Lyndyann still gets recognised - even mid-clean in a client's house. Recounting an amusing encounter, she shared how one startled client asked her, "Are you...?" and she responded: "Yes, that's me. Spuggy. "I will always love the character and appreciate how much she meant to people", she expressed warmly. "It's not something I ever want to forget." Now, Lyndyann stays connected to her theatrical roots with occasional theatre gigs and TV appearances as a special guest on British shows. With earlier buzz about Ant and Dec mulling over a 'Byker Grove' revival, Lyndyann revealed she sent Dec a message hinting at her interest: "I'd love a cameo. I think people would get a kick out of seeing some of us again." The old castmates have kept in touch over the years. When her daughter Scarlette faced emergency brain surgery, Lyndyann confided in Dec about the ordeal. To their surprise, they later received a signed 'I'm A Celeb' Bushtucker Trial star from Ant and Dec. Lyndyann said: "She's their biggest fan, and she just burst into tears. She keeps it on her bedroom mirror. To do that for her meant so much."
BBC News
09-05-2025
- BBC News
Man shot rival after losing fight in Byker street
A man who shot his rival in a busy street after losing a fistfight has been jailed for 12 being bested by the other man, Stephen Thompson, 50, pulled a handgun out of his bag and fired at his victim, shooting him in the arm and shoulder, Newcastle Crown Court victim spent three days in hospital but refused to assist the police who had a long history of criminality, was initially charged with attempted murder but admitted wounding with intent. Prosecutor Kevin Wardlaw said Thompson, of Proctor Street in Walker, Newcastle, had been walking past the victim's home near the Stag's Head in Byker when a confrontation erupted at about 13:30 BST on 16 had previously been the victim of violent attacks, one of which left him with a severe head injury and memory issues, so carried weapons with him as protection, the court and the victim had a history of animosity and a fight broke out with the victim gaining the upper hand and gouging at Thompson's eyes, Mr Wardlaw managed to break free and shot the man in the shoulder before fleeing, the court heard. 'Reacted badly' The 9mm calibre bullet entered through the man's arm and exited through his shoulder, narrowly missing bones and an artery, Mr Wardlaw has been left with permanent scarring but no long-term found a bag Thompson had been carrying which contained a knife and bottle of ammonia, Mr Wardlaw who had more than 100 convictions on his criminal record, had a "history of antipathy" towards his victim, defence barrister Robin Turton Turton said: "[Thompson] wasn't going looking for trouble, unfortunately he reacted badly once it came looking for him."Judge Gavin Doig said it was "almost miraculous" no serious injuries were caused and Thompson "could easily have killed" his said the bullet had been fired from a blank cartridge firing pistol which had been converted or reactivated to fire live rounds, with the handgun potentially still in circulation having never been who also admitted possessing a knife and corrosive substance, was ordered to serve an extra four years on extended licence upon his eventual release from prison. Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. Send your story ideas here.
