bo selecta tour

Leigh Francis announces first-ever live tour

The comedian will perform as Keith Lemon and Bo' Selecta! characters

Comedian Leigh Francis has announced his first-ever tour, with the star set to perform a number of dates across the UK next year.

The star has been well known for his character Keith Lemon in recent years, though originally rose to fame for various characters and sketches on TV series Bo’ Selecta! .

As part of the 2024 My First Time tour, Francis will be bringing out many of his well-known characters including Lemon, Avid Merrion, ‘David Dickinson’, ‘Ant and Dec’ and Myrtle, with the set also including a number of sketches as well as audience interaction.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Keith Lemon (@keithlemon)

The tour will start on March 6 in Bath, continuing throughout the month around the UK before concluding in Francis’s hometown of Leeds on April 6.

The full dates are below, with tickets set to go on sale on Friday (June 23) at 10am:

• Wednesday, March 6 – Bath, Forum
• Thursday, March 7 – Guildford, G Live
• Friday, March 8 – Bournemouth, Pavilion Theatre
• Saturday, March 9 – London, Palladium
• Thursday, March 14 – Cambridge, Corn Exchange
• Friday, March 15 – Sheffield, City Hall
• Saturday, March 16 – Halifax, Victoria Theatre
• Sunday, March 17 – Salford, The Lowry
• Wednesday, March 20 – York, Barbican
• Thursday, March 21 – Glasgow, Royal Concert Hall
• Friday, March 22 – Hull, City Hall
• Saturday, March 23 – Bradford, St George’s Hall
• Sunday, March 24 – Buxton, Opera House
• Thursday, March 28 – Newcastle, Tyne Theatre
• Friday, March 29 – Nottingham, Royal Concert Hall
• Saturday, March 30 – Liverpool, Philharmonic
• Sunday, March 31 – Birmingham, Symphony Hall
• Saturday, April 6 – Leeds, Grand Theatre & Opera House

“I’m doing my first ever tour!” Francis said, announcing the live dates. “Never done one before. It’s gonna have masks in it! The Bear, Avid Merrion, Amanda Holden’s Gran, not her actual gran but me playing her.

Recommended

“I’ll also be playing Keith Lemon, I look just like him! It’s me doing all the characters I do that hopefully have the intent to provoke hilarity! So many exclamation marks, and the word ‘intent’ and ‘provoke’ twice! I’m excited!

“Come see ME being other people LIVE for the first time! It’ll be your first time and my first time! Hence the title of the tour MY FIRST TIME! (There’s another exclamation mark) how exciting!”

Last December, Francis confirmed that he had filmed a pilot episode for a Bo’ Selecta! reboot , telling The Sun : “Avid Merrion is wandering around somewhere.

“He’s a bit different though, he’s grown up. The Bear was in the pilot too. I don’t know if he’ll stick around, it’s all in the hands of the TV Gods.”

The series originally ran on Channel 4 between 2002 and 2009, though was pulled from All4 in 2020 in agreement between Francis and the broadcaster after a backlash over its use of blackface.

You May Also Like

Reading & leeds 2024: 12 new acts you need to see, gurriers: “the debut album is a statement of intent – we’re not fucking around”, taemin on new beginnings: “i’ve always been the kind of person who takes on challenges”, ‘black myth: wukong’ review: a mind-bogglingly beautiful action adventure, fcukers’ chaotic party is popping worldwide, more stories, girl stabbed in leicester square granted wish to see taylor swift perform, megan thee stallion set to host the mtv vmas for the first time this year, ‘blink twice’ issues trigger warning ahead of psychological thriller’s release in cinemas, falling in reverse’s ronnie radke reportedly files defamation suit against anthony fantano, ‘the traitors’ uk celebrity edition announced, the last dinner party announce ‘prelude to ecstasy’ film.

• News & Reviews
• Tours & Tickets

Leigh Frances ditches Keith Lemon alter ego as he announces first ever live tour

Sign up to our free weekly newsletter for exclusive competitions, offers and theatre ticket deals

I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice .

Comedian Leigh Francis has announced that for the first time in decades he is ditching his Keith Lemon alter ego for his first ever UK tour.

