Scott Sinclair

Scott Andrew Sinclair (born 25 March 1989) is an English professional footballer who plays as a winger for Celtic. He represented England at youth level, from the under-17s to the under-21s, and also played for Great Britain at the 2012 Olympics.

He started his career with Bristol Rovers, before moving to Chelsea, from where he spent periods on loan at Plymouth Argyle, Queens Park Rangers, Charlton Athletic, Crystal Palace, Birmingham City and Wigan Athletic. In 2010 he signed for Swansea City and in 2012 for Manchester City, who loaned him to West Bromwich Albion and Aston Villa. He joined Villa on a permanent contract in 2015, and moved on to Celtic in August 2016.
Early life
Sinclair was born in Bath, Somerset,[1] where he attended Ralph Allen School.[4] He began his career with Bath Arsenal[5] and grew up supporting Manchester United.[6] Sinclair joined Bristol Rovers at the age of nine.[7] He became the second-youngest (after Ronnie Dix) Bristol Rovers first-team debutant – at the age of 15 years, 277 days – as a late substitute for Junior Agogo in the League Two game against Leyton Orient in December 2004.[8]

Club career
Chelsea
Early career
Chelsea signed Sinclair in July 2005. A Football League tribunal set the compensation to be paid to Bristol Rovers at an initial £200,000, with increments up to a potential £750,000 to be paid if and when the player met various appearance milestones at club or international level. Chelsea would also have to pay Rovers 15% of the profit on any future sale.[9]

Sinclair was called up to Chelsea's squad to play Macclesfield Town in the FA Cup on 6 January 2007 but remained on the bench.[10] His debut came four days later as a very late substitute in the 2007 League Cup semi-final against Wycombe Wanderers.[11] He scored his first goal for Chelsea in September 2007, in the 37th minute of the League Cup third-round match against Hull City to help Chelsea win 4–0.[12] He provided the assist for Frank Lampard's 100th goal for Chelsea, in a 3–1 victory over Huddersfield Town in the FA Cup.[13] He made his league debut for Chelsea on 6 May 2007, when he came off the bench to replace Shaun Wright-Phillips for the final ten minutes of the game against Arsenal.[14]

During the January transfer window, Sinclair was signed on a month's loan by Plymouth Argyle, whose manager Ian Holloway had noticed him as a ten-year-old prospect at former club Bristol Rovers.[15] He made his debut as a substitute in the 3–2 victory over Coventry City at Home Park.[14] In his second game, the FA Cup fourth-round tie against Barnet, he scored a fine individual goal to seal a 2–0 victory, taking the ball half the length of the pitch before beating the goalkeeper and scoring a smashing goal.[16]

Sinclair also scored against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux to put Plymouth 1–0 up in the game, which they drew 2–2.[17]

On 17 February 2007, Sinclair scored the second goal, with a looping header from a David Norris cross, as Argyle defeated Derby County 2–0 in their FA Cup fifth-round tie.[18] This result put the club through to the last eight for the first time since 1984.[19] He played in the quarter-final, but Plymouth went down 1–0 to Watford and he was substituted in the second half of the game.[20]

On 17 March, Sinclair ran from his own half past two defenders before hitting the ball in off the crossbar to score the only goal of the home match against Crystal Palace.[21]

Later career
On 6 May 2007, Sinclair was named in the Chelsea squad to face Arsenal in one of Chelsea's most crucial matches of the season: anything but a win would have handed Manchester United the Premier League title. Sinclair came on as a substitute for Shaun Wright-Phillips but was unable to stop Chelsea drawing 1–1.[22] Sinclair made his first start for Chelsea in the following Premier League game, against Manchester United at Stamford Bridge, and suffered a broken metatarsal after a challenge from Wes Brown.[23]

Sinclair signed a new four-year deal on 15 August 2007.[24] He was given squad number 17 for the new season,[25] and made his first appearance as a late substitute in the 2007 FA Community Shield against Manchester United.[26] On 25 September, he scored his first senior goal for the club in a 4–0 win against Hull City in the League Cup.[27] He was picked in the starting eleven against Leicester City in the fourth round of the League Cup; he was involved in Chelsea's first two goals and his shot was turned onto the post by Leicester's goalkeeper.[28]

Queens Park Rangers reportedly "beat off stiff competition from eight other Championship clubs" to sign Sinclair on loan for a month from 6 November 2007.[29] Sinclair's last goal for Plymouth had been against Crystal Palace, and he followed this up by scoring his first for QPR against the same club.[30]

He played four times for Chelsea on his return,[26] before going out on loan again in February 2008. Ian Holloway, who had managed Sinclair at Plymouth Argyle, wanted to take the player to Leicester City, but Chelsea wanted him to join a club which was nearer the top of the table.[31] On 28 February, Sinclair joined Charlton Athletic on loan until the end of the season.[32] Finding his first team opportunities limited at Charlton, he made just three appearances off the bench and the loan was terminated after a month.[33]

On 27 March, Sinclair joined Crystal Palace on loan until the end of the season.[33] He scored twice, against Hull[34] and Burnley,[35] in six appearances and helped Palace to finish fifth in the Championship. Sinclair played in the play-off semi-finals, in which Palace lost to Bristol City
Sinclair was offered a chance by new Chelsea manager Luiz Felipe Scolari to prove himself as a first-team player, although he still played in most of the Reserves' matches. On 8 August 2008, Sinclair was handed the number 16 for Chelsea, swapping with José Bosingwa (who wore 16 during pre-season) who was given Sinclair's previous number 17. He was the second youngest player in the Chelsea first team for the season, older than the youngest, striker Franco Di Santo, by 13 days. He made his first league appearance of the season at Middlesbrough on 18 October in Chelsea's 5–0 win.

In January 2009, Sinclair joined Championship club Birmingham City on loan for an initial period of one month,[36] which was later extended to the remainder of the 2008–09 season.[37] He made 14 appearances for the club, and returned to Chelsea on 4 May.[38]

Interim Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink named Sinclair among the substitutes for the match against Blackburn Rovers on 17 May, but he did not play.[39] New coach Carlo Ancelotti included him in the squad that travelled to the United States for a pre-season tour, where he featured in two matches.[40][41]

Sinclair joined Premier League club Wigan Athletic on 6 August 2009 on loan for the 2009–10 season.[42] He scored his first goal for Wigan in a 2–1 defeat at Hull City on 3 October,[43] and his second, again against Hull, in the FA Cup on 2 January 2010.[44]

Swansea City
In summer 2010, Sinclair was linked with a move to Blackpool, who had recently been promoted to the Premier League under Ian Holloway, but no move materialised.[45]

He signed a three-year deal with Championship club Swansea City on 9 August 2010 for a £500,000 fee, with the potential for the fee to rise to £1 million depending on the club's future success.[46][47] He made his debut in a 4–0 win against Preston North End on 14 August, during which he had a goal disallowed.[48] He scored his first goal for the club against Tranmere Rovers in the League Cup, and his first League goal for Swansea was scored on 28 August in the 1–0 home win against recently relegated Burnley.[49]

Sinclair scored his first career hat-trick on 21 September in a 3–1 League Cup win against Peterborough United.[50] A brace against Leeds United on 26 February 2011 took his goal tally for the season to 21.[49] Swansea qualified for the end-of-season play-offs and reached the final, played at Wembley Stadium on 30 May. In a "pulsating" match against Reading, Sinclair scored a hat-trick that included two penalties as Swansea won 4–2.[51][52] The result meant a return to the top division of English football for the club, having been relegated from the old First Division in 1982–83, and they became the first Welsh club to reach the Premier League.[51]

Sinclair scored Swansea's first Premier League goal on 17 September 2011 with a penalty in a 3–0 win against West Bromwich Albion.[53] He became Swansea's main penalty taker, scoring penalties against Stoke City,[54] Bolton Wanderers,[55] Fulham and Arsenal.[56] On 31 January 2012, Sinclair scored against his former club Chelsea, in a game that ended in a 1–1 draw.[57] After scoring 13 penalties since joining the club, his streak ended on 15 March when Manchester City's Joe Hart saved his attempt. Swansea won the match 1–0, and Sinclair said he was still willing to continue taking Swansea's penalties.[58]

With one season remaining on his contract with Swansea, it was confirmed on 17 August that Sinclair would not be signing a new deal with the club.[59] On the opening day of the 2012–13 season, he scored in a substitute appearance as Swansea beat Queens Park Rangers 5–0 at Loftus Road.[60]

Manchester City
Sinclair signed a four-year contract with champions Manchester City on 31 August 2012, moving from Swansea for a reported transfer fee of £8 million, including add-ons.[61] He was given the number 11 shirt and made his debut on 15 September, playing 74 minutes of a 1–1 draw away to Stoke City.[60][62]

He started against Arsenal on 23 September, coming off at half-time, and was thereafter relegated to the bench. He made only one further start all season, away at Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League group stage on 4 December, with both teams' final position already decided. His 12 other appearances that season were all coming on late from the bench.[63] His final appearance of the season came as an 83rd-minute substitute on 21 April 2013, in a 3–1 loss away to Tottenham Hotspur.[60] On 8 May, he had surgery on a blood clot in his shoulder, ending a frustrating season in which he played only 190 minutes of league football, after which he suggested that manager Roberto Mancini had not given him a fair chance.[64][65]

Sinclair joined West Bromwich Albion on 22 August 2013 on a season-long loan, with the option to complete a permanent deal.[66] Sinclair found it hard to break in the team, mostly playing in reserve team matches.[67]

