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Daily Mirror
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Two Pints of Lager cast now - booze, meltdowns and doomed reunion plans
Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps had us in stitches for years - but a rumoured reunion still hasn't been planned. Here's everything you need to know about where the cast is now There was one go-to TV series in the early-Noughties that still lives rent-free in our heads. And despite fans clamouring for years for a reunion, the cast of Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps are still holding out on us. The BBC sitcom revolved around the friendships and love lives of five twenty-something pals. And given the show's title, a lot of the action revolved around their local pub in glamorous Runcorn, Cheshire. First airing in 2001, Two Pints quickly became a cult classic, with many viewers considering it one of the all-time best British comedies, and others finding it a guilty pleasure. Across nine explosive series there were fights, cheating and a tear-jerking death of a main character that had us all in floods of tears after he was eaten by a shark. There was even that ground-breaking episode where viewers got to decide whether Gaz should be with Donna or Janet. Excitement had been building for a potential reunion for years... but unlike other classics like Friends and Gavin & Stacey, Two Pints still hasn't given us closure. In 2019, actor Will Mellor revealed he had been speaking to show creator Sue Nickson about a reunion after fans got in touch on social media. Will told fans: "Well, I have been listening and reading your messages and I think we are going to get a Two Pints special off the ground. "I spoke to Susan Nickson (the show's creator) and we are hopefully going to try and get a Two Pints special going. Just to say thank you for all the support of people who love the show and got behind it. "Watch this space, just got to dot the 'i's and cross the 't's and hopefully a Two Pints special will be on the way." But dreams of a comeback were crushed because one cast member wouldn't pick up the phone (more on that below). Here's what happened to the Two Pints cast after the show wrapped. Will Mellor - Gaz Wilkinson Mechanic Gaz was your typical bloke who loved beer, booze and babes, as well as having a soft spot for Hollyoaks and Monarch of the Glen. Gaz had some strange habits, like only using bread from the middle of the loaf, and was an avid collector of pornography. He was madly in love with Donna but the pair split when he had a one-night stand with her best pal Janet. They got back together after a road accident and finally got married in series 7, but on their wedding day, Gaz discovered he was the father of Janet's son. Donna left so Gaz and Janet could be together, but then returned in series 8, with viewers voting for Gaz to choose Donna. He was left in a year-long coma after a car accident then decided to travel the world, but Donna revealed she would not be coming after a heartbreaking discovery. After Two Pints, Will played a womanising salesman in EastEnders and made guest appearances in Merlin and Waterloo Road. He starred in White Van Man, Broadchurch, In the Club, Death in Paradise and Line of Duty. Will, who is the voice of the Funky Pigeon ads, was also a frequent panelist and guest judge on Celebrity Juice. "They were the best times, it wasn't like hard work, it was like being with your friends," said Will as he reminisced about the show. "We'd go out at weekends and be together everyday, we were a lot younger and had no responsibilities so we could have a few drinks and wake up fresh every day, but now if I have a few drinks it takes me three days." During the Covid lockdown, he and Ralf launched their podcast, Two Pints with Will & Ralf, after hearing from fans that they were loving watching reruns of the sitcom. "Nostalgia is a big thing, people grew up with that show, and we did have a script called Two Pints, Last Orders," he revealed in 2024. "Susan Nickson, the original creator, wrote it, and the BBC said they didn't want to revisit it. So there is a massive hunger for it." And Will said he could see himself signing up for a reunion special if it was in the works. "People are begging us to really bring it back, and I would always be up for going back there and revisiting it, whether it be a documentary or a one-off special, because it was a massive part of my life and people loved it," he added. Sheridan Smith - Janet Keough Janet was the homely girl who loved "things that go bleep bleep", having a Cheeky Vimto down the pub and rich tea biscuits. Having been with Jonny since the start of the show, Janet realised she wasn't in love with him after they got engaged and dumped him. But she got jealous after seeing him with another woman and persuaded him to get back together - with the pair marrying in series 5. They had a son, Corinthian McVitie Keogh, but tragedy struck when Jonny was killed in a horrifying shark attack. She realised that she loved Gaz but he chose to be with Donna, so she moved