Jason Manford is everywhere right now – from hosting the Royal Variety Performance to gearing up for another Christmas panto in Manchester – but as he juggles comedy, TV, fitness, family life and even a recent health scare, the Salford-born star tells Dianne Bourne he’s simply making the most of every opportunity while he can.
09:57, 27 Nov 2025Updated 15:13, 28 Nov 2025
Jason Manford is preparing to star in panto in Manchester – capping off a hectic year for the busiest man in showbiz(Image: Phil Tragen)
It tells you something about quite how busy Jason Manford is right now, that when he announced at the weekend he was leaving his popular Absolute Radio Sunday show after eight years, among the hundreds of gutted messages from fans was one saying: “I am actually relieved to hear that you are giving up something – you work yourself far too hard”.
The comedian, actor, singer, quiz show host, padel devotee and soon-to-be-former-radio host has fingers in so many pies it’s perhaps only a surprise that one hasn’t broken off before now.
When I mention that he appears to be the busiest man in showbiz right now, Jason chuckles: “Always busy, always busy,” before adding: “Do you know what, one day no one will want me, so you’ve got to take it while you can haven’t you?”
It’s an ethos that has certainly seen Jason’s star catapult into the ascendancy in recent years. The Salford-born, Stockport-raised funny man has become a modern day everyman – A Manford All Seasons is the name of his ongoing comedy tour and it couldn’t be more fitting for his life right now.
He’s as comfortable hosting a daytime quiz show as entertaining the Royal Family as he so effortlessly did as host of The Royal Variety Performance for the first time last week at London’s Royal Albert Hall.
Shaken, not stirred at the Royal Variety Performance(Image: WireImage)
Pictures of the slimmed-down Jason (more on his health kick later) in his smart black tie at the event led to many calling for him to be the next James Bond – as if he could somehow find the time to fit that in his schedule as well.
Fans will get to see him in action when The Royal Variety Performance is screened on December 17 on ITV, although spoiler alert, we get to see him don his pantomime tights during the show, as well as have a sing song in a brilliant panto skit alongside some of the nation’s favourite stars.
Panto is the reason we chat today for the MEN, as among Jason’s many projects this year will be his return to the big Manchester Opera House panto in Robin Hood, alongside Britain’s Got Talent’s Ben Nickless.
The two funnymen have formed a magical double act that has both adults and their young ‘uns rolling around in the aisles with laughter. Having seen them myself over the past three years you can trust me when I say that’s no exaggeration.
Jason reunites with Ben Nickless for Robin Hood at the Opera House this December(Image: Phil Tragen)
It’s going so well that Jason can say it becoming an annual fixture for him. He says: “I can’t wait to start panto. I think it slots in now, it’s in the diary now, I’m just like you know what let’s just do it.
“It’s actually a privilege, it’s one of those jobs where you’re part of people’s Christmas tradition, it’s a special time of year, a special show, and it’s keeping theatres alive.
“I just love the fact we get so many adults rock up with no kids,” he laughs.
He heaps praise on Ben. He says: “Ben is special sort of funny – he’s got funny bones, he’s Bobby Ball, he’s Tommy Cooper, he’s Peter Kay, he’s one of those people who doesn’t have to try, he’s just funny. I just spend Christmas absolutely crying laughing.”
Performing in panto in Manchester means he also gets to be at home for Christmas which is a big deal for Jason, who is dad to six kids.
Talking of his seemingly hectic schedule, he says: “It looks worse than it is. It might look like I don’t stop, but I make sure I have two days off every week like most people. This part of the year is hard, because of panto, this Christmas period it is nuts, but I’ve got six kids haven’t I? So what can you do, I’ve got bills to pay.”
The panto has allowed the chemistry between Jason and Ben to grow and grow each year – with set-pieces so funny kids come up to them both through the year to start quoting famous lines and songs at them.
Jason says: “It’s one of those shows that grows and grows because each night something happens and we think oh that was good we’ll do it again. It’s just a bit of alchemy really, we’ve clocked on to something special. Because there’s no ego on stage, we’re not trying to outdo each other, we’re just trying to be funny.
“My boy even now, he’ll say “flippin eck” and start doing the lines from the show. That’s what’s lovely, you don’t know what’s going to resonate with the audience until you’ve done it and that’s what’s great.”
Jason and Ben get ready for the show(Image: Phil Tragen)
When we chat, he’s just been trying on his costume for the show, but he’s asked to change from baggy leggings to green tights. So we’ll get to see even more of Jason’s noticeably slimmer figure in the show.
Fans of the star can’t have failed to see Jason’s many social media posts about his love for padel – the tennis-like craze seemingly sweeping the nation.
It’s part of his new fitness and healthy living regime which he’s trying to follow, which he says is “all about longevity”.
Jason, 44, says: “I’ve hit that point in my life where it’s like right, how do I stay alive for as long as possible? I’m all about longevity now.
“Most of us are going to stay alive now longer than we should, because science is going to keep you alive, so it’s about making sure those last 15 years you aren’t dribbling in the corner of an Old People’s Home, I’d like it to be quality to the end.”