Daily Mirror
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Where Byker Grove cast are now - addiction, vicious assault, and surprising career moves
Byker Grove made history with its gritty storylines over the course of almost two decades, and much like their characters in the BBC show the real cast have gone on to have very different lives Byker Grove was an after-school essential back in the day, with teens rushing to the TV after Newsround to catch what the cool kids of the Byker youth club were getting up to. The hit BBC show ran from 1989 to 2006, with a jaw-dropping 344 episodes - and stars Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly have recently announced that they plan to bring the series back in a long-awaited reboot. The original version of the show followed the members of a youth club in Newcastle, and it didn't hold back from airing hard-hitting and topical storylines. Some people even called for the show to be axed when it showed the first same-sex kiss on children's television, but the BBC stood strong among plenty of support from educators, parents, and LGBT viewers. Alongside the proud moment in TV history, it also covered issues such as drug addiction, teen pregnancy, and tragic death. Many of the kids on the show had huge aspirations to overcome their struggles and find success when they reached the adult world - but what happened to the real kids behind the characters on screen? As Byker Grove looks to be coming back decades later, the Mirror takes a look at what the OG cast is up to now. PJ and Duncan Who could forget the now legendary cautionary tale that was PJ's accidental paintball blinding at the hands of girlfriends Debbie Dobson and Amanda Bewick? The horrifying scenes at the end of series four saw the girls aim and fire at Peter 'PJ' Jenkins (played by Ant) as punishment for flirting with them both - but it just happened to be at the exact moment the lothario chose to take his goggles off. His best mate Duncan Sperring (Dec) hilariously screamed, "He cannae see, man!" - but Duncan wasn't devastated for long, making a move on PJ's girlfriend Debbie when his sidekick left to go to a school for the blind. Their real-life counterparts Ant and Dec were just as close in real life, and even before leaving Byker Grove behind they were already well on their way to world domination, launching their band Groove Matrix and their debut single, Tonight I'm Free. The track made it to number 62 in the charts, and while it was no Mr Blobby, it did lay the pathway for their post-Grove foray into music as the mic-wrecking PJ & Duncan. After classics including If I Give You My Number and Eternal Love, the boys retired their musical alter-egos to focus on TV. SM: TV, Saturday Night Takeaway, Britain's Got Talent and I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here made the lads two of the biggest stars in the UK, earning an estimated £30million between them in 2016. It's previously been reported that they have an estimated net worth of approximately £62million each. Not bad for two teenagers who didn't even like each other to begin with. "We didn't particularly like each other at first, I thought he was miserable," Dec previously revealed speaking on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross in 2006. "We've rowed a few times - we're quite competitive," Ant added. Now, however, the boys are all grown up. The duo recently shared that they don't spend as much time together as they used to. Ant, who welcomed his first son in May 2024, admitted to the Sun: "The kids take up a lot of your time, and we rush home to our families to see them when we finish working." Dec, who shares Isla, six, and Jack, two, with his wife Ali, added: "We still meet up on days off to have a game of golf or go out for dinner. We're just not joined at the hip..." Spuggie Part of the original cast, Lyndyann Barrass was just 12 when she joined the show as surly, hormonal teen Kirsty 'Spuggie' Campbell. Despite being one of the Grove's biggest characters, she was written out to go and live with her brother Fraser, leaving Lyndyann devastated. She struggled to find work as an actress, fearing she'd been typecast as "the redhead from 'that Geordie show'." And after a failed stint with a band called Angel, she was subjected to a brutal assault that convinced her to turn her back on fame. "I was beaten unconscious in the street by three strangers who recognised me as Spuggie," she told The Sun. "Thankfully, I wasn't badly injured, but it was the final straw. I decided to quit show business for good." In 1999, the Sunderland-based star married husband Allan and had two kids with him before their split in 2012. As a single mum, she took a job working in a call centre and calculated it would take her two years to earn what her former co-stars Ant and Dec make in just one day. She told The Mirror in 2015: "I'm a newly single parent with two kids. I work in a bank call centre four mornings a week when the kids are in school – I probably earn just over half of their daily salary for a year." However, Lyndyann remains on good terms with the duo, adding: "They haven't changed. They're still the two daftest. They are very grounded and lovely. They don't forget their roots and where they come from." In 2023, it was reported that Lyndyann, who lives in Sunderland, now owns a house cleaning firm called Dusty Springclean. As reported by The Sun, she posted a notice on the company's social media page to inform clients that her hourly rate needed to rise to £14 to make up for the effects of the cost of living crisis. Geoff Most recognised by his epic lamb chops and moustache, youth club leader Geoff Keegan was beloved by all. Geoff's story came to a devastating end when he died in an accidental gas explosion, but his emotional funeral reunited many of