away to Milton Keynes. Sheridan Smith is the most famous star to come from the show - with her career sky-rocketing thanks to her talent. The actress has received critical acclaim for her performances in a string of TV dramas including Mrs Biggs, Cilla, The C Word and The Moorside. She is also known for her comedy roles in Gavin & Stacey as Smithy's sister, Benidorm, and Jonathan Creek. As well as the telly she is a star of the stage, performing on the West End in Little Shop of Horrors, Legally Blonde, and Joseph. Sheridan won two Olivier Awards, a BAFTA, an NTA and received two International Emmy Awards. But after her late father's cancer diagnosis, the talented star was embroiled in a series of scandals. She had a public "meltdown" in 2016 while starring in the West End adaptation of Funny Girl, amid reports of missing curtain calls, appearing on stage under the influence of alcohol, and disappointing the audience. Eventually she took a leave of absence from the show from "stress and exhaustion". Sheridan admitted hearing Graham Norton make a joke about her being a drunk while he was hosting the BAFTAs was her lowest point. "I was so humiliated," she told an ITV documentary in 2020. "It's a room full of your peers, people you want to work with or have worked with. That night, for me, was like the final straw before my brain totally went off the deep end. "Here I was in unbelievable distress, and a room full of people in my industry were laughing at me." But with therapy and tackling her drinking, Sheridan managed to recover and even discussed in 2021 wanting to be a part of any potential Two Pints reunion. "It would be quite funny to see where Janet ended up," she mused at the time. "She'd probably have about 20 kids or something, still in the pub!" It would have been music to the ears of her former co-star Will, who had claimed in 2020 that Sheridan hadn't spoken to him in three years, and there would be no reunion if she wasn't available. Speaking on The Morning After With Paul Danan podcast in May of 2020, Will said: "Sheridan just won't talk about it. She's not spoken to me in over three years now. It's like she just won't pick up the phone about it. There is just no point in going down that route. "I don't know what happened, we last spoke about three, maybe four years ago and since then she won't reply to my calls or text messages at all. I wanted to be there but she's just not interested so there is no point in going there. We can't get a Two Pints reunion together without her." Natalie Casey - Donna Henshaw Loud-mouthed Donna was Gaz's long-term girlfriend and then wife. Not afraid to say it how it is, Donna had a vicious temper and once killed an ex-boyfriend's budgie. Donna and Gaz briefly split after he had a one-night stand with her best pal Janet, during which time she considered plastic surgery, but they got back together after his accident. They finally married in series 7 but then Donna got a job in London and left Gaz. He then chose to be with her when she returned in series 8. Donna had quite a tragic ending as she cancelled plans to travel the world with Gaz after finding out she may have cancer, but didn't tell him the heartbreaking reason and waved goodbye at the airport. Another former Hollyoaks cast member, actress Natalie Casey co-presented Big Brother's Little Brother with Dermot O'Leary. She went on to have a successful theatre career, starring in The Vagina Monologues, The Wedding Singer, Fame, and Legally Blonde. She has become a popular narrator and was the voice of Dinner Date. Since 2022 she has narrated Cash In The Attic. Ralf Little - Jonny Keogh Daytime TV lover Jonny had some very bizarre tastes, including eating cat food, desiccated coconut and a Jammy Dodger fetish. While Johnny had a secret obsession with Titanic and kids' cartons, he struggled with his feminine side and lashed out at anyone who mocked him. Unemployed Johnny, who described himself as a "lazy gobs***e", tried to do best for his son and wife Janet. In a cruel twist at the start of series 7, Johnny was killed off-screen. Janet discovered he had been eaten by a shark after winning a shark-jumping competition in Hawaii. Since his character's demise, actor Ralf Little has appeared in BBC series Robin Hood and in 2019 was confirmed as the new lead star of Death in Paradise. At the start of lockdown, Will got together with Ralf to bring back the spirit of Two Pints with a new project. In May 2020 they released a brand new podcast, Two Pints with Will & Ralf, to talk about the old days and have some pub banter while at home. Off the back of that success, the pair landed themselves a TV series, Will & Ralf Should Know Better, which has just announced it has been recommissioned for a second series. Will said: "I'm so happy to be making a second series of this show with Ralf - we had so much fun filming series one and it seems the public loved it just as much as us. The reaction to series one was overwhelming." And Ralf added: "Somehow, they've let us do this again! I'm buzzing to be back with Will for round two — more adventures, more questionable