In a reference to his love of padel he laughs: “I’d be happy to go in the middle of a match point at 90 years old. That’s my aim.”
So what IS the appeal of padel I ask (as someone who’s never tried it)? “If you know it, you love it,” he says. “We are very lucky in Manchester and South Manchester and Cheshire because we’ve got loads of padel Courts. We’ve got 120 courts, indoor courts, two massive ones in city centre, there’s loads of choice.
“I’ve got a padel Charity Academy to try and get underprivileged kids to play padel, because it’s expensive, it’s not a cheap sport, but I want to try to make it accessible to everyone.”
“They’ve whipped it out”
Jason Manford shared a health update on Instagram after an appenix drama in August(Image: JasonManford Instagram)
Jason’s year hasn’t been without its health dramas though. In August, he shocked followers on social media when he posted a picture from a hospital bed after cancelling a planned gig in St Albans.
He explains now: “I was on the way down to a gig and I wasn’t feeling great, it was weird at 2pm I was alright, by 5pm I was on a drip at Salford Royal, it wasn’t fun.”
As for his appendix? “They’ve whipped it out, it’s in a bin somewhere in Salford now. They were fantastic at Salford Royal.”
He jokes now that his hospital stay did have its perks.
“I loved the time off to be honest,” he jokes. “Once you’re over the initial pain bit and the morphine kicks in, you’re like right I’m going to sit here and watch telly. They came in and said look there’s a bit of a complication we’ll have to keep you in another night and I said “great, let’s have a look at that dinner menu”.
“I just had a laugh with the staff and then got on with it. Then I was on holiday then so it was the perfect timing to happen.
Your body knows a holiday is due, so I suppose it was like ‘right let’s get rid of this’. “
He adds that due to timing it meant there were only five or six gigs he’s had to reschedule, “but if it had been in the middle of a tour you’re talking about 40 gigs needing to reschedule which would have been a nightmare”.
Ending up in the news
Jason’s hospital stay, and gig cancellations, was naturally something that became a news story for media outlets.
But Jason admits it can sometimes be frustrating when he finds posts he does on social media end up being big news stories. Only last week a jokey post he made about having a scan was jumped on by one national newspaper who thought he had another baby on the way.
Does he get annoyed about the media attention, I ask?
He sighs: “I don’t get annoyed, but I suppose what’s hard is, you run your social media for fans, and you feel that you’re speaking direct to people who already like you and you’re keeping them up to date with your life. It could be ‘oh this funny thing happened on the school run’, and I suppose there’s this way of doing journalism which is hitting refresh on celebrity Twitter and doing a story about that.”
He continues: “But then, what happens to us, it goes in a newspaper and goes to people who may not like you, who may not be interested in your life, and then you get the comments underneath the article saying “Look at this bloody attention seeker” and I’m like “woah, woah, woah” I’m just telling people who like me what happened, it’s the journalist who put it in the paper it’s nothing to do with me! That’s where it becomes a bit hard I suppose.
“Depending on what’s going on you can be in the same newspaper three times in a week from a thing you posted on Twitter.
“It’s that thing of I see “fame” and “celebrity” as a by product of being good at my job, it’s not the aim, the ambition is to just be the best comic I can be.
“People must say “f**k he’s everywhere this lad he’s always in the paper moaning about something” well, no, I was just talking to the people who follow me in Instagram.”
“I don’t really have ambition anymore”
Jason will star in new musical Something Rotten! at Manchester Opera House in 2026(Image: Something Rotten)
Given how well things are going career-wise at the moment, I ask what could possibly be next – I mean he’s done the West End, he’s done his own stadium shows, presented the top shows on TV and even recorded his own album. Next year he will also lead a new UK premiere production of Something Rotten in Manchester too.
Could Hollywood come calling next? Well, no, Jason reckons.
He says: “I don’t really have ambition anymore, I’ve done everything I can do with the modicum of talent I’ve got.
“If I can carry on doing this for as long as possible then I would love that. The fact that new people are still coming to see me is exciting, if you give them a good show they’ll come again.
“I’m not sat here thinking I’d love to conquer America, or I’d love to be in Hollywood or have my own sitcom or anything like that. I’m at a point where I’m well happy with where I’m at and what I’ve done so far.
“Opportunities come up, like hosting the Royal Variety Performance this year, another series of the quiz show is on the cards, I’m in for chats on various TV formats.
“Not in a big headed egotistical way you start to think of legacy as you’re getting older, what you leave behind, when you stop are people still going to think of you in a certain way?
“That’s why I work with the padel charity, and with Children’s Adventure Farm Trust, things like that, because you hope that you used your influence and celebrity in the best possible way to help others I suppose. It’s a privilege to be in this position because there’s millions of comics funnier than me that for whatever reason, right time right place, right things added up and here I am.”
Jason will star in Robin Hood at Manchester Opera House from Saturday, December 6 to Sunday, January 4. Tickets are available via ATG.