the show's big guns - including PJ and Duncan. Thankfully, actor Billy Fane is still very much alive and well, and after his character's tragic demise he went on to appear in panto and the 2000 hit movie Billy Elliot. He's still pals with the Grove kids, and had a whole This Your Life-style segment devoted to him on Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway. When Ant entered rehab for an addiction to painkillers in 2017, Billy was one of the first to offer his support, describing Ant as a "lovely, hard-working lad". "I was so sorry to hear of the problems and wish him a quick recovery," said Billy. Last year, during an appearance on Loose Women, Billy revealed he'd gone on to train as a teacher for dyslexic adults in his mid-50s - a career path caring Geoff would likely approve of. Billy explained: "I went to teach in a young offenders institution. I then did a Master's degree in Special Educational Needs and Intuitive Learning and the college I was working for had the contract for delivering education in prisons and young offenders insinuations and prisons across the country." Noddy Byker Grove became the first British children's drama to tackle sexuality and coming out when a confused Noddy Fishwick, played by Brett Adams, misread the signs and kissed his best mate Gary Hendrix on the cheek during an outing to the cinema. Gary was furious and marched out, but, despite a public furore, actor Brett and the BBC rightly stood by the storyline. "About a month or two after the episode had aired, I received a letter from a young lad about 15 or 16 saying he was going through the same [thing] as Noddy and if he hadn't watched that episode on that day then he would have continued to think he was the only one going through it," Brett told Attitude magazine in 2014. "He said he honestly felt like dying by suicide but after seeing the show and the helpline number on the end credits, he called, got advice and was now much happier. He'd told his parents and friends who supported him and he'd even managed to find a boyfriend. If my storyline upset 10,000 people but helped one person then I see it as a monumental success." After leaving the show, Brett formed a band called Point Break with co-star David Oliver, who played Marcus. Together with Declan Bennett, they achieved moderate success with hits including Stand Tough and Freakytime. But after that wrapped, Brett is believed to have quit showbiz and to work as a barman at the Haven Holiday Camp in Weymouth. The actor has four children and according to Digital Spy, now works as a manager at the town's Lakeside Bowling Alley. Charlie Donna Air joined the show at age 10 and played ambitious budding journalist Charlie Charlton. Like Ant and Dec, she formed a band with her co-stars, releasing single Love Your Sexy with Jayni Hoy and Vicky Taylor as Byker Groove. She moved to London aged 15 and formed girlband Crush with Jayni but their 1996 singles Jellyhead and Luv'd Up failed to set the charts alight. But they got her spotted by TV execs who landed presenting gigs for MTV, The Big Breakfast and Popstars: The Rivals Extra. Geordie Donna struck up a party pal friendship with All Saints star Natalie Appleton, with the pair living next door to one another, partying with the Primrose Hill Set and cosying up for FHM. However, she rebranded at the ripe old age of 22 after meeting multi-millionaire Damian Aspinall, who was 19 years her senior. Desperate to make it as a serious actress, she told the Evening Standard: "I don't think I ever was a ladette. I'm actually a bit of a nerd. I can't even have dinner in a low-cut top without feeling self-conscious. You try to be cool, but underneath it, I was too much of a goody-goody. It took me five years to get a bad reputation - it's going to take me 20 to get rid of it..." She and Damien welcomed daughter Freya in 2003 but broke up in 2007 amid rumours he refused to marry her. Following the split, the beauty dated Kate, Princess of Wales's brother James for four years, followed by property developer Ben Carrington. In 2013 she was touted for the Strictly Come Dancing line-up and later competed in Dancing On Ice. She continues to act and, in 2020, starred as Fi Hansen in the BBC One drama, The Split. Donna's ex Damian is well known for his conservation efforts with wild animals, and she hasn't fully dropped the lifestyle despite the breakup. In 2023, it was revealed that her daughter Freya was hand-rearing two orphan lion cubs at the family's 30-room country house in Kent. Freya, whose father runs Howletts Wild Animal Park, shared: "If anyone says the lions are domesticated, no. If anything, they lionise me. I become a lion. I speak lion. Hand-rearing is the last option possible, but I am their mother figure. It's basically like raising two children." Debbie Played by Nicola Bell, Debbie was PJ's on-off girlfriend who eventually fell in love with his best mate Duncan. Off-screen, she was in a real-life romance with Ant which ended due to the pressure of PJ & Duncan's hectic tour schedule. Ant told the Independent at the time: "When you're touring you can't have a relationship by phone. I'm terrible on the phone." Ant, who was previously married to make-up artist Lisa Armstrong for 12 years, is now married to former PA Anne-Marie Corbett, with the couple recently welcoming their first child together. Meanwhile, Nicola appeared in the legal drama Kavanagh QC before becoming a flight attendant for Virgin Atlantic. The multitalented mother-of-four from Tyne and Wear now works as a make-up artist and is also a qualified level 2 and 3 PT instructor. She's also remained good friends with her famous ex. "We're still in touch and still friends and I know that he's doing OK," she said of his rehab stay in 2017. He's had some lovely messages from people and a lot of support.'
