Switch on show takes fireworks to the Max
WANTED STAR, JONAS BLUE AND TV FAVOURITE WILL KICK OFF FESTIVE CELEBRATIONS TONIGHT
IT wouldn’t be the start of Christmas without a familiar face from the telly flicking the switch on the festive lights.
Singer Max George, from the boy band The Wanted, kicks off a month of festivities across the region when he performs the essential duties at the city centre lights switch-on in Manchester tonight.
He joins dance music producer Jonas Blue to headline this year’s celebration in Albert Square before pushing the button, followed by a spectacular 10-minute fireworks finale over the town hall.
Swinton-born singer Max George made his name with Glad You Came hit-makers The Wanted.
Max moved to America following the band’s 2014 split to pursue a career in Hollywood and he didn’t have to wait long as he was cast as Clint, the lead singer of Vocal Adrenaline in the hit singing show Glee.
This summer he launched his solo career with the catchy summery song Barcelona, written and produced with BRIT Awards British Producer of the Year 2018 Steve Mac, whose songwriting and production credits include hits by Ed Sheeran, Rita Ora and Liam Payne, and Ed Drewett, who has collaborated with Olly Murs, Little Mix and One Direction.
The show starts at 7.30pm and is free to attend but capacity in Albert Square is limited, so visitors are advised to arrive in plenty of time.
Security checks including bag searches will be in operation on the night.
On Thursday, November 15 Wigan’s town centre lights celebration will see reality TV favourite Jake Quickenden flicking the big switch.
The This Morning regular shot to fame back in 2014 when he auditioned for the 11th series of The X Factor and made it through to the live shows.
He’s since appeared on I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here, in which he finished the show as runner up to Carl Fogarty, and skated his way to victory as the winner of 2018’s Dancing On Ice.
Jake will perform Christmas hits and favourites from his repertoire at the free event is running from 4.30pm to 7pm.
Then Alan Halsall, Coronation Street’s Tyrone Dobbs, will do the honours in Bolton.
Alan, who has played the Corrie favourite for 20 years, will turn on the lights in Victoria Square, at 7pm on Thursday, November 22.
Alan has recently wowed fans with an impressive transformation after working out hard in the gym – and the results were clear to see as he shared some topless snaps from his holiday in Ibiza.
His character Tyrone has recently been through heartache when he discovered the shocking truth about his childhood.
Affable dad Tyrone broke down when he was told that Darren and Jackie Dobbs aren’t really his parents – and he was horrified to realise that Jackie had possibly abducted him as a baby and brought him up as her own.
He then tracked down his fearsome gran Evelyn, played by Maureen Lipman, and brought her to the street where she’s been stirring up plenty of trouble with the neighbours.