The 50-year-old Celebrity Juice star will embark on an 18-date tour entitled My First Time, which kicks off in Bath on March 6, 2024.

He will then visit Guildford, Bournemouth, London, Cambridge, Sheffield, Halifax, Salford, York, Glasgow, Hull, Bradford, Buxton, Newcastle, Nottingham, Liverpool, Birmingham before finishing in his home town of Leeds.

Famed for his sketch shows, Francis will be bringing his favourite chracters to life in a live environment for the very first time, including Bear and Avid Merrion as well as his Bo’ Selecta! take on David Dickinson, Ant and Dec and Myrtle.

Keith Lemon will also make an appearance, but it’s Francis who will take centre stage rather than the flamboyant presenter.

There’s no word, however, about whether the Back Then When podcast host will be reviving his controversial Craig David persona.

Speaking in a press release, Francis said: “Hey, really exciting news! Well exciting for me! I hope it’s exciting for you! Or at least provokes some sort of interest! I mean, just look how many exclamation marks there is in this quote! It’s definitely news with exciting intent!

“So what is this exciting news? I’m doing my first ever tour! Never done one before. It’s gonna have masks in it! The Bear, Avid Merrion, Amanda Holden’s Gran, not her actual gran but me playing her. I’ll also be playing Keith Lemon, I look just like him! It’s me doing all the characters I do that hopefully have the intent to provoke hilarity!

“So many exclamation marks, and the word ‘intent’ and ‘provoke’ twice! I’m excited! Come see me being other people live for the first time! It’ll be your first time and my first time! Hence the title of the tour My First Time! (There’s another exclamation mark) how exciting!”

Tickets go on sale from Friday June 23 at 10am from ticketmaster.co.uk and gigsandtours.com

Create a FREE account to continue reading

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in

Fresh warnings about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's neighbourhood have surfaced

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex live in Montecito with their two children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, but their picturesque surroundings aren't all it seems as the area has been plagued with issues thanks to increased tourism.

Mom, boyfriend handcuffed 6-year-old boy as ‘corporal punishment’ before he was attacked by pit bull, cops say

Investigators allege the boy was restrained with handcuffs and being tied to a chair with rope at the time of the attack

Prince Harry names the royal who first branded him a 'Spare'

Prince Harry opened up about his nickname 'spare' in his bestselling memoir, in which he explains the origins of the moniker - and which member of the royal family coined it

Trump goes on unhinged five-minute tear when asked about Tim Walz’s DNC speech on Fox & Friends

Walz’s mention of Trump’s connection to Project 2025 sent him into a nonsensical tirade

Full list of who qualifies for DWP Winter Fuel Payment and how much you will get

The DWP announced a list of people who will be eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment this winter, after the government made an announcement earlier this year

Katie Price struggling to see after £10,000 surgery - as it's claimed kids are worried about her

The star is delighted by her new face - but she's admitted the op has come with some unwanted side effects...

Strictly announces big change for 2024 in series-first

Strictly Come Dancing will soon be returning to screens but the BBC have now confirmed a big change to the show for 2024.

Cause of helicopter crash that killed Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi revealed

Raisi, 63, died alongside Iran’s foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and two senior local officials on board the helicopter on 19 May

Prince William 'furious' with Prince Harry's 'bloody rude' way of addressing Princess Kate

Prince William is said to be 'furious' with his brother Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle for their 'rude' way of addressing his wife, the Princess of Wales

Davina McCall's fans forced to defend star over 'super-fit' bikini snap

Davina McCall's fans passionately jumped to her defence following her latest bikini snap after some were making comments about her appearance. Find out what her followers had to say…

Leigh Francis My First Time Live Tour review: Leeds legend serves up night of bonkers fun at Leeds Grand Theatre

I f you weren’t a fan of Leeds comedy star Leigh Francis’ Bo’ Selecta! or Celebrity Juice, then quite simply, his new show My First Time Live Tour won’t be for you.

If, however, you were a fan of Francis’ famous sketch and panel shows, with his puerile toilet humour, then you’re in for an absolute treat. He brings back most of his iconic characters and lampoons today’s TV celebrities in some of the most bonkers and grotesque ways imaginable.