decisions, and probably more moments where we ask, "What on earth are we doing?". I'm incredibly grateful for the response to the first series, and I can't wait to get started on the next." Ralf also filmed a travel series with former Royle Family co-star Ricky Tomlinson. Kathryn Drysdale - Louise Brooks Ditzy Louise was best known for that incredible high-pitched voice, which barmaid Kelly said "chills her to the bones". She was always on the hunt for the man of her dreams but was always clinging onto her childish side - having a love of Sylvanian Families, Steps, and the Disney Store. Louise was once arrested and charged with incitement to GBH after changing Johnny's profile at the Office of National Statistics to that of an armed criminal, which resulted in him getting shot. Louise got pregnant by Donna's younger brother, Dion, calling her baby girl 'Louise Louise Brooks'. She left Runcorn to join a " weird moon-worshipping cult" at the end of series 8 after meeting a new popstar boyfriend. Louise was supposed to come back for the final series, but didn't because actress Kathryn Drysdale was busy filming Benidorm. She also appeared as Taylor in the first St Trinian's movie. Kathryn has made guest appearances in Death in Paradise, Horrible Histories and Plebs, before landing the part of Meghan Markle in The Windsors. More recently, she stole the show in the Netflix mega-hit Bridgerton, playing the duplicitous Genevieve Delacroix - owner and dressmaker of the most popular Modiste.
The Herald Scotland
21-04-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
New Scottish spirits brand submerges casks in Loch Ness
Named after the Gaelic word for 'deep', Domhayn was born from an unexpected moment of inspiration. Founder James Patterson was watching wild swimmers take a celebratory dram after a dook in Loch Ness when the idea struck. Fast forward 20 years of research and - for the first time in history - a spirit-filled wooden cask has been plunged to the depths of Loch Ness, some 214 meters (702 feet) beneath the surface. This process is said to "enhance and smooth spirits, creating unique flavour profiles compared to those achieved by traditional maturation". READ MORE: This whisky distillery has one of the most interesting set ups I've ever seen Green light for whisky firm to upgrade 'Monarch of the Glen' distillery Historic mill being refurbished as whisky distillery reaches new milestone James Patterson, Domhayn's founder, said: "This is about pushing the boundaries of how we understand spirit maturation. "We know the environment a cask matures in has a huge impact, but no one has explored the application of pressure like this before. The results have been astounding." Domhayn's inaugural release comes from cask DLNABK, which was submerged in Loch Ness on Valentine's Day 2025. There are only six bottles of the 2010 single malt barley spirit, bottled at natural strength 55.5% ABV. Mr Patterson added: "When we retrieved the cask, the difference was undeniable. "The spirit had developed a distinctly different aroma and smoothness – something traditional maturation simply couldn't achieve in the same timeframe. Each bottle of Domhayn can be traced back to the precise location where its cask rested on the loch bed (Image: John Need) "Given its uniqueness, we expect collectors and enthusiasts to be very curious about how this method compares to conventional maturation. "What's more, our proprietary technique isn't limited to spirits – it also applies to wine, rum, and vodka - and that makes it incredibly exciting." Each bottle of Domhayn can be traced back to the precise location where its cask rested on the loch bed, ensuring a unique provenance for every release. "Each bottle comes with the precise coordinates of where its cask rested," Mr Patterson said. "It creates a direct, tangible link between the spirit and the environment that shaped it." Domhayn have been experimenting with submersion cycles, which can range from minutes to a year or more. 'Submersion causes the cask to compress and decompress, triggering a unique interaction between the wood and the spirit involving both extraction and absorption,' Mr Patterson explained. 'It's a one-off opportunity – each cask can only withstand one dive before the pressure permanently alters it.' To ensure authenticity and quality, the spirit from each cask undergoes molecular-level analysis at the Department of Chemistry at the University of Oxford. Mr Patterson added: 'We wanted to go beyond tasting notes and detect for molecular-level changes in the spirit. To do this, samples from each of the casks were tested by the Department of Chemistry at Oxford University using chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. 'The technique measures differences in the compounds found in samples. The results showed a different molecular composition in the processed samples, providing evidence that our process alters the molecular level profile of the spirits compared to control samples.' Each unique cask produces no more than 72 bottles, with every bottle presented in a bespoke waxed-cotton 'paper bag,' designed in collaboration with Canadian fashion designer Charlotte McKeough. "This is something for those who appreciate true rarity, innovation, and a drop of adventure in their glass," Mr Patterson concluded. "It's not just a spirit – Domhayn is a deeply distinctive experience. 'For collectors, connoisseurs and pioneers of taste, we believe Domhayn offers something truly extraordinary.' The first bottle will be auctioned online on Friday April 25 at
