TV show filmed in Wakefield starring comedian Tom Allen to air on Channel 4
A TV show filmed in and around Wakefield city centre will air on Channel 4, it has been confirmed.
Comedian Tom Allen filmed the pilot in the city last summer, after asking his social media followers for their recommendations of places to visit.
Staying with a local family, he spent a week exploring the city, before presenting a live comedy show about his experiences at the Theatre Royal Wakefield.
And he has now confirmed that the pilot episode will air on Channel 4 in the coming months.
Speaking on Sunday Breakfast at the weekend, Tom said: “This is a show I did before the lockdown. I kept going to all these wonderful places that I love [on tour] and started to make a show about the places I went to.
“The people there were so amazing and we got to find out about all the brilliant things going on there.”
Tom will unveil his ‘Top Five’ favourite things about the city during the programme, but gave special mention to the city’s famous Pie Shop, National Coal Mining Museum, and history as part of the Rhubarb Triangle.
“I met so many interesting people,” Tom said. “So many fascinating people. We had such a laugh doing it. It’s a beautiful place, we’re very proud of it.”
Announcing the new show last year, Tom took to Twitter to ask for volunteers to serve as his tour guides around the city.
He later tweeted about an “amazing” trip to The Hepworth Wakefield, before encouraging his followers to meet him outside the Cathedral.
And he wasn’t the only famous face to pay a visit, as Spandau Ballet’s Martin Kemp also made an appearance.
The full details of his adventures will be unveiled in Tom Allen Goes to Town, which will air on Channel 4.
Producers Rumpus Media said they hoped the show would be “a heart-warming and funny love letter to regional Britain, celebrating real people in beautiful, unsung places.”
A spokesperson for Channel 4 confirmed that the show would air, but was unable to give a specific date.