When Francis first entered the stage with his entertaining supporting actors Jess Robinson and Adam C Booth, for a spot of interpretive dance, he dropped the act and exclaimed "you all just want a night of rubber-masked tomfoolery!"

Read more: Leigh Francis opens up on the brutal way he discovered Celebity Juice axe and talks possible return

Yes, the audience did, and the bearded ginger Farnley rapscallion certainly delivered. Watching Francis on stage speaking directly to the audience as himself, rather than his most famous non rubber masked characters who he’d often parade himself as, like Avid Merrion or Keith Lemon, sort of felt like an old friend finally revealing himself and taking centre stage in the spotlight.

The packed audience were chanting ‘Leeds, Leeds, Leeds!’ when he first came out and he told them what an “honour” it was to perform in the Leeds Grand , a theatre he would have no doubt visited frequently growing up in the city and where he has chosen to conclude the tour. It was a lovely moment.

There was a nice video sequence where he showed clips from his life growing up: snaps of him as an adolescent; the old janky comedy sketches he made with his friends, one of whom was actually called Keith Lemon; his time as a student at art college; then later becoming a graphic designer; eventually breaking into sketch comedy, and his wife, then girlfriend, giggling at his tomfoolery. It felt nostalgic and wholesome, the clips show the offbeat artistic misfit as he was growing up, before breaking into mainstream stardom.

Francis had a real warmth whenever he was interacting with the audience, sort of what you’d expect from a lad who grew up in Leeds. I always think the best comedians are the ones who can playfully make fun of audience members, while also keeping the mood light and friendly.

The first half is particularly strong and comes at a frenetic pace, it essentially feels like an episode of Bo’ Selecta! for the modern era. The show features a mix of live performances and pre-recorded segments to allow the cast to costume change, and often fuses the two, making the sets feel larger than life.

This works seamlessly well, and we get some great sketches satirising the like of: Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway, which featured the Geordie pair inexplicably giving a cow a rectal examination; Celebrity Gogglebox, with fan favourites Giles and Mary, Jenny and Lee, and Pete and Sophie; James Cordon’s Carpool Karaoke, with Adele, and later James Brown; plus ‘Britain’s Run Out of Talent’, and many more popular television favourites.

Francis doesn’t pull his punches and it remains as lowbrow, immature and silly as you can imagine. Lots of solid jokes mixed in there, and you can tell Francis, Robinson and Booth are having a whale of a time.

The Romanian Avid Merrion, complete with neck brace, comes back in a skit after travelling through time in a portal from a 2004, and he has to learn how the world has changed. It’s an inventive way to bring back a character who by modern standards may seem overly lewd and smutty. In this sketch, I felt Francis could have perhaps pushed the envelope more and explored this concept to a greater degree but it was nice return for the iconic character.

What’s also fun is the video segments which feature famous real life non-rubber masked famous faces Will Mellor, who recently starred in Mr Bates vs The Post Office, and Britain’s Got Talent’s Amanda Holden, who to their credit, go along with Francis’ brand of infantile humour in a classy manner.

And for Keith Lemon fans, don’t you worry, there’s a heavy smattering of the famous ITV2 panel show host in the second half. He presents a skit on Celebrity Juice, which he joked has been renamed to avoid a copyright lawsuit with ITV, which featured a pair of audience members playing along and performing similar tasks as on the popular gameshow which ended in 2022.

A real highlight is when Jess Robinson comes out and blasts the audience with singing impressions while Francis is making an extensive costume change (becoming Amanda Holden’s nan Myrtle, who loves a can of Pilsner and a kebab). At this point, many will recognise Robinson as the performer who wowed the judges on Britain’s Got Talent with her thunderous voice and knack for imitation. It’s great to see her comedy career has continued to take off.

In the show’s finale, Francis himself comes out to sing with Robinson, and they perform the operatic Time To Say Goodbye (otherwise known as Con te partirò). He actually has a fantastic singing voice. The audience was stunned as I think most weren’t sure what to expect. A show stopping ending to a solid night of entertainment with belly laughs. Francis is a true showman and rightfully received a standing ovation (which isn’t an easy feat in Yorkshire!)

