When Bolton-born musician Jordan Allen announced his band of the same name would be going on an indefinite hiatus last year, he had quite few achievements that could have easily been his and the band's proudest.
They had footballing legend Peter Crouch dancing along to their set at Isle of Wight Festival in 2018, played a sold-out gig at Gorilla in 2019, and had been booked to play Ritz in 2020, before the pandemic put an end to the plans. However it was after emigrating to Australia earlier this year that Jordan found out that one of his songs would be getting a new lease of life.
Rosie, which was originally released on the band's 'Livin' La Vida Bolton' EP in 2016, has gone on to be their most popular song, with more than 1.4 million streams on Spotify since it was re-released as a single in 2017 - including 40,000 in the past month alone. It caught the eye of bosses at Sky and Jordan the broadcaster's head of licensing approached Jordan about using the track as the opening theme brand new Sheridan Smith sitcom 'Rosie Molloy Gives Up Everything'.
READ MORE : Stockport lads Blossoms bring the party as they begin four-night run at Manchester's O2 Apollo
The show, which also reunites Father Ted stars Ardal O'Hanlon and Pauline McLynn, centres on Smith's titular Mancunian who decides to change her life after an embarrassing incident at her brother Joey’s wedding that leaves her in hospital. Jordan hasn't been able to watch the show yet as it is not airing in Australia but said he was "absolutely buzzing" after a friend sent him a video of the opening credits. "It was literally out of the blue," he said of the initial contact from Sky.
"I got an email about six months ago and this woman who is head of licensing at Sky said she was interested in taking my song. I presumed it would just be a background scene.
"Luckily I own all the rights to the song so we were in a nice position. We were in contention with four other bands but then they told me it was going to be the title track. I've been on tenterhooks ever since.
"They picked it up because the loved the whole theme of the character or Rosie that we had, like a p***head who's going out all the time ruining their life, is basically like what the series is based on. It looks like it's going to do really well.
"It's Father Ted back together so when I found that out it was mega because grew up with my dad showing me that. Hopefully it does well and we get a second series out of it.
"For me and Kie [Loughran, the band's bassist] to have retired and then we have the biggest thing yet. To have a song somewhere it will be in TV forever is just brilliant. I'm absolutely buzzing, think that's got to be my proudest moment."
Six-part Sky Comedy series 'Rosie Molloy Gives Up Everything' was released on Wednesday (December 7) and is all available to watch on streaming service Now.
Read more of today's top stories here
READ NEXT:
- Blossoms throw support behind Night & Day at top-secret gig
- Peter Kay announces even more dates have been added to tour
- Pubs and restaurants fear spate of Christmas party cancellations due to strikes
- Celine Dion postpones world tour including Manchester date after stiff-person syndrome diagnosis
- Will Young unveils startling new look ahead of big return to the stage in Manchester theatre exclusive
