Latest news with #UnitedStatesofBirmingham
Telegraph
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Joe Lycett's United States of Birmingham, review: this wacky US travelogue is bostin'
Bostin' locals, Laurence Broderick's shiny brass Bull, that sprawling Spaghetti Junction, bins overflowing with rats and rubbish as far as the eye can see… Ah, Birmingham. With the headlines currently full of horror stories about the Second City's grim state thanks to those pesky strikers, I can't think of a better time for Joe Lycett to present his delightfully daft new travelogue Joe Lycett's United States of Birmingham (Sky Max), in which he visits some of the 13 places in the US that share the name. Lycett 's mission in life, it transpires, is to Big up Birmingham. Never mind shiny awards or hit TV shows – the Solihull native is intent on singing the praises of his home town. In the wake of Trump's presidency – and the uncertain future of Nato – Lycett has had the genius idea (in his eyes, anyway) to recruit community leaders from all the different Birminghams across America to form an alliance. He meets mayors and council leaders around the country, signing 'Treaties of Friendships', trying his luck at shooting ranges and tucking into fried chicken as he goes. Across four episodes, he takes every chance he can get to reiterate Brum's supremacy over similarly-sized UK cities ('No disrespect to Leeds and Manchester and Liverpool, but they are all dumps') as he promotes his ultimate dream: the International Day of Birmingham, to be held annually on the 24 September. For all his silly quips, though, Lycett's mission is a heartfelt one – you can tell he loves where he's from, and for a city as dumped upon (quite literally, at the moment) as Birmingham, it's nice to see it getting its time in the sun. Against a fitting soundtrack of Apache Indian, Dexys Midnight Runners and Black Sabbath, Lycett heads to the 'other' Birminghams: a suburban idyll in New Jersey ('It does have the vibe of Solihull. It's quite well kept, and I bet there's a few Right wingers here'), a remote village in Pennsylvania ('With a bit of the Cotswolds about it') made famous as the site of a Civil War battle and a tiny township in Ohio where he samples a local delicacy involving bacon fat splattered on white bread (a snack that, fittingly, my own British Brummie grandma was prone to enjoy for breakfast in those halcyon days before all anyone wanted was avocados or Ozempic). At one point he bumps into Wayne, a man from Dudley who has swapped the Black Country for a job as a barbecue pit master in Missouri. Fair enough. Lycett rounds off his US trip in Alabama, which has been on his 'to do list since I was a kid'. As Lycett discovers, the two metropolises don't just share a name, with the Deep South city's contribution to history and culture largely overshadowed by their noisy neighbours (sound familiar, Manchester?). He concludes his Brummie odyssey back on home turf, having flown his new American friends (including his hilarious driver, Randy) out to the West Midlands for a look around the world's biggest Primark (of course) and a meal at a local curry house. This isn't Palin. But it's good-hearted fun, and if you're a Brummie too, you might just understand why he's doing it.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
United States of Birmingham airs tonight as Joe Lycett says 'let's celebrate what joins us'
Joe Lycett's new TV show United States of Birmingham is due to air tonight. The proud Brummie wants people to "celebrate what joins us" after visiting scores of other places named Birmingham in America. There are 18 other Birminghams - 17 in the US and one in Canada. And dad-of-one Joe has been to a number of them to gather a 'Treaty of Friendship' between the Birmingham's. READ MORE: Moment Birmingham criminal rams police cars in bid to escape and admits 'it was stupid' READ MORE: Every 'broke' city council asset for sale including pubs and four shops on same street He also believes there are a number of similarities between the UK city and Birmingham, Alabama. Ahead of the show, Joe said: "It's to celebrate not only Birmingham, UK, but all the Birmingham's around the world. "I'd only heard of Birmingham, Alabama, but actually, there are 18 other Birminghams. "(There's) 17 in the US, one in Canada, and I've been to most of them. Brummie icon @joelycett launches his new show, The United States of Birmingham caught up with Joe during filming to find out the first episode at 9pm on @skytv Max! — Bham City Council (@BhamCityCouncil) April 22, 2025 "I've been there to get a 'Treaty of Friendship' signed between our Birmingham, their Birmingham, and all the other Birminghams, creating what we're calling the 'United States of Birmingham.' "The reason I loved it is that I know there's a Birmingham spirit, which is very sort of like we're not noisy. "I know I'm dressed like this, but we're not loud people generally. We're quite sort of humble. "We know we've got a great city, but we're not shouting about it loads and I do like that spirit. "But sometimes I feel like I want people to come here and see how brilliant it is and actually that spirit is shared by most of the Birminghams, particularly Birmingham, Alabama. "When we were there, I was sort of amazed at what they were telling me because it was so similar to Birmingham, UK. "They said that 'we know we're a great city but everyone thinks we're not that great, but we know we're brilliant.' "There are loads of great restaurants, there are loads of brilliant culture, brilliant artists, a brilliant music scene here, there's a great comedy club. "They said they have a great airport, which is really easy to get access to - it's only 15 minutes down the road. "And I was thinking - that sounds like Birmingham, UK, to me. And so we've got a lot that joins us and I think it's important to celebrate that." The first episode in on Sky Max at 9pm tonight, Tuesday, April 22.
