Joe Lycett: ‘The idea of having my own pub was too exciting to turn down!’

As Joe Lycett prepares to open his own pub for his latest TV series, the Brummy comedian, disruptor and all-round national treasure has explained how opening his own watering hole was too good an offer to decline.

Lycett returns to Channel 4 on September 4 with The Lycett Arms, which sees him opening his own boozer every Friday to pay homage to the Great British Local. 4 . A different celebrity manager will attempt to tackle the chaos each week as they join Joe, a comedian guest and a star-studded cast of pub-goers.

 “I love the pub. I always have. I think, at its core, it’s a great place for communities to bond, for humans to come together from all walks of life, and to discuss the week, what they think is going on in politics, their own lives, what is making them happy, what’s making them angry… to escape it all as well,” said the comedian.

“The pub is a great place to sort of go and get rid of your worries and just sit and interact with people and maybe listen to other people’s worries or find out about their lives. 

“I love a pint as well. I love it as a unit of measurement, not even just a pint of beer. I love a pint of water. I love a pint of milk. Pints are great, just the idea of a pint makes me relax. The idea of having my own pub was just too exciting to turn down. So that’s it, really. A love of pubs.”

The man formerly known as Hugo Boss and well-known thorn in the side of David Beckham also says it’s important to champion pubs at a time when their existence is increasingly under threat.

“Well, the live performance sector, if you want to call it that, is under great threat, and the pub industry is as well,” he said. “And I think anything we can do to celebrate our British boozers is a good thing because yes, they provide a watering hole, and as I’ve said, I do think they’re really good for society at large. It’s good to have a public house where the public can come in and mingle with one another. It’s good for people who are lonely. It’s good for people who need to connect with their community.”

He added: “I moved to my area of Birmingham because I loved the local pub, and I still do. And when I go in there, there’s always someone that I kind of know and can sit and have a drink with. And I think it’s been a place of great solace for me over the years, and I think pubs closing in places kills the local area, and so we definitely want to champion those amazing boozers around the country. And it’s a sort of a spiritual place for lots of people. 

“And any place in addition that’s providing live music or live entertainment, live comedy, we really have to champion those independent venues because they’re under great threat from the biggies.”

The Lycett Arms airs on Channel 4 from Friday September 11.