Yahoo
19-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Forgotten community magazine relaunched
A special edition of a long-forgotten community magazine has been been published after decades out of print. The volunteer-run Byker Phoenix reported on life in the east end of Newcastle through the 1970s and 80s, covering everything from political events to petty grievances. Artist and filmmaker Harry Lawson decided to created a new, one-off edition of the magazine after coming across some old copies in an archive, with his contemporary edition interspersing original articles with newly-written pieces about how Byker has evolved in recent years. The special edition forms part of his exhibition, Stepney Western, at Newcastle Contemporary Art (NCA). The exhibition is a culmination of Mr Lawson's prolonged focus on Byker. The Sunderland-born artist filmed an experimental documentary which casts Newcastle's inner city as the Wild West, focusing on group of young horse riders from Stepney Bank Stables who struggle in mainstream education settings. Alongside a continuous screening of the documentary, the exhibition also features a variety of archive photographs of Byker through the years showcasing what Mr Lawson calls a "frontier narrative". "It's the idea that all land is up for grabs - and then there's a kind of tussle for that land and the power that comes with that," he said. "Byker is a place that's had this cyclical change. "You had this particular moment of change and upheaval in the 70s and 80s with the demolition of terraced housing and creation of the Byker Wall, and now you have a new, but very different kind of change, which is quieter and way less dramatic. "It's not a unique story, it's a gentrification story." It was while Mr Lawson was looking for archival photographs at Ouseburn Trust that he came across old copies of the Byker Phoenix magazine. "I was struck immediately by how genuinely community-focused it was," he said. The first edition he read included a think-piece about how Finnish photographer Sirkka-Liisa Konttinen had captured the community with her landmark images, alongside an article featuring a local woman's complaints about the rise in damp on the same page. "To me, it's funny and brilliant," Mr Lawson said: "If the people of Byker were feeling it, it would go in the Phoenix. "So then you have these really funny juxtapositions between political commentary and really petty grievances - and I think that's brilliant." The Phoenix ran in the 1970s and 80s, and had a brief comeback in the early 00s. Mr Lawson tracked down some of the people behind the original Phoenix publication and asked if he could make a one-off special edition for his exhibition to which they agreed. Instead of curating an entirely new edition, Mr Lawson's "time-morphing" edition mixes articles and adverts from 50 years ago with new pieces about modern-day Byker and the current Stepney Western exhibition at Newcastle Contemporary Art (NCA). When choosing the previous articles, he said he was drawn to those "about impending change in the area, and bringing into sharp focus how the community has responded to change over the years". Mr Lawson also included articles and illustrations which made clear how the Phoenix struggled to keep going, amid financial difficulties and a lack of volunteers. "There's this nod on the final page, on whether someone is willing to pick up the mantle of the Phoenix. "It would be amazing if someone did pick it up. "I think without budget it's a hard task, but it's a little question to the reader." Stepney Western runs at NCA until 26 April. Follow BBC Newcastle on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. Metro mural inspired by 1950s film posters Stepney Western