Metro
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Joe Lycett calls out dad-shamers for criticism after surprise baby announcement
Joe Lycett has called out people trying to dad-shame him online. Last October, the comedian, 36, announced he'd become a dad with an Instagram post thanking Birmingham Women's Hospital staff for welcoming his son into the world. Since then, Joe's been keen to keep the baby out of the public eye, but while appearing on today's episode of Lorraine – to promote his new series, Joe Lycett's United States of Birmingham – he got candid about parenthood. The host congratulated the Last One Laughing star on becoming a father, saying it was 'absolutely fantastic'. 'Yes! I'm amazed I've strung a sentence together 'cause I'm so underslept,' Joe replied. 'It's so beautiful, the whole thing. It's so hard to not be clichéd when you talk about parenthood because everything everyone says about it is exactly right. 'It's sort of everything, and maddening, and beautiful and yeah. I'm having a lovely time with it; I'm really in love with it. It's great.' After Lorraine Kelly shared a picture of the pair, however, Joe couldn't help but poke fun at people trying to dad shame him on Instagram. 'He's not a potato,' Joe said while pointing at the picture. 'This is what everyone said on Instagram. 'He's not holding the neck right!' The number of people who tell you how to parent.' Lorraine, 65, clearly shared Joe's exasperation, advising that he, 'just tell them to shush. Joe surprised everyone with the news that he and his girlfriend, whom he affectionately calls Denise while keeping her real name a secret, had become parents back in October last year. The popular comedian announced the news on Instagram with a picture of himself holding the baby. 'An appreciation post from me for the extraordinary @bham_womens hospital. My first encounter with them was years ago when they looked after a pal of mine through surgery, and then most recently when they masterfully welcomed a little boy into the world, who happens to be my son,' the caption read. 'The care and compassion his mum and he received was exceptional; from the antenatal classes, incredible midwives, consultants, doctors, nurses and the ongoing care in the community. We also loved their baked potatoes.' 'Birmingham is so lucky to have them, and I will be forever grateful for everything they've done.' The news sparked a degree of confusion online, with many fans wondering if the announcement wasn't one of his trademark pranks. Joe infamously changed his name to Hugo Boss to draw attention to the fashion company's allegedly taking legal action against other smaller companies, costing them thousands in legal fees. Since then, the comedian has pulled off several other high-profile stunts, including one controversial joke where he pretended to shred £10,000 to draw attention to Qatar's stance on LGBTQ+ rights. In the November edition of his newsletter, Joe was forced to confirm that his baby wasn't part of some elaborate gag. 'I just want to say a big thank you to everyone who has been so lovely about my news (you may have seen on Instagram or in the press that I have just welcomed a son), he wrote. 'I'm finding fatherhood to be a total delight.' 'And to confirm, he's defo not a stunt (although I appreciate, I've cried wolf enough that might not be convincing).' Following the baby's birth, Joe appeared on Rob Beckett and Josh Widdicombe's Parenting Hell podcast, where he joked that he'd spent the first few weeks of fatherhood crying and explained how 'immensely proud' he is of Denise, who'd taken to motherhood like a 'duck to water'. During their chat, Joe admitted, however, that one of his pranks had come back to haunt him when he was registering the baby's name. 'When we went to register his name, the registrar said to me, 'Have you been known by any other names?'' More Trending 'I said 'No' then I looked over at my partner and she furrowed her brow, and I went, 'Oh yeah, I was known as a Hugo Boss for a while.'' 'And she had to go into real granular detail, and she said, 'You got lucky because if you were Hugo Boss on your passport, we have to put that on his birth certificate, the father is Joe Lycett, also known as Hugo Boss'. Fortunately for Joe, the passport was rejected because when he signed the form, instead of writing Hugo Boss, he drew something rude, so staff rejected his application. View More » Lorraine airs weekdays at 9 am on ITV1. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: There's one Celebrity Big Brother housemate who's been criminally underrated MORE: Netflix fans need to binge this 'masterpiece' thriller for Bank Holiday Monday MORE: Why is Emmerdale not on tonight? ITV drops soap in Easter schedules