BBC News
28-02-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Martin Compston: 'Vegas is lovely but so is Greenock'
It's more than two decades since Martin Compston was cast as the lead in the film Sweet Sixteen, catapulting him from school in Greenock to the Cannes Film barely been out of work since, appearing in Monarch of the Glen, Red Road, A Guide to Recognising Your Saints and Line of 40 and with a family of his own, he divides his time between Greenock and Las the part of architect Martyn in the new Amazon Prime thriller Fear was a perfect fit as it let him work from home. "It's a joy when something like that comes in and you read it and realise it's set in Glasgow and you can work from home."It's one of the brilliant things about this job, getting to travel the world. But you always want to make stuff that the home squad is proud of."The three-part thriller is based on the novel Fear by Dirk Kurbjuweit and adapted for the small screen by Mick concerns a family leaving London for a new life but finding very unsettling things happening around their new home, not least the neighbour in the basement played by Solly McLeod."Everyone can relate to the issue of neighbours," says Martin."All these tiny things – like moving your bins, or parking your car, can become huge in this world and if you throw the things we throw at it…" The cast includes Daniel Portman (Game of Thrones), Anjli Mohindra (Vigil) and Scottish veterans Maureen Beattie and James Cosmo."I've been lucky enough to work with James a few times and he's a legend," says Martin."You believe all the relationships. And that's a big credit to the director and the casting director."The film was made entirely on location in the Park Circus area of Glasgow. The grand town house commanding views across the city plays as important a character in the series as any of the cast."Even for us, exploring five levels of the house was fascinating and then there was a secret level above that where the servants would be, and a coach house. It was a wonderful spot to film."As an industry its great to see how we've grown and how we've cornered the market for gritty drama and urban decay but we have beautiful parts of Glasgow which we've not seen on screen."When I was younger I would go on school trips from Greenock to Kelvingrove art gallery and I'd look at those houses and wonder who lived up there. I've found out it's a lot of Celtic and Rangers players and it was funny trying to do an intense scene and one of my heroes would be out walking their dog." Fear is just the latest show which has allowed Martin to work on his home turf. He's also filmed two seasons of The Rig at FirstStage Studios in Edinburgh, as well as the drama Mayflies and his light-hearted travel series Scottish Fling."I've been really luck to be able to film all these roles in Scotland, meaning I can get home to Greenock at the weekend," he says."A warm Vegas night under the stars is lovely but the view we have from the couch in Greenock where you see these huge cruise ships coming in from all over the world is also amazing."Many of his recent jobs have been for streaming companies like Amazon Prime, which makes Fear and premiered the first episode at the Glasgow Film Festival."There would have been a time a couple of years ago when they would have premiered this in London," says Martin. "But the fact that we're here and part of the film festival, having a Glasgow premiere for a Glasgow audience. It's been a joy to watch our industry grow and be a part of that. And long may that continue." His next job is ITV thriller Red Eye."I'm under no illusions how lucky I am to be given the chance to lead these big shows," he says."There's a lot of running around pretending to be a tough guy."Which sounds a lot like DI Steve Arnott of AC-12 in Line of Duty, which drew to a close in 2021 after six and fellow cast members Vicky McClure and Adrian Dunbar are still close and he frequently catches up with creator Jed Mercurio in the US."I speak to Vicky daily, he says, "and I'm going to the Brits with her. I speak to Adey about football on a weekly basis".But as to a return of the series?"We're all working on different projects so it's about getting time when we're all free and having a story to tell," he says."In another world we'd have pumped out series after series because people were clamouring for it. We'd love to do it at some point but I've just started this, Jed is in America, Adey is booked up, Vicky is booked up. "The most important thing is to have a story to tell. Jed will only do it when he hits on something which gives us a reason be back. Not just for the sake of it."