Aston Villa
On 30 January 2015, after failing to break into the Manchester City starting eleven, Sinclair joined Aston Villa for the remainder of the season on loan.[68] He made his debut in a 5–0 defeat at Arsenal on 1 February, replacing Andreas Weimann after 65 minutes.[69] Sinclair scored his first goal for Villa after 89 minutes of a 2–1 win in the fifth round of the FA Cup against Leicester City on 15 February,[70] and six days later, scored their only goal in a 2–1 defeat at home to Stoke City.[71] He scored again in Villa's 2–0 FA Cup quarter-final victory over local rivals West Brom.[72]

On 19 May 2015, after Villa had secured Premier League safety, it was announced that Sinclair would be joining on a permanent basis at the end of the season for an undisclosed fee, reported as £2.5 million, signing a four-year contract.[73] He said that, "This is the happiest I have been in a long time."[74][75]

On 25 August 2015, Sinclair scored a hat-trick against Notts County in a 5–3 victory for the home side in the second round of the League Cup.[76] Four days later, in the Premier League, Sinclair scored both goals for Villa in a 2–2 draw with Sunderland.[77]

Celtic
On 7 August 2016, Sinclair signed a four-year deal with Scottish Premiership champions Celtic.[78] He made his debut later that day, coming on as a substitute for Stuart Armstrong against Hearts, and scored the winner in the 81st minute, slotting in Leigh Griffiths' cross to put Celtic 2–1 ahead.[79] On 18 September, Sinclair became the first Celtic player since Jimmy McGrory in 1922 to score in each of his first five league matches.[80]

Sinclair scored his first Celtic hat-trick on 2 April 2017, as the Hoops beat Hearts 5–0 at Tynecastle to wrap up a sixth consecutive Scottish league title.[81] On 30 April, Sinclair was voted Player of the Year and Player's Player of the Year at Celtic's Player of the Year Awards.[82] Afterwards, he told the club's website: "This is the best time and the happiest time in my career right now. To have the connection with the fans and all of them who voted for me, it just means so much to me."[82]

In May 2019, Celtic exercised a clause in Sinclair's contract to keep him at the club for a further season.[83]

International career
Sinclair was selected for the England under-19s for their matches during October 2007, but, together with Andy Carroll and Ryan Bertrand, he was sent home after breaking a team curfew.[84]

England U21s
On 12 November 2010, Sinclair was called up for the England under-21s for their friendly against the German under-21s. He earned his first cap playing in this friendly where England lost 2–0. In May 2011, Sinclair was named in the England squad for the Under-21 European Championships.[85]

John Barnes, the former Jamaica coach, tried to convince Sinclair to play for the Jamaica senior team.[86]

Great Britain Olympic football team
On 2 July 2012, Sinclair was named in Stuart Pearce's 18-man squad for the 2012 Olympics.[87] He scored the second goal in Team GB's second game of the tournament, against the United Arab Emirates.

Personal life
Sinclair's brother Martin has cerebral palsy, and was selected in the Great Britain Cerebral Palsy football team for the 2012 Summer Paralympics.[88] His younger brother Jake is also a footballer and plays for Mangotsfield United.[89]

Sinclair became engaged to actress Helen Flanagan on 31 May 2018.[90] They have two daughters

Northern Rail

Northern (legal name Arriva Rail North Limited[1]) is a train operating company in Northern England which began operating the Northern franchise on 1 April 2016 and inherited units from the previous operator Northern Rail. A subsidiary of Arriva UK Trains, Northern is the largest train franchise in the United Kingdom in terms of the size of the network and the number of weekly services run; its trains call at 528 stations – about a quarter of all stations in the country - of these stations 476 are operated by Northern. [2]

Central to franchise commitments will be a £500 million investment in 101 new-built units – the diesel Class 195 and electric Class 331.[3] Introduced into service in July 2019,[4] these will be the first new-build trains for the Northern franchise since the introduction of the Class 333 in 2000 with further orders possible if the new units encourage passenger growth and improve passenger satisfaction.[5] The new rolling stock will enable all Pacer trains to be retired by June 2020. Additional commitments include the introduction of Class 769 bi-mode trains in March 2020, retirement of the Class 319s which are to be replaced by upgraded Class 323s by 2021 and 22 additional diesel units by 2022.[6] It is also planned that a franchise sub-brand, known as Northern Connect, will provide inter-urban services between major cities and towns in Northern England, as well as serving a number of major commuting stations.

Since the franchise began in April 2016, it has been beset by worsening punctuality,[7][8] perceived poor customer service,[9] frequent industrial action by staff,[10] and delays in introducing new rolling stock.[11] The franchise will run to 2025 with an option for an additional year which is dependent on performance.

The future of the franchise is currently being reviewed by the Department for Transport (DfT) and it is expected that the franchise in its existing legal entity will end in 2020,[12][13][14] As part of a strategy to counter poor punctuality and generate passenger growth, the franchise will either become a short-term management contract operated with a revised timetable or operated by the Operator of Last Resort (DOHL).[15][16] The franchise could also be split up into separate 'West' and 'East' franchises
History
In August 2014, the Department for Transport announced that Abellio, Arriva and Govia had been shortlisted to bid for the next Northern franchise.[18][19] The franchise was awarded to Arriva in December 2015.[20]

In May 2016, the Competition and Markets Authority launched an investigation into the transport department's decision to award the Northern network to Arriva.[21] Arriva operated the CrossCountry franchise and owned many bus companies in the Northern trains operating area in which 'a significant overlap occurs without competition from other service providers.'[22]

Penalty fares
As part of the new Franchise Agreement agreed in 2016, the Department for Transport required the introduction of a penalty fare scheme across 60% of the Northern network by the end of 2019 and across the entire network by the end of 2022.[23][irrelevant citation] The scheme aimed to reduce ticketless travel to less than 4.3% by March 2020 and 3.2% by March 2025.[23] In April 2018, a penalty fare scheme under the Railways (Penalty Fares) Regulations 2018 commenced to encourage passengers to purchase a ticket before boarding trains.

As ticket machines at Northern managed stations do not accept cash, a 'Promise to Pay' notice system (similar to the Permit to Travel ticketing system) is in operation. Customers who wish to purchase a ticket at an unmanned station of origin (i.e. either a closed, or no ticket office) with cash are required to collect a 'Promise to Pay' notice prior to boarding from a ticket machine. These notices can then be exchanged with the on-board conductor or with a member of railway staff at the destination station for a paid ticket.[24] Section 6 of the Railways (Penalty Fares) Regulations 2018 also covers a number of scenarios that prohibit penalty fares being issued such 'no facilities in operation for the sale of a travel ticket for that passenger's journey'.[25]

May 2018 timetable recast
The franchise was widely criticised for implementing a new timetable in May 2018 which resulted in widespread delays and cancellations.[29][30] Network Rail and Northern announced an independent inquiry to learn lessons and identify route alterations in readiness for the next timetable change in December 2018.[31] In an attempt to counter operational problems, Northern implemented an emergency timetable on 4 June 2018[32] – it stemmed some delays and cancellations but was still problematic compared with performance before the timetable change.

Punctuality was particularly bad in the North West due to the delay in the Blackpool–Preston electrification scheme, and the number of trains per hour through Manchester increased, with more trains using the Ordsall Chord which became operational in December 2017. Network Rail only informed train operating companies in January 2018 that the electrification scheme would be delayed until November; Northern had planned for the scheme to be complete as scheduled by May 2018 (it had already been postponed from Autumn 2017) and had trained drivers to operate new routes with electric rolling stock. Consequently, an alternative timetable had to be drafted up, and many train drivers were not sufficiently trained to drive the existing diesel rolling stock; this resulted in widespread cancellations.[33] Furthermore, the additional services through the Manchester corridor resulted in increased congestion, and this had a knock-on effect.[34] Performance statistics published by the Office of Rail and Road in October 2018 showed that from April to June 2018, the franchise recorded the lowest PPM – measured by train service departing within 5 minutes of its scheduled time – of any quarter since punctuality records began on the Northern franchise in 2009.[35]

Performance later in 2018 continued to be poor, with many passengers protesting and a reduced service on Saturdays due to industrial action.[36][37] In October 2018 it was announced that Manchester Oxford Road station, the busiest station managed by Northern with over 8 million passengers, was the most delayed station in the United Kingdom in 2018 – this was attributed to the chaos following the May 2018 timetable.[38][39] Between 14 October and 10 November 2018, Northern recorded the worst monthly performance on record, with more trains late than on time. Less than 40% of services arrived on time (defined as services arriving within 59 seconds of the planned arrival time) and only 71.9% departed within 5 minutes of the scheduled departure time.[40]

By November 2018, Arriva were re-evaluating their future involvement in the franchise due to a combination of declining passenger numbers as a result of the chaotic May 2018 timetable change and increasing compensation claims as a result of falling punctuality.[41] Both have pushed the franchise into financial losses and face[clarification needed] a £282 million government subsidy shortfall which was due to be passed onto the franchise.[42] Since the franchise commenced in April 2016 and despite an increase of 1,500 more weekly services transferred to Northern's operational remit, Northern has achieved no growth in passenger numbers.[43] Between April and June 2018, the franchise suffered a 2.4% decline in passenger numbers compared with the previous year. Of the 22 train operating companies in the United Kingdom to record a fall in passengers, Northern were one of only three franchises to record a year-on-year drop in passenger numbers in 2017–18.[44]

Statistics published in December 2018 showed that between April 2017 and March 2018, many Northern managed stations recorded a drop in passengers – this period did not include the May 2018 timetable change or the increased Saturday strikes by conductors.[45][clarification needed] The Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, also reported that the failing railways in the region was resulting in increased congestion on the roads and Metrolink system, as passengers were abandoning the rail service as it had become less reliable since May 2018.[46] To counter continuing poor performance and encourage improved punctuality, the window for which passengers can claim compensation for delayed services was reduced from 30 minutes to 15 minutes from 17 December 2018.[47]

Minor changes were implemented in the December 2018 timetable change. However Northern said they did not expect a reliable service to be implemented until the May 2019 timetable change; it was expected that by this time there would be new rolling stock in service with the Class 195 and Class 331, newly electrified lines operational which would alleviate the shortage of diesel rolling stock in the Northern fleet and most notably operational flaws with the May 2018 timetable ironed out as part of better optimised timetable in May 2019.[48]

May 2019 and new trains
In May 2019, further Northern Connect services were introduced, namely the Chester to Leeds service[49] and the revised Manchester Airport to Barrow/Windermere service, to run via Wigan North Western. They also introduced an hourly service from Hull to Scarborough, doubling the service frequency on the Bridlington–Scarborough section of the line.

