My earliest memory of Manchester is…
I did a GM Buses advert when I was about 7 or 8 years old. We shot it all around the Arndale over 2 days. I got paid £79 so I bought a cassette player and a Billy Ocean album from Our Price. Not sure what my thinking was buying his album. I did listen to Stu Allen’s Hip-Hop & House show on Piccadilly Radio on Sunday nights on it though. That sounds cooler doesn't it.
My favourite place to eat in Manchester is…
Kabana in the Northern Quarter. It’s a no-frills Indian cafe. The food is incredible.
My favourite Manchester bar or nightclub is…
I live in London, so I don’t really get out much in Manchester these days. But if I do I love a night down at South on King Street. There’s nothing better than hearing Sympathy For The Devil blasting out in a club. I’m old now too. Three pints of Guinness and a roast is my idea of a top night out.
My favourite place to shop in Manchester is…
Oi Polloi on Thomas Street. Their selection of clothes is great. When I’m filming in Manchester I end up spending more on coats than what I’m earning from the actual job. My life is one big false economy.
The last gig or show I saw in Manchester was…
I saw Book Of Mormon at the Palace recently. I’d seen it before in the West End. I think it’s still the best musical around. Really pushes it.
My favourite hidden gem in Manchester is…
Hope Mill Theatre. It’s built in an old mill and is a really intimate space. Great cafe bar there too.
The best Manchester band of all time is...
Happy Mondays. Without the Mondays all the brilliant 90s Manchester bands wouldn't have existed. They paved the way for everything that followed. They're one of the rare bands that made the world feel like it had burst into technicolor. Of course Oasis and the Roses are brilliant too, but it's Shaun's lyrics and Paul's bass riffs that do it for me. Although I still blast out Some Might Say when I'm on a run and I'm flagging. Picks me up every time.
Manchester has everything except…
The Hacienda. It's a tragedy it’s not still going. I first went with our kid when I was 16. He was older and knew the ropes a bit more. I think I still have tinnitus from that occasion. I probably went every Thursday, Friday and Saturday for about two years after that. A place of love and collectiveness where everyone was after the same thing, to have a good time without judgment.
People’s biggest misconception about Manchester is…
That it always rains! It doesn't. It's sunny all year round. Ok, maybe not, but couldn't think of a better answer. Not a bad rumour to start though.
The thing I love most about Manchester is…
Easy that, Man United.
Andrew Knott is a much-loved face of stage and screen. Most recently seen in ITV's Strangers opposite Emilia Fox and John Simm, and Channel 4's No Offence, Andy is known for his role in both the stage version and film adaptation of The History Boys, after which he went on to collaborate with James Corden again in Gavin and Stacey.
Next year will see him turn his hand to screen-writing as well as some exciting new international TV projects. Andrew's screenplay, Twisting My Melon has just been announced, with Jack O'Connell in negotiations to play Shaun Ryder.