You can still catch Leigh Francis: My First Time Live Tour at Leeds Grand Theatre for two more nights, over the weekend, before the tour concludes.

Get all the latest Leeds food, drink, events and shopping news straight to your inbox by signing up to our Best in Leeds newsletter here.

Keith Lemon and Bo' Selecta star announces first ever London tour under real name

The BAFTA award-winning comedian will be touring the capital in 2024

• 15:31, 19 JUN 2023

Those who will have watched Celebrity Juice will certainly know Keith Lemon, a character brought to life by Leigh Francis. In a recent announcement, the comedian has shared that he is ditching his alter ego and is embarking on his first ever tour.

The 50-year old star will be touring across the UK on an 18-date tour , kicking off in Bath on March 6, 2024. Don't worry, it will include some of his iconic characters including Keith Lemon and Amanda Holden's gran - Mrytle.

Speaking about his tour, Leigh said: "Hey, really exciting news! Well exciting for me! I hope it’s exciting for you! Or at least provokes some sort of interest! I mean, just look how many exclamation marks there is in this quote! It’s definitely news with exciting intent!

READ MORE: Harry Styles Wembley Stadium review - Unforgettable Love on Tour show with pure joy radiating from crowd

"So what is this exciting news? I’m doing my first ever tour! Never done one before. It’s gonna have masks in it! The Bear, Avid Merrion, Amanda Holden ’s Gran, not her actual gran but me playing her. I’ll also be playing Keith Lemon, I look just like him! It’s me doing all the characters I do that hopefully have the intent to provoke hilarity!

"So many exclamation marks, and the word ‘intent’ and ‘provoke’ twice! I’m excited! Come see ME being other people LIVE for the first time! It’ll be your first time and my first time! Hence the title of the tour MY FIRST TIME!"

What are the tour dates?

Leigh will be performing at the London Palladium on Saturday 9 March, 2024. Meanwhile, the other tour dates are as follows.

• WED 06 MAR BATH, Forum
• THU 07 MAR GUILDFORD, G Live
• FRI 08 MAR BOURNEMOUTH, Pavilion Theatre
• SAT 09 MAR LONDON, Palladium
• THU 14 MAR CAMBRIDGE, Corn Exchange
• FRI 15 MAR SHEFFIELD, City Hall
• SAT 16 MAR HALIFAX, Victoria Theatre
• SUN 17 MAR SALFORD, The Lowry
• WED 20 MAR YORK, Barbican
• THU 21 MAR GLASGOW, Royal Concert Hall
• FRI 22 MAR HULL, City Hall
• SAT, 23 MAR BRADFORD, St George's Hall
• SUN 24 MAR BUXTON, Opera House
• THU 28 MAR NEWCASTLE, Tyne Theatre
• FRI 29 MAR NOTTINGHAM, Royal Concert Hall
• SAT 30 MAR LIVERPOOL, Philharmonic
• SUN 31 MAR BIRMINGHAM, Symphony Hall
• SAT 06 APR LEEDS, Grand Theatre & Opera House

How to get tickets:

Tickets go on sale Friday 23 rd at 10am. You can purchase them at Ticketmaster and GigsAndTours.

On Ticketmaster you can sign up for pre-sale to gain exclusive access on Thursday 22 June. Presale sign-up page closes at 17:00 on Wednesday 21 June.

How do I get there?

You can find The London Palladium at 8 Argyll St, London W1F 7TF. If you're taking the tube, the nearest underground station is Oxford Circus (Central, Victoria and Bakerloo lines) and Bond Street (Central and Jubilee Lines).

Via bus: London bus routes that operate in the area are 3, 6, 8, 10, 12, 13, 15, 23, 25, 53, 55, 73, 88, 94, 98, 113, 137, 139, and 159.

Our What's On newsletter, Going Out Out, features everything from the most exciting events to the new bars and restaurants in the capital. You can sign up HERE

'I tried the wellness trend loved by celebs including Victoria Beckham and Harry Styles and it was a really weird experience'

Arctic Monkeys blasted for ‘changing lyrics and rhythm of best known songs’ leaving fans unable to singalong

Pussycat Dolls' Nicole Scherzinger to make West End comeback 9 years after debuting in Cats

• Most Recent