However the May 2019 timetable does not include some of the improvements included in the original franchise agreement, such as a half-hourly service from Greenbank, Northwich, Knutsford and Altrincham to Stockport and Manchester; the additional Macclesfield and Poynton to Manchester and Blackpool service; or enhanced Sunday services.[50][51][52] The Transport Secretary, Chris Grayling, responded that "both Northern and Network Rail feel the additional paths cannot be accommodated without adversely affecting the reliability of other services on the network".[53]

In June 2019, the Operator of Last Resort (managed by the Department for Transport) conducted due diligence into the franchise believing the both operational and financial performance to be "unsustainable".[54] The Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, overtly demanded that the franchise be terminated as Northern have not delivered legally-binding franchise requirements as agreed in 2016 when the franchise commenced – citing disproportionate number of cancelled services, inability to deliver a full Sunday service due to a lack of drivers and failure to deliver new services.[55]

On 1 July 2019, the first nine units – seven Class 195 units and two Class 331 units – were introduced with a further 93 units to be introduced over the following 12 months. The initial roll-out commenced on three routes: Manchester Airport to Liverpool Lime Street and Barrow/Windermere and Leeds to Doncaster.[56]

Future
The franchise made a £21 million profit in 2016-17 and an £11.7 million profit in 2017-18 - a figure which does not include the fallout from the May 2018 timetable chaos.[57] At the start of the franchise, it was agreed that there would be a taxpayer subsidy of £275m in its first year and £260 in its third year - although Northern had received slightly more due to promised infrastructure improvements which the government had failed to deliver such as platforms 15 and 16 at Manchester Piccadilly which would have created a new path for the franchise to Manchester Airport. This subsidy was intended to fall sharply in 2020 to £221 million and by the end of the franchise in 2025 it would only receive £39 million.[58]

The fall in subsidy over the franchise is likely to push Arriva into a loss; The Times reported in summer 2019 that the Department of Transport viewed the franchise as "unsustainable" and were readying an Operator of Last Resort (OoLR) in the event the franchise collapses.[59] The government and franchisee adopted a strategy of investing in new trains to attract new passengers to gradually reduce the subsidy over a long-term period - however the franchise has struggled to increase passenger numbers, a challenge exacerbated by the fallout from the chaotic May 2018 timetable change.

It was confirmed in October 2019 that the Department of Transport were formulating a stabilisation strategy for the franchise which could entail supervising its workings whilst letting Arriva operate the day-to-day services - an arrangement akin to special measures.[60] Grant Shapps, the Transport Secretary, was critical of regular Sunday cancellations given Arriva had committed to legally adhere to ensuring minimum service requirements as part of the franchise agreement.[citation needed]

Following this announcement Arriva Trains UK expressed its regret and had adopted the view that 'collective system inability' had rendered the 2015 franchise agreement invalid.[61] They referenced infrastructure upgrades which were reneged upon by the Department for Transport and unworkable timetabling by Network Rail - illustrated by consistent delays on the certain routes.[61]

In November 2019, it was reported Arriva were a target of a takeover but that the Northern franchise would not be included in such a deal.[62] In the same month, Rail magazine cautioned against an Operator of Last Resort (OLR), arguing that problems ran far deeper than just Northern and OLR would not be a panacea - citing Network Rail implementing a timetable with little resilience against delays, the Department of Transport (DfT) not releasing funding for infrastructure upgrades and interfering local mayors.[63]

In January 2020, Shapps spoke again to criticise Arriva's operation of the Northern franchise and suggested that the Government may step in to revoke Arriva's franchise agreement, calling the service "completely unacceptable".[64]

Services
Main article: List of Northern (train operating company) routes
Northern took over all the services operated by Northern Rail (also branded Northern) on 1 April 2016[65] and on the same date, services between Manchester Airport and Blackpool North, Manchester Airport and Barrow in Furness and Oxenholme to Windermere from First TransPennine Express.[66]

Northern took over responsibility for all the stations managed by Northern Rail, as well as Arnside, Barrow-in-Furness, Birchwood, Burneside, Carnforth, Grange-over-Sands, Kendal, Staveley, Ulverston, Warrington Central and Windermere from First TransPennine Express.[66] Northern will staff some currently unstaffed stations. The first stations to be staffed will be Baildon and Ben Rhydding,[67] both in West Yorkshire.

Northern has committed to introducing free Wi-Fi on trains, and new ticketing options including the ability for customers to print their own tickets.[68] Arriva will provide new services across the North of England.[69]

The Cleethorpes to Barton-on-Humber service was due to be transferred to East Midlands Railway in August 2019 but will now not transfer until December 2019 .[66][70][71] The transfer will include Barrow Haven, Barton upon Humber, Goxhill, Great Coates, Grimsby Docks, Habrough, Healing, New Clee, New Holland, Stallingborough, Thornton Abbey and Ulceby stations.

On 1 July 2016, the business was divided into four regions, each headed up by a regional director:[72]

Central – regional director based in Manchester
East – regional director based in Leeds
North East – regional director based in Newcastle upon Tyne
West – regional director based in Preston
Table of off-peak services
Below is a list of off-peak services, per the 30 June – 14 December 2019 timetables.[73] It has been slightly simplified due to some routes' irregular service pattern. Due to the extensive nature of the network, it has been split by geographic area. Some services are listed in more than one place. Northern Connect lines are marked with their colour next to their route.

هوليوكس

هوليوكس (بالإنجليزية: Hollyoaks) هو مسلسل دراما تم إنتاجه في المملكة المتحدة. بدأ عرضه في سنة 1995 على القناة الرابعة البريطانية. بلغ عدد حلقاته 4720 حلقة، وتبلغ مدة الحلقة الواحدة 30 دقيقة. تم بث المسلسل لأول مرة بتاريخ 23 أكتوبر 1995. من بطولة روس آدامز. تقع أحداث المسلسل في ضاحية خيالية في تشيستر تدعى هوليوكس، ويضم مجموعة كبيرة من الشخصيات والذين تتراوح أعمارهم بين 16 و 35. تم تصوير أغلب المسلسل وإنتاجها في ليفربول.

Hollyoaks

Hollyoaks is a British soap opera which has been broadcast on Channel 4 since 23 October 1995. It was devised by Phil Redmond, who had also conceived the Channel 4 soap Brookside. The programme is set in the fictional village of Hollyoaks, a suburb of Chester, and is filmed at Lime Pictures in Childwall, Liverpool.

When Hollyoaks premiered, it aired just one episode weekly; it now airs five episodes a week. At its inception, the soap was targeted towards an adolescent and young adult audience, but now has broadened its appeal to all age groups. It has famously covered many taboo subjects rarely seen on British television. Beginning with a cast of fourteen characters, the serial now has upwards of fifty cast members. The longest-serving cast member is Nick Pickard, who plays Tony Hutchinson and has done since the very first episode.

The programme has won 39 British Soap Awards, 18 Inside Soap Awards, one TRIC Award and one National Television Award. Hollyoaks has won the award for "Best British Soap" at the British Soap Awards twice, in 2014 and 2019. Its win in 2014 broke the 15-year draw between rival soaps EastEnders and Coronation Street.
Production
Hollyoaks is produced by Lime Pictures (formerly known as 'Mersey Television' prior to its takeover by All3Media) and is filmed mainly at studios in Childwall, Liverpool.
Production team
Bryan Kirkwood joined the show as executive producer in 2006, but left three years later to become producer of EastEnders. After he left his role in 2009, a number of producers worked on the show, resulting in a number of creative reinventions and changes in direction during this time. Lucy Allan was named as Kirkwood's successor. In 2010, Allan announced she was to step down from the series after only a year, being replaced by Paul Marquess. Speaking of her decision, Allan stated: "I am very proud to have been part of the Hollyoaks team. I've had a fantastic time working on this show but am now equally excited about what the future will hold."[3] On his upcoming role of series producer, Marquess said: "Taking up this position at Lime Pictures feels like I'm going home, as I began my career working with both Carolyn [Reynolds] and Tony [Wood] at Granada and my first major project was Brookside at Mersey Television. I'm a huge soap fan so to be handed the reins of Channel 4's flagship teen drama is not only a huge challenge but also a massive honour."[3] Lime Pictures creative director Tony Wood added: "I'd like to thank Lucy Allan for making such a contribution to Hollyoaks over the years and wish her well for the future. It's very exciting to be working with Paul Marquess again. He's one of the best showrunners in the business. This is a brilliant appointment for Hollyoaks."[3] Only one day after being announced as the new producer, Marquess began work on the soap opera.[4] A Channel 4 spokesperson stated: "It's all been a very quick turnaround at the top. It was announced in January 2011 that Marquess would leave his role as series producer and would be succeeded by Hollyoaks production team member Gareth Philips.[5] Discussing the news, Philips said: "I have really enjoyed working in the script team at Hollyoaks and it will be a huge honour to take the reins of Channel 4's flagship youth drama. I am very excited about taking the show even further this year with more compelling and brave stories."[5] Emma Smithwick later replaced Philips in autumn 2011.[6] In late-September 2012, it was announced that Bryan Kirkwood would be returning to Hollyoaks, replacing Emma Smithwick.[7]

Characters
See also: List of Hollyoaks characters
When the show was created in 1995, it featured fourteen characters: the Benson siblings Kurt (Jeremy Edwards), Ollie (Paul Leyshon) and Lucy (Kerrie Taylor); the Andersen family – sisters Sarah (Anna Martland) and Natasha (Shebah Ronay) and their father Greg (Alvin Stardust); the Cunningham family which included Dawn Cunningham (Lisa Williamson), her mother Angela (Liz Stooke) and Angela's boyfriend Terry Williams (Ian Puleston-Davies); and teen characters, Julie Matthews (Julie Buckfield), Tony Hutchinson (Nick Pickard), Jambo Bolton (Will Mellor), Louise Taylor (Brett O'Brien) and Maddie Parker (Yasmin Bannerman).

