Joe Lycett’s new career path unveiled as pub landlord for new Channel 4 series
Lycett admits it has been a long-held fantasy of his to run a pub, EastEnders-style… move over Kat Slater
By Aaron Sugg
Comedian Joe Lycett is swapping standup for hospitality as he makes his bid to become a pub landlord for the new Channel 4 series The Lycett Arms.
The show will be set in Lycett’s own East London pub, featuring celebrity guests, conversations and a lot of laughs, featuring a different famous pub manager for a six-week run.
The Lycett Arms will only air once the comedian obtains the required paperwork, undertaking approved training and passing the Level 2 Award for Personal Licence Holders exam.
Lycett admits it has been a long-held fantasy of his to run a pub
The pub will have a unique concept: it will only be open for one hour a week during a live TV broadcast on Channel 4 every Friday at 10pm.
Speaking in a news release, Lycett admits it has been a long-held fantasy of his to run a pub, EastEnders-style… move over Kat Slater.
“I’ve always wanted to run a pub that only exists for an hour a week, for the purposes of a TV concept, and I’m thrilled beyond words to embark on the extended process of applying for a licence to sell and serve alcohol,” said Lycett.
The Lycett Arms will air on Channel 4 every Friday at 10pm
“Filling in government-mandated paperwork has always been a passion of mine, and I only hope that at some point it involves the presentation of at least one form of photographic ID. Pretty much the only disappointment is that in addition to this enthralling form-filling process, I will also have to make a television series, as this is apparently the only way to make the whole tax dodge work,” he continued.
“Nevertheless, I will meet my obligations to sit in front of a camera welcoming celebrities into the pub for great conversations and top comedy, it says here, and generally creating an unmissable event that will brighten your Friday evenings for six weeks. Those are all the words that I have been requested to say. Now I can return my attention to figuring out how to get round being locked out of Gov.uk.”
Tom Beck of Channel 4 welcomed Lycett’s resilience
Tom Beck, head of live events & commissioning editor, Entertainment & Reality at Channel 4, drew on Lycett’s resilience in the context of the “promise of legally binding admin”.
“Joe’s appetite for bureaucracy remains undimmed, and we are delighted that he has agreed to spend Friday nights running a pub that is open for one hour a week, while also reluctantly making what we are legally obliged to describe as a brilliant new live entertainment series.”
The Lycett Arms is produced by Bango Studios and My Options Were Ltd.
As of writing this, there is no official release date. The Lycett Arms will be available to stream on Channel 4 later this year.