Characters such as Brendan Brady, Mitzeee, Jacqui McQueen, Craig Dean, Ste Hay, Mercedes McQueen, Sienna Blake and Warren Fox are known as some of the most popular characters of the shows history, while characters like Gabby Sharpe, Will Savage, Govinda Roy, Freddie Roscoe, Mac Nightingale and Breda McQueen have been widely criticized. The show has also had many types of characters, including its troubled teens such as Sol Patrick, Justin Burton, Ste Hay, Michaela McQueen, Amy Barnes, Robbie Roscoe and Prince McQueen, villains such as Rob Hawthorne, Niall Rafferty, Brendan Brady, Sienna Blake, James Nightingale, Cameron Campbell, Glenn Donovan and Breda McQueen, "bad boy" club owners such as Scott Anderson, Trevor Royle, Warren Fox and Liam Donovan, vixens such as Cindy Cunningham, Ruth Osborne, Louise Summers, Porsche McQueen, Leela Lomax, Grace Black and Lisa Loveday, "bitches" like Sienna Blake, Jude Cunningham, Mercedes McQueen, Kate Patrick, Maddie Morrison, Cindy Cunningham, Natalie Osborne and Darcy Wilde, businessmen such as Tony Hutchinson, Darren Osborne, Gordon Cunningham, Neville Ashworth, Dirk Savage and Joe Roscoe, psychopaths such as Nico Blake, Silas Blissett, Toby Mills, Will Savage, Lindsey Butterfield, Clare Devine and Paul Browning, sweethearts such as Mandy Richardson, Carmel Valentine, Hannah Ashworth, Neeta Kaur, Sarah Barnes, Celine McQueen and Liberty Savage; comedic characters, like Rhys Ashworth, Scott Drinkwell, Rory Finnigan, Lee Hunter, Tony Hutchinson, Carmel Valentine, Myra McQueen, Liberty Savage, Ziggy Roscoe, Goldie McQueen and Yasmine Maalik; female characters who struggle to handle tragedy - "eternal victims" and "endless sufferers", like Jacqui McQueen, Tegan Lomax, Maxine Minniver, Esther Bloom, Lisa Hunter and Phoebe McQueen, idiots such as Rhys Ashworth, Bart McQueen, Carmel Valentine, Theresa McQueen, Maxine Minniver, Darren Osborne and Ziggy Roscoe; and comedy double acts, with the most notable one being Max Cunningham and Sam "OB" O'Brien who proved popular with fans. Other comedy double acts have included David "Bombhead" Burke and Lee Hunter, Rhys Ashworth and Gilly Roach, Josh Ashworth and Jamie "Fletch" Fletcher, Ricky Campbell and Duncan Button, Darren Osborne and Tony Hutchinson and Brody Hudson and Damon Kinsella. Other characters including Grace Black, Carmel Valentine, Brody Hudson, James Nightingale, Celine McQueen, Lynsey Nolan, Luke Morgan, Darren Osborne, Oliver Morgan, Robbie Roscoe, Freddie Roscoe, Trevor Royle, Steph Roach and Dodger Savage are popular characters and "Old school" favorites include, Natasha Andersen, Kurt Benson, Lucy Benson, Jambo Bolton, Dawn Cunningham, Jude Cunningham, Tony Hutchinson, Geri Hudson, Ruth Osborne, Lewis Richardson and Mandy Richardson.

Hollyoaks is also known for its sexy characters including Dodger Savage, Mercedes McQueen, Carmel Valentine, Theresa McQueen, Sarah Barnes, Calvin Valentine, Darren Osborne, Ste Hay, Joe Roscoe, Ziggy Roscoe, Cameron Campbell, Holly Cunningham, Ellie Nightingale, Harry Thompson, Brody Hudson, Prince McQueen and Sylver McQueen.

Hollyoaks has been groundbreaking in featuring several transgender characters, starting in 2010 with Jason Costello, a young trans man played by actress Victoria Atkin. Trans-woman Blessing Chambers (Modupe Adeyeye) joined the cast in 2014, appearing for nine months. Annie Wallace joined the cast as the new headteacher of Hollyoaks High, Sally St. Claire less than a year after Adeyeye's departure, marking the first trans actress to be cast in a regular role in a British soap opera. The show has also featured several characters with disabilities such as Hayley Ramsey (Guillain–Barré syndrome), Courtney Campbell (paralysis) and Brooke Hathaway (Autism).

However, college and HCC students often feature in many controversial storylines. These students include Natasha Andersen, Tony Hutchinson, Kurt Benson, Kris Fisher, Jessica Harris, Zoe Carpenter, Mel Burton, Olivia Johnson, Joe Spencer, Justin Burton, Nancy Hayton, John Paul McQueen, Sarah Barnes, Hannah Ashworth, Craig Dean, Ash Kane, Annalise Appleton, Rob Edwards, Barney Harper-McBride, Oliver Morgan, Imran Maalik, Juliet Quinn and Brooke Hathaway as well as Sixth Form students Maddie Morrison, Martin "Jono" Johnson, Esther Bloom, Ruby Button, George Smith, Callum Kane, Tilly Evans, Neil Cooper, Sinead O'Connor, Finn O'Connor, Phoebe McQueen, Jason Roscoe, Holly Cunningham, Tom Cunningham, Peri Lomax, Zack Loveday, Dylan Jenkins, Nico Blake, Cleo McQueen and Harry Thompson.

Opening titles and tune
On 26 February 2007, the programme launched a revamped title sequence with a faster version of the theme tune. This new sequence regularly underwent minor changes, usually caused by characters leaving or joining the programme.
The original style of this sequence has changed on many occasions. March 2008 saw an updated "style" to the titles, with a purple background and new character segments; 26 December 2008 saw the background changed from purple to black (similar to that of the Hollyoaks Later series one titles); and then a change on 1 June 2009 saw the pink and blue lettering changed to monochrome, and the characters shown in full colour before and after the advert segments.

It was announced on 19 June 2010 that new titles with a new theme tune, which was reportedly "slowed right down", would be used in new series producer Paul Marquess' first episode, which aired on 5 July 2010.[8] However, on 2 July, the titles were delayed for one week.[9] The titles were then delayed for a second time due to "technical difficulties". On 10 September 2010, Channel 4 confirmed the new Hollyoaks titles and theme music would air from 13 September.[10] However, the titles were different from pictures of filming of the original credits, suggesting a reshoot was the reason for the delay. Marquess commented: "We're very excited about the new titles that the viewers will see on Channel 4 on Monday. They're glossy, contemporary and very Hollyoaks." He then apologised for the delay, saying: "We're sorry to the fans who have been waiting to see them, but they've taken a while to perfect. I'm very happy with them and I hope that the fans like the new-look show."[10]

In 2013, the theme tune was altered and extended to feature more characters. The theme tune was extended again in 2015 to feature the Nightingale family. The new titles that Marquess introduced continued to appear until September 2016, with minor changes made regularly between them. When characters depart the show, they are removed from the titles and when a new character is introduced, they are added into the titles. To celebrate the show's eighteenth and twentieth anniversaries, the colour of the titles were slightly adjusted for the week in which they celebrated the respective anniversaries. The show's 2014 and 2015 Christmas episodes saw the title background changed to a red Christmas-themed background. To coincide with the 2015 'Gloved Hand Killer' "whodunit" storyline, five suspects of the storyline's title cards flashed red.

It was announced in August 2016 that a new title sequence would begin airing from 5 September 2016 which would launch the show's "action-packed Autumn storyline".[11] The new title sequence features shots of characters on the show's set. Executive producer Bryan Kirkwood said of the titles, "I am thrilled with the new titles. I think they are vibrant, fun and glossy and from the first opening guitar riff feel completely Hollyoaks."[11] Shots from the new title sequence included Ste Hay (Kieron Richardson) riding a carousel with his children, Leah Barnes (Ela-May Dermican) and Lucas Hay (William Hall), Sienna Blake (Anna Passey) lying on a bed of petals, and Mercedes McQueen (Jennifer Metcalfe) appearing in the village dressed in a "striking red dress".[11] On 13 May 2019, a brand-new title sequence, as well as altered theme music, was launched; for the new sequence, a "family theme, putting each of the soap's iconic families front and centre" are seen on the series' set.[12]

Alternative closing theme
This is a piece of music which plays over the closing credits of an emotional episode. It was first heard on 1 February 2013. Over the years, Hollyoaks has been known for changing its normal upbeat closing credits for more downbeat episodes. Normally when a character is killed or left in jeopardy silent credits are used and on occasion music used in the final scene is sometimes left playing during the credits, recent times have seen a change, with the 'Piano Closing Theme' being used more. Bryan Kirkwood confirmed in 2007 that he wanted a piece of music, similar to EastEnders' Julia's theme to be used, however it wasn't created until his return in 2012.

The last piano closing Theme was used on 9 January 2014 and from then on a piece of sad music is used. The first instance it was used on was 5 August 2014. Like before, the songs were used when a character is killed or left in jeopardy. With the Gloved Hand Killer storyline airing throughout 2015, the music was played more regularly, due to the deaths of several characters.

Music
Hollyoaks is the only British soap to regularly make use of incidental music, usually a variation of the show's theme music. It is used either as a transition between scenes or as part of a dream-like sequence. These have included bands such as Ocean Colour Scene with the song "Hundred Mile High City", Linkin Park, The Pigeon Detectives, Belle & Sebastian, Oasis, Radiohead, Thirty Seconds to Mars, Fall Out Boy, Scissor Sisters, U2, Franz Ferdinand, Kaiser Chiefs, Justin Timberlake, The Libertines, The Kooks, Muse, Feeder, Seth Lakeman, Arctic Monkeys, Morrissey, KT Tunstall, The Fratellis, Kasabian, The Darkness, Paramore, Ben Howard, The Darkness, BabyShambles, Sugababes, Goldfrapp, Dirty Pretty Things, Kate Nash, The Maccabees, Snow Patrol, Rihanna, Amy Winehouse, Metric, My Chemical Romance and the Maroon 5 song "She Will Be Loved" was repeatedly played in early 2005. Current chart songs are not used in the international version of the show; instead library music and a selection of purposely-composed songs are used. The main theme was written and performed by Steve Wright, who has also produced music and themes for Brookside, Grange Hill and other Mersey TV / Lime Pictures productions. The theme tune is based on a Bo Diddley riff
Following the theme tune and titles, each episode begins with a sequence showing various characters in situations, with music played over top.

A new remixed version of the theme, along with brand new titles, was used from 3 September 2010. The new titles show different characters in the drama posing in various positions with bright colourful backdrops.

A "Hollyoaks" soundtrack CD was released in 2001, containing music used in the programme.

A number of real acts have performed during transmitted episodes of the series. The Alphites were the first band to perform on the show. They played in the SU Bar. In 2003, Pop Idol runner up Darius Campbell appeared in an episode performing at a graduation ball. In 2008, the band Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly also featured in Hollyoaks, performing as part of a Battle of the Bands contest.[13] During November 2008, The Saturdays were featured in two episodes of spin-off Hollyoaks Later.[14] In 2009, McFly featured in the show and played a song in the SU Bar. They also had speaking roles and convinced characters Justin Burton and Hannah Ashworth to go out.[15] Later that year Girls Can't Catch performed "Keep Your Head Up" during the college graduation party.[16] In July 2013, Hollyoaks also featured 'Off The Wall Oompah' Band Hosen Brass, playing a selection of their own cover versions for Darren's Bavarian Night(s) at the Dog In The Pond. Hosen Brass featured on two consecutive episodes over the Friday and the Monday evening.[17]

Sponsorship
Hollyoaks was previously sponsored by Nescafé, which held a one-year £9.5 million deal from June 2002 until July 2003.[18] The show did not have a sponsor until June 2005, when Wrigley's signed a twelve-month contract for their brand of Extra chewing gum.[19] The contract ended in December 2009. Nikon Coolpix signed a deal for sponsorship in 2010 which ended in September 2010, before resuming in January 2011, as part of a 12-month deal.[20][21] Nikon group marketing manager, Jeremy Gilbert said: "Hollyoaks provides the perfect demographic to which we are able to communicate the strengths of the Coolpix S3000 camera. We are excited to be engaging with this new audience and look forward to seeing how viewers respond to the campaign. The sponsorship is an ideal platform on which to communicate Nikon's new pan-European marketing campaign: 'I am Nikon', in that we are able to visually demonstrate the emotional side of photography and how it fits into your lifestyle."[20] In September 2010, it was announced mobile phone retailer Phones4u would take over sponsorship from 1 October 2010 as part of a 3-month deal.[22] Caspar Nelson, the head of brand communications at Phones4u, said: "Our research has shown that Hollyoaks is the most-watched TV show by our core customers, who can relate to its youth-orientated storylines. We're chuffed to be sponsoring such a popular drama that, like our brand, is not afraid to be edgy and irreverent in the way it engages its audience."[22]

Nikon Coolpix signed a new 12-month sponsorship deal in December 2010, beginning in January 2011.[23] Gilbert again commented on the deal: "Nikon's sponsorship of Hollyoaks in 2010 proved to be very successful and undoubtedly contributed to a significant rise in market share for our Coolpix products. Hollyoaks continues to provide Nikon with access to a young, trendy audience to whom we are able to communicate the strengths of the Coolpix range. We look forward to promoting our key Coolpix products throughout the campaign."[23] On 11 April 2012, a six-month product placement deal with L'Oréal was revealed.[24] On 31 May 2012, a four-month product placement deal with Nokia was announced.[25]

Unilever took over sponsorship of the show from 2 January 2013, with sponsorship switching between its Impulse body spray brand and its Alberto VO5 brand.[26] In January 2015, Domino's Pizza were announced as the new sponsors of Hollyoaks.
Hollyoaks have produced several adverts to promote the show over various times. In 2007, a new trailer featuring the cast performing daily routines, for example learning scripts, was broadcast. The trailer featured New Zealand indie band The Brunettes song "B.A.B.Y". In 2008, several trailers were aired featuring the McQueens as Niall Rafferty forced Myra McQueen to choose which of her children live and die. Each trailer showed each of her children pleading with Myra to pick them to live. In October 2009, due to Barry Newton's schizophrenic and attempted suicide storyline, Channel 4 broadcast another trailer featuring clips from upcoming episodes and Evanescence song "Sweet Sacrifice".

In December 2009, due to Ricky Whittle's appearance as a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing, a new promotional video was released featuring Whittle's character Calvin Valentine dancing with Carmel McQueen (Gemma Merna) along with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs song "Heads Will Roll". It also featured several other characters dancing around the pair before Jacqui McQueen (Claire Cooper) throws what appears to be blood on Calvin. Kris Fisher (Gerard McCarthy), Sasha Valentine (Nathalie Emmanuel) and Leo Valentine (Brian Bovell) then give Calvin scores on his dancing, all of which are 9, 9 and 9.[27] Although this trailer was originally thought to be about Whittle's Strictly Come Dancing appearance and the character of Calvin's affair with Mercedes Fisher (Jennifer Metcalfe), it also resembled Hollyoaks' "flashforward" style episode which will see the second marriage of Calvin and Carmel.[28] Another trailer was shown to advertise the flashforward episode and May 2010 after it was announced Calvin would be killed.[29]

A new sequence was later released in July 2010, which featured regular characters, such as the McQueen family, Darren (Ashley Taylor Dawson), Steph (Carley Stenson), Gilly (Anthony Quinlan), Rhys (Andrew Moss), Tony (Nick Pickard) and Duncan (Dean Aspen). In the second half of the sequence, the new characters introduced by Paul Marquess are featured, such as the Costellos, Brendan Brady (Emmett J. Scanlan), Taylor Sharpe (Shaun Blackstock), Bart McQueen (Jonny Clarke), and glamour model Mitzeee (Rachel Shenton) and stand face to face with the regular characters. A quote then follows saying "Check out the new talent" which appears out into what appears to be a group photograph being taken, with all the characters mixed together.

Another trailer was broadcast during October 2010 to advertise the show's "fire week",[30] which would feature different characters in each episode set around the events of Guy Fawkes Night, in which an arsonist would set fire to Il Gnosh.[31]

Filming locations
Despite being set in Chester the show is filmed at Lime Pictures' studios in Childwall, Liverpool in what used to be an art college. The Village is a specially built outdoor set at the studios. The SU Bar was once used in Brookside as Bar Brookie, and the parade from Brookside is now the location of Esther's Magic Bean and the Dee Valley University Hospital. Brookside Close was also used in Hollyoaks before it was sold; Ron Dixon's home was used as the Burtons' home and Max Farnham's home was used as the Deans' home. The Hollyoaks set was also the location for the television series Grange Hill and the frontage, classrooms and corridors are now used as Hollyoaks High School. Hollyoaks rarely film in Chester due to their mass schedule. Nearly all scenes are filmed at the studios on Childwall Abbey Road.

Broadcast
UK
The show initially aired weekly, on Mondays in 1995, with the exception of the second episode which aired on Friday 27 October 1995 and was repeated on Sunday evenings. In July 1996, Mersey TV opted to recommission the show and increase its output to twice a week, that autumn beginning that October with a Thursday episode. A third episode was introduced in September 1999, airing on Wednesdays and a fourth in 2001. In November 2003, following the cancellation of Brookside, the show increased its output with a fifth episode,[32] which has remained to this date.

Trouble launched in February 1997 and Hollyoaks was part of the schedule from Day 1 from 3 February 1997 and Hollyoaks continued on the channel until December 2001. It mostly repeated the 1990s series.

Since the channel's launch in 2001, Channel 4's digital sister station E4 airs a daily 'First Look' feature at 19.00 each weekday, in which viewers are able to watch the episode to be shown on Channel 4 the following day. The 'first-look' is reshown on timeshift channel E4 +1 at 20.00. The 'first-look' is occasionally omitted, primarily if the following day's C4 episode is a special or event edition, and on these occasions may be replaced with a related programme or special.

Repeats of each day's edition of Hollyoaks air on E4 the following weekday – this was previously at 14.35, though as of 2012 is at 12.30 (with E4 +1 at 13.30). 4seven, from its launch in July 2012, carried a repeat of the preceding day's Channel 4 Hollyoaks at 11.30, but this has now moved to the early hours of the morning (towards the end of the channel's previous broadcast 'day').

All the week's Channel 4 episodes of Hollyoaks are also compiled into an omnibus edition, which was for many years transmitted, with in-vision signing, on Sunday evenings and later mornings on Channel 4 as part of the T4 strand. Following the move of T4 on Sundays to E4 in 2012, the scheduling of the omnibus changed: the signed version of the omnibus now airs in the early hours of Monday morning on Channel 4, with the T4 broadcast of the omnibus remaining on Sunday morning but moving to E4. Following the launch of 4seven, the new channel now has the first showing of the omnibus, at 11 am on a Saturday morning.

The Welsh language analogue fourth channel, S4C, did not carry the weekday Hollyoaks episodes as these clashed with local content, and so broadcast the Sunday morning omnibus only. In digital, Channel 4 and S4C both exist as separate services in Wales, and so S4C Digidol – now the sole form of S4C following digital switchover in Wales – did and does not carry any Hollyoaks broadcasts.

Channel 4 HD launched in December 2007, initially carrying Hollyoaks upscaled from the SD service; the soap aired its first episode in native high definition on 2 June 2008.

Episodes of Hollyoaks, including the weekly omnibus, are now available for catch-up viewing online through the 4oD platform, and the series would begin to officially broadcast on YouTube, after Google reached a three-year deal with Channel 4 to carry programmes from the 4oD service.[33]

As part of the show's 20th anniversary celebrations in 2015, Channel 4 uploaded the omnibus edition comprising the first two episodes to their website, as well as many other classic episodes.[34]

It was announced in 2017 that the show would move to E4 with first-look episodes every night at 7pm. This started in 2018 and performs well in its new slot away from Channel 4 although it regularly clashes with ITV soap Emmerdale.[35]

International
Hollyoaks is also broadcast in other countries, including Canada (BBC Kids), Norway (TV2 Zebra), Serbia (Studio B), Bosnia and Herzegovina (RTRS), Sweden (TV400), Finland (Sub), Iceland (Stöð 2 Extra, Stöð 2) South Africa (MNET Series), the United States (BBC America, from June to November 2007 [episodes continued to be available on the BBC America website before being discontinued in June 2008]; Hulu as of March 2014), Turkey (e2) and parts of Eastern Europe. Episodes from September 2006 to August 2007 were also available on Joost.

It had also aired for a number of months on Virgin Media Two (formerly 3E) in Ireland, but was discontinued due to lack of viewers. In New Zealand, the show aired on TV1 and C4, where it regularly beat London-based soap opera EastEnders in the ratings.[36][37]

In Australia, from October 2010 to January 2012, the digital multichannel 7Two had broadcast double episodes of Hollyoaks from September 2009.[38] Beginning on 2 April 2013, Hollyoaks began airing on the Foxtel pay channel BBC UKTV, weeknights at 6.30pm. However, from 8 September 2014, the time slot was altered to 11.40 am EST weekdays. Episodes were 16 weeks behind the original UK television broadcasts. As of October 2017, Foxtel announced Hollyoaks will no longer be screened. No longer airing in Australia for the first time since 1996.

It is also carried on BFBS Extra, available to British forces serving overseas.[39]

Storylines
Over the course of the show's history, Hollyoaks has dealt with a number of storylines based upon serious issues. Given the large and established proportion of young viewers, some feel that the soap is an ideal platform to show a variety of issues affecting young people. A telephone helpline number is often displayed after episodes that feature a particular emphasis on a story that may have affected viewers.

Social issues that the soap has dealt with include: abortion, suicide, euthanasia, homelessness, human trafficking, illegal immigration, homosexuality, bisexuality, being transgender, gender identity disorder, homophobia, racism, far-right extremism, alcoholism, drug addiction, gambling addiction, HIV, sexually transmitted infections, sexual harassment, rape (including male rape and marital rape), incest, underage sex, child abuse (physical and sexual), child grooming, domestic violence (including parental abuse by children), anorexia, bulimia, body dysmorphic disorder, self-harming, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, post traumatic stress disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, autism, Down syndrome, sepsis, bullying, child abduction, fostering, teenage pregnancy, sudden infant death syndrome, stillbirth, deafness, cancer, spina bifida, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, Munchausen syndrome, and motor neurone disease.

A 2007 episode which showed a number of the characters falling ill at a party due to carbon monoxide poisoning helped make a viewer realise that the symptoms of illness she had been feeling were caused by a potentially fatal carbon monoxide leak in her home. By being made aware of the effects from the episode, she was able to receive medical treatment that would save her life.[40]

Hollyoaks was the first British soap opera to have a "non-linear" week. Commencing 14 September 2009, the special week saw storylines being played out in non-chronological order, something which has never been dealt with within the soap's history. Producer Lucy Allan stated in an interview with Digital Spy, "It was an idea pitched by Richard Burke, one of our writers, at my first long-term story conference back in February. What's great about it is that it's a really great storyline, but with the way he pitched – in making it non-linear – it was even better. It's just like if something happened to one of your mates and you try and put the pieces of the puzzle together as to what happened, you don't find all the people who tell you what happened in chronological order. You get bits here and there and piece it together. It's exactly the sort of thing Hollyoaks should be doing, challenging its audience."[41]

In late 2009, it was announced that Hollyoaks would make another soap first by screening a flashforward episode.[28] On 21 December 2009, the show's time-line moved forward six months into May 2010. The episode featured the second wedding of Calvin Valentine and Carmel McQueen. Series producer Lucy Allan stated: "We're really excited by this future episode – Hollyoaks is the only soap that can tamper with time and give our audience the opportunity to look at events that haven't yet taken place. A lot can happen in six months, so viewers should expect to be asking a lot of questions of some of their favourite characters' actions and behaviour." Ricky Whittle, who plays Calvin, added: "Calvin's completely besotted with Carmel. She's the one he's always wanted – she's always been his true love since they first started seeing each other and everyone's always wanted them to get back together."[28]

In September 2010, it was revealed that Marquess had devised a storyline which would see Ste Hay (Kieron Richardson) embark on a homosexual relationship with Brendan Brady (Emmett J. Scanlan) and that the soap was set to tackle domestic abuse within a homosexual relationship.[42]

Later in September, it was announced that Hollyoaks, teaming up with Channel 4 Education's Battlefront, would explore an underage sex storyline involving 12-year-old characters Finn O'Connor (Connor Wilkinson) and Amber Sharpe (Lydia Lloyd-Henry), which would lead to Amber's pregnancy.[43][44][45] Explaining the storyline, Paul Marquess said: "Hollyoaks has long been credited for tackling difficult issues that affect young people in a sensitive and intelligent way. I am very proud that we are once again bringing to the forefront a subject for our young audience that many parents, politicians and schools struggle to address. The storyline very clearly communicates to the audience that Amber and Finn were not emotionally or physically ready to engage in any sexual activity. And make no mistake, there will be no fairytale ending for Amber; she is faced with the most difficult situation she could ever imagine."[45]

In November 2012, Hollyoaks airer "Enjoy The Ride", in which four regular characters were killed: Rhys Ashworth (Andrew Moss), and three sixth form students, Maddie Morrison (Scarlett Bowman), Neil Cooper (Tosin Cole) and Jono (Dylan Llewellyn).

In October 2013, as part of the celebration of the soap turning 18, the show aired Hollyoaks — The Blast from 15 October until the end of the week. The storyline saw a cast massacre with five main characters being killed off through the week, and two also were killed off in the annual Hollyoaks Later. Series regular Callum Kane and newcomer Jade Hedy were killed off in Hollyoaks Later and regulars Ash Kane and Doug Carter were seen killed by the explosion while Clare Devine was run over by Paul Browning after Mercedes McQueen pushed her in front of his car. Regular character Leanne Holiday (Jessica Forest) died in hospital the following week due to injuries sustained in the explosion, and Paul Browning was murdered by Mercedes, Cindy and Lindsey Butterfield (Sophe Austin) during the episodes.

In November 2013, Hollyoaks aired a version of Cain and Abel, which two half-brothers Will Savage (James Atherton) and Dodger Savage (Danny Mac) fight against each other. Will kidnapped his family, including Dodger's father and twin sister Sienna and also Ash's mother, and Maxine, and tells them how he was jealous at Dodger, because of the way he regularly appears to get everything, all the things he wants more than him, before his and Dodger's showdown, which leads to the event that sees him getting arrested for the murder of Texas and his mother Anna and kidnapping.

In November 2014, the show aired Hollyoaks  – End of The Line from 17 November until 21 November. The story line saw newcomers Porshe McQueen (Twinnie Lee Moore) and Lockie Campbell (Nick Rhys) celebrate their wedding reception on a party train, and Sienna Blake (Anna Passey)'s car become stuck on the tracks after a car chase with her father Patrick Blake (Jeremy Sheffield), causing the train to smash into it and derail. Long running character Carmel McQueen (Gemma Merna) was killed when the wreckage exploded after saving her cousin Theresa McQueen (Jorgie Porter) from "villainous" Sonny Valentine (Aaron Fontaine), who also died in the explosion, who wanted revenge on her for killing Calvin in 2010.

Long running character Mercedes McQueen (Jennifer Metcalfe) also "died" in November 2014, just a week after her sister Carmel, in a plot which saw her brutally murdered in the McQueen house by Grace Black. As of December 2014, only two original McQueen family members remain on screen, Myra McQueen (Nicole Barbara Lane) and John Paul McQueen (James Sutton). Mercedes returned in February 2015. In June 2015, Phoebe dies after Lindsey Butterfield (Sophie Austin) injects her with potassium chloride. Cleo moves into the house in late January 2015.

As part of the 20th anniversary in October 2015, a number of long-running storylines reached a climax point. In particular, it features the exposure of the affair between Ste Hay and Harry Thompson (Parry Glasspool) to his father Tony and the other characters during a Hollyoaks Pride event. The underage sixth form student had begun questioning his sexuality following a kiss with John Paul McQueen, later developing strong feelings for Ste. The plot involving Diane O'Connor, Tony and Tegan Lomax regarding their children who had been switched at birth is also concluded. The week also features the departure of the Osborne family from the Dog in the Pond pub and they had moved to the Boarding House which was previously owned by (Dennis Savage). Another storyline featured was the reveal of the Gloved Hand Killer (the identity of whom had been a mystery to viewers since January). The killer has murdered five characters up to that point (Rick Spencer, Mariam Andrews, Will Savage, Phoebe McQueen and Dylan Jenkins), has had two failed attempts (Esther Bloom and Diane O'Connor) and killed another two during the week (Ashley Davidson, Dr. S'avage) before Lindsey Butterfield is revealed as the serial killer when she seemingly murders another regular character (Freddie Roscoe). However, he is later revealed to be alive.

In 2016, as part of the end to an explosive story, the show broadcast a "Point of View" week, focusing on the Police's suspects for who killed Patrick Blake who was found buried in the woods. Each suspect Maxine Minniver, Darren Osborne & Nancy Osborne, Nico Blake, Sienna Blake and Warren Fox all had an episode dedicated to themselves. Each episode focused around the different characters in the same 24 Hours until, The police would make an arrest. This also saw the return of former character Joel Dexter.

In Autumn 2016, the show's annual autumn stunt, titled "Hollyoaks No Exit", aired on 31 October to 4 November. These episodes saw a "Halloween Spooktacular" held by Jude Cunningham, who returned to the series after 18 years of her last appearance.

In February 2018, Hollyoaks released a Cards of Fate episode, in which the fates of various characters in 3 months time was revealed through some cards. It flashforwarded into Sienna Blake’s funeral. In 2018, the show featured a self-harming storyline with the character Lily Drinkwell and her friends Peri Lomax and Yasmine Maalik, which won Best Storyline and Best Single Episode at The British Soap Awards in 2018. Lily's self-harming continues and leads to her death of sepsis in 2019.

Hollyoaks also tackled a serial sex offender storyline with Laurie Shelby raping his wife Sinead O'Connor, sexually harassing co-worker Sienna Blake and Sinead's stepmother Diane Hutchinson.

In 2019, Hollyoaks was the first British television programme to tackle the issue of far-right extremism and radicalization with Ste Hay central to the storyline which will be in climax in September.

Criticism
In 2001, students at University of Chester objected to a storyline which they say misrepresented students in the city. Students Union president Gordon Reay said, "Students at other universities think we are a bunch of radicals and militants because that's how the students are portrayed in Hollyoaks. They assume that the college in the programme is Chester College, because Hollyoaks is set in the city."[46] In March 2009, the Association of Teachers and Lecturers identified Hollyoaks as one of a number of programmes – including Big Brother and Skins – cited by its members in a survey to be a bad influence on students, manifesting itself in behaviour such as, "answering back, storming off, swearing, aggression and sexually inappropriate behaviour."[47]

In 2007, the soap was further criticised along with other soap operas for the amount of alcohol consumption featured on-screen.[48] The Food Commission monitored that 18 percent of scenes feature consumption and warned that it was conditioning teenagers into thinking it is normal to consume so much alcohol.[49] A similar incident occurred in 1997 when the Independent Television Commission criticised the series for using an existing brand of alcohol, Caffrey's Irish Ale in the soap claiming that it breached broadcasting rules and promoted the product.[50]

In October 2009, Channel 4 was criticised for broadcasting character Barry Newton's attempted suicide, which showed similarities to an incident which happened the same week in Glasgow in which two teenagers committed suicide by jumping into the River Clyde. In its defence, a Channel 4 spokesperson stated, "Any similarities are entirely coincidental and we have carefully considered how best to proceed. We feel it is appropriate to continue with the transmission of these episodes as this is not a one-off programme but an established and long-running series. The audience will be familiar with the character of Newt and this plotline, which has been both trailed and promoted, has been developing over a number of weeks. Hollyoaks has a strong track record of dealing with sensitive issues, and the transmission will be followed by a programme support announcement directing viewers to a 24-hour helpline."[51]

In late November 2009, it was announced that character Loretta Jones would be revealed to have killed a child when she was twelve-years-old. A Hollyoaks spokesperson said, "The drama is about how Loretta reacts to Chrissy's arrival back in her life and how she copes with all the memories coming back."[52] The storyline was criticised due to its similarities to real events, such as the Murder of James Bulger. The mother of James Bulger, Denise Fergus, stated her outrage of the storyline while speaking to Click Liverpool. She said: "I'm shocked and disgusted at what Hollyoaks is doing. They have "clearly" based this story on what happened to James and it's "outrageous" that they should do this without consulting with me in any way. This is the third time this year that someone has written a so-called drama that treats my son's murderers as some kind of victims and celebrities. It's "wrong" and I find it very "hurtful" that a TV company is making a horrific murder that happened 16 years ago into the subject for a soap opera. How dare they treat James as though he is public property. It is an "insult" to his memory and I am particularly shocked that a programme, based in Liverpool, has gone ahead and done this "knowing that it would be so controversial". "Turning James's death into a topic for entertainment is just wrong"." Appalled by the decision to produce the episodes, Fergus publicly called for a meeting with Hollyoaks' Liverpool-based production house Lime Pictures, so she could hear it justify its move.

She continued, "I'm demanding an urgent meeting with the producers of Hollyoaks over this. It seems they have already recorded these episodes so they think they have got away with it. But I want to look them in the eye and hear them explain how they can justify it. I want to know how they could stoop so low as to broadcast such a horrible insult to the memory of my beautiful son. The "only" reason Hollyoaks is doing this is their own self-interest – to get viewers. I watch HO but if they go ahead and broadcast this it will be the last time I will watch it and I will ask other people to support me and boycott the show too."[53]

A spokesperson for Channel 4 added, "The forthcoming storyline is not based on any real-life case and it will in no way seek to recreate real events. The storyline focuses on the psychological repercussions for two characters in the show who were responsible for the death of a 12-year-old girl in the past."[53] Subsequently, the storyline was pulled from the show on 14 December 2009. A Lime Pictures spokesperson said, "Hollyoaks has a very good track record of tackling difficult subject matter for a younger audience and the producers take seriously their duty to deal with sensitive issues in an appropriate way. This particular storyline was NOT based on any real-life case and was not intended to recreate actual events. However, after conversations with Denise Fergus we have agreed to amend certain aspects of the storyline

Travelex

Travelex is a foreign exchange company founded by Lloyd Dorfman and headquartered in London. Its main businesses are international payments, bureaux de change, and issuing prepaid credit cards for use by travellers as well as global remittances.[1] It is the world's largest foreign exchange bureau.

History
Travelex was founded by Dorfman, and opened its first branch in central London in 1976.[1]

On 8 November 2000, it bought Thomas Cook's worldwide foreign exchange business for £440m, which significantly expanded its international operations.[2]

In February 2005, buy-out firm Apax Partners bought a majority stake in the company, but Dorfman retained 30% and continued to run the business.[3] Ian Meakins was CEO from 2006 to 2009, before becoming CEO of Ferguson plc (then known as Wolseley plc) .[4]

In early 2010 Travelex disclosed significant losses due to the interest payments on its large debts. It had pulled back from a stock market flotation the year before and said that it was "considering a range of potential financing structures".[5] Later that year it sold its card programme management division to MasterCard for £290 million to help reduce its debts
Travelex sponsored the National Theatre's discounted ticket scheme between 2003 and 2018.[7] In 2010 Lloyd Dorfman gave the theatre £10m, its biggest ever donation. Following redevelopment in 2013, the Cottesloe theatre was renamed the Dorfman theatre.

On 5 July 2011 Travelex sold its Global Business Payments division to Western Union for £606 million.[8]

By 2012, Travelex had a total workforce in excess of 6,500.[citation needed]. By March 2014, Travelex had operations in 27 countries and more than 1,500 stores.[9]

In 2014, Apax Partners sold its majority stake of 51% to UAE-based Indian businessman B. R. Shetty valuing the company at approx £1bn. Shetty also owns UAE Exchange, a UAE-based money transfer business that operates in 32 countries. Shetty, who also owns London-listed NMC Health, was supported in the acquisition by Abu Dhabi-based investment vehicle Centurion.[10] This sale was completed in January 2015.[11] Today Travelex and UAE Exchange form part of Shetty's Finablr.

Cyberattack and ransom demands
On 31 December 2019 Travelex hastily took its UK and international websites and mobile apps offline following a reported cyberattack, [12] an action affecting a number of large third parties to whom Travelex provide a whitelabelled service.[13]

On 7 January 2020 it was revealed that the entire company was being held to ransom by hackers. The hackers demanded payment in exchange for either restoration of IT systems or the preservation of customer data. It was understood that a deadline of 7 days payment was set by the cyber criminals.[14] The company was criticised by security researcher Kevin Beaumont who said, "The public response from Travelex has been shockingly bad."[15]

The criminals had demanded $3 million (£2.3 million) in ransom from Travelex after infecting its network with Sodinokibi ransomware. They claimed to have copied more than 5GB of users' personal data. Travelex had previously been warned that it was running vulnerable Pulse Secure virtual private networking (VPN) servers

Koko Camden

KOKO (previously called The Music Machine and Camden Palace) is a concert venue and former theatre in Camden Town, London, England. The building was known as Camden Palace from 1982 until its 2004 purchase and extensive restoration led by Oliver Bengough and Mint Entertainment.[1][2] Since, the club has been known as KOKO and serves as one of the premier live music venues in London.[1][3][4][5][6]

A large fire at the building during renovation work was reported at 20:56 on 6 January 2020; eight fire engines and about 60 firefighters attended, and the blaze was declared under control at 2:37. The cause of the fire is not known as of 7 January 2020, but the damage appears to have been contained to the roof of the building
History
The Camden Theatre opened on Boxing Day 1900.[9][10] With a capacity of 2,434 it was one of the largest theatres in London outside the West End. The theatre was designed by the prolific theatre architect W. G. R. Sprague.[11] The theatre was opened by Ellen Terry, then the most celebrated actress in England, who had lived in nearby Stanhope Street as a child.[12]

The St Pancras Gazette, a local newspaper, commented as follows in a review of the theatre's production of an opera called The Geisha in 1901:

"It is a matter of special gratification that the opera was presented at our beautiful local theatre on a scale of magnificence and completeness which would do credit to a West End theatre, but this is nothing new at the Camden Theatre, being rather a continuation of the policy with which the proprietors started their enterprise, viz. to offer nothing to their patrons but standard work, which has received the unmistakable approval of critics and public."[13]
On 6 December 1909 it reopened as a variety theatre and became the Camden Hippodrome Theatre.[14] By 1911 films were being presented as part of the variety programme and in January 1913 it became a cinema known as the Camden Hippodrome Picture Theatre. In January 1928, the theatre was bought by the Gaumont British cinema circuit.[12]

Closed during World War II, it outlived many similar buildings, including Camden Town's other theatre, the Bedford Theatre, because the BBC took it over to be used a radio and recording studio in 1945. They continued to use the former theatre until the early 1970s.[15] Among the first weekly series to be broadcast live from here was The Richard Tauber Programme [1945–47]. Later recorded at the theatre were The Goon Show and the first Monty Python's Flying Circus album (2 May 1970).[16]

After the BBC left in 1972, the building remained empty for a number of years. It was even the subject of demolition proposals until it was Grade II architecturally listed in late 1972.[17].

However, in 1977 it re-opened as a live music venue named The Music Machine. The venue was the central location for the 1979 Disco Dance film The Music Machine.[12] The venue was particularly popular with new wave and punk bands, hosting concerts by groups including The Boomtown Rats, the The Clash, and the The Jam .[14] It was the last venue AC/DC's Bon Scott was seen drinking at before his death from alcohol poisoning in 1980 – After leaving there, Scott finished up at The Dublin Castle on Camden's Parkway where he was placed in a taxi by a school teacher and later died that night.[18]

In 1982 the venue was renamed Camden Palace. During this period it hosted the weekly rock night "Feet First", each Tuesday. The nights were hosted by Steve Strange and Rusty Egan of electronic band Visage.[12] Camden Palace was the location of Madonna's first UK performance.[14][19][20]

After The early 80s New Romantic scene For which both the club and Steve Strange and Rusty Egan became world famous for. The Camden Palace featured as a home for Early 80s Dance and New Wave club music imported from NYC, as well as pioneering early house music night “Delerium” was run by Robin King in 1987 and featured resident DJ’s Colin Faver (Kiss Fm) and Eddie Richards. Famously Prince performed at The Camden Palace in 1988 on his Love Sexy Tour with Ronnie Wood (Rolling Stones) as guest guitarist, he later that evening held a invite only after party in the club and performed a couple of further impromptu numbers that night.

Prince later appeared and performed Further full concerts at the club in later decades.

The Early Nineties saw Delerium leave the Camden Palace club, and as Rave music took hold, Camden Palace became a mecca for the burgeoning Rave music Scene 1989 - 1992. The DJs during this period were DMC DJ John Saunderson and Chris Paul early PA performances included both Prodigy and NJoi

In the later 1990s the Camden Palace was famous for holding its weekly rave events and was illuminated with UV lights, state of the art sound system and décor of the rave scene. During this time the legendary weekly House/Acid house event, Clockwork orange was held on a Saturday with Andy Manston and Danny Gould running until 2001, Frantic ( Hard House/Trance) and the iconic House/Trance event, Peach with Graham Gold, Pele, Darren Pearce and Dave Lambert running until the Camden palace closed in 2004.

Although in recent years such events have made a return to the venue since its incarnation as Koko, including reunions of peach and clockwork orange.[21]

2004 restoration and relaunch
By 2004 the Camden Palace was rundown and in a state of disuse.[10][14][22] That year the theatre was purchased by Oliver Bengough and his company Mint Entertainment.[1][10] Bengough saw the potential of the theatre and embarked on a multimillion-pound restoration process lasting more than six months.[2][14] The restoration process included all new technical facilities, enabling the scope of operations to be broadened to include live concert performances, club nights, corporate events and television production.[23] The Daily Telegraph described the modern interior amenities and the building's historic facade as "lend[ing] a sense of grandeur to any gig".[2][4][24]

Since restoration, KOKO's commitment to sustainability has been recognised with an award for Environmental Excellence in Camden Organisations (EECO), for Innovation in Waste Management and Recycling.[25] The venue has been praised for ‘the continued exceptional effort by staff to achieve a 95% recycling rate in the difficult events and entertainment industry, and for the use of recycled materials within the building in order to close the recycling loop.’[26]

The key points in KOKO's innovative recycling and waste management strategy include:

Recycling paper and cardboards (including flyers), as well as approximately 30,960 glass bottles, 20,088 aluminium cans and 77,166 plastic cups every month;
Replacing 982 light bulbs with GLOWB low energy light bulbs;
Reducing emissions, by working with ‘The Carbon Trust' and ‘Better Climate for Camden’: by switching to a green energy supplier, KOKO aims to prevent the release into the atmosphere of 520 tonnes of CO2 over the next 12 months;
as KOKO currently produces approximately 310.809 tonnes of CO2 per annum, they have teamed up with Solar Aid who supply Solar Lanterns to under-developed countries to help offset this.
Notable events
On 19 March 1964, The Rolling Stones performed there.[27] On 10 March 1970, The Faces performed there. In 1972 the theatre was the venue for The Goon Show's reunion episode The Last Goon Show of All, which was attended by several senior Royal Family members and which was filmed and recorded.[citation needed]

On Monday 10 September 1979, London band Iron Maiden performed a gig at The Music Machine. The band, at the time, consisted of Steve Harris (bas guitar), Dave Murray (lead guitar), Paul Di'anno (vocals), Tony Parsons (lead guitar) and Doug Sampson (drums). The gig was recorded by at least one person in the audience, and can be found at YouTube from time to time.

On Friday 14 November 1980, The Music Machine hosted an infamous gig by London mod revival band the Chords where onstage interactions between the band members ranged from frosty to outright hostile and following the gig, the Chords' frontman Billy Hassett left the band acrimoniously and was later replaced by Kip Herring.

In 1985, Steve Marriott performed there with his band, Packet Of Three
The cult London electronic band You You You, consisting of Karen O'Connor, Laurence Malice and Iain Williams,[28] performed their debut concert at the Camden Palace on 13 January 1987.[29] The band billed their first series of concerts as 'Stage 1' of their 'World Domination Tour'[30] and enlisted the help of illustrator Mark Wardel to design their publicity. Their appearance at the Camden Palace attracted over 1,000 people on what the Met Office recorded as probably being England's coldest night of the 20th Century.[31]

In 2005, a year after restoration, Coldplay chose KOKO to launch their album "X&Y".[32] Later that year, Madonna also hosted her album launch of Confessions on a Dance Floor at KOKO.[20]

The next year, in 2006, Elton John hosted a benefit party at KOKO for his AIDS Charity Bash, attended by Natalie Imbruglia, Elle Macpherson, Jade Jagger, and Kevin Spacey.[10][33]

Prince performed a secret show at KOKO in 2007 which was his first UK show in over 10 years.[34] The American band My Chemical Romance also played a private show at KOKO in 2007, hosted by Radio 1.[16] Later in 2007, The Disney Channel used KOKO to host Hannah Montana's Live in London, an exclusive one-off event broadcast globally for her fans.[16][35][36]

In 2008, Siouxsie Sioux recorded a live dvd at KOKO called Finale: The Last Mantaray & More Show which was released the following year.

In 2009, KOKO hosted the iTunes festival, which extended over 30 nights and featured guests including N.E.R.D, Paul Weller, James Blunt, Calvin Harris and Dizzee Rascal and over 45,000 people.[37]

In 2010 KOKO also hosted fundraiser for the Institute of Contemporary Arts featuring a performance Lily Allen and Bryan Ferry and attended by Vivienne Westwood, Damien Hirst and Tracey Emin.[38]

Since restoration, the club has attracted well known musicians including The Damned, Terrorvision, Al Murray, Irfan Latif, Don Broco, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Madonna, Christina Aguilera, Coldplay, Tori Kelly, Katy B, My Chemical Romance, Emma Marrone, Oasis, Bruno Mars, Thom Yorke, Amy Winehouse, La Roux, Skrillex, Lady Gaga, The Killers, Kanye West, Katy Perry, Tokio Hotel, Lily Allen, Demi Lovato, Usher, Noel Gallagher, Swedish House Mafia, JoJo, Azealia Banks, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever and many others.[14][20][39][40]

On 4 May 2014 Koko hosted the Peach Camden Palace Reunion headlined by Graham Gold and featuring Darren Pearce, Pele, Dave Lambert and Craig Dimech.[41]

In 2017, Ed Sheeran performed a private concert to promote his third studio album ÷ in partnership with UK radio station Capital FM, as also Ariana Grande in September 2018 to promote her fourth studio album, Sweetener.

On the evening of the 6th of January 2020, a large fire broke out in the building

FA Cup draw

The 2019–20 FA Cup (also known as the Football Association Challenge Cup) is the 139th edition of the oldest football tournament in the world. It is sponsored by Emirates and known as The Emirates FA Cup for sponsorship purposes.

Premier League side Manchester City are the defending champions.