In the noughties, TV viewers were given a hysterical window into the love lives and friendships of five friends from Runcorn in their twenties.
Smash BBC sitcom Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps first aired in 2001 and followed pals Gaz Wilkinson, Jonny Keogh, Janet Keogh, Donna Henshaw, and Louise Brooks, who often enjoyed getting together for a pint in the local boozer. Filmed in Cheshire, the show ran for nine series with a total of 80 episodes from 2001 to 2011.
Created and written by Susan Nickson, Two Pints quickly became a cult classic. The show starred Royle Family alumni Ralf Little and Sheridan Smith, Will Mellor, Natalie Casey and Kathryn Drysdale.
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Across nine explosive series there were fights, cheating and a tragic death. Viewers also got to decide whether Gaz should be with Donna or Janet.
Since the show ended in 2011, the original cast have gone on to star in hit TV shows, the West End, reality TV competitions and receive critical acclaim. Here, we take a brief look back at the cast of Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps and what they did next.
Will Mellor - Gaz Wilkinson
Will Mellor's iconic character Gaz Wilkinson was a mechanic at Brindley Autos who loved beer, booze and babes. Remembered for his ongoing love triangle with Donna and her best friend Janet throughout the series, Will's character also spent a year in a coma before deciding to travel the world.
In between filming Two Pints, Will starred in Casualty, Murder Investigation Team and in the second series of The Street before making his debut in EastEnders in 2007, playing salesman Warren Stamp. After the sitcom, Will also starred in Merlin, White Van Man, Waterloo Road and Coronation Street as drug lord Harvey Gaskell.
Broadchurch, In the Club, Death in Paradise and Line of Duty also saw roles from Will. Away from his TV roles, Will also hosts a podcast with his Two Pints co-star Ralf Little called Two Pints with Will and Ralf, has been a frequent panelist and guest judge on Celebrity Juice and is the voice of the Funky Pigeon ads.
This year, Strictly Come Dancing announced Will Mellor as their first dancer. Will is partnered with professional Nancy Xu.
Sheridan Smith - Janet Keogh
Since appearing on Two Pints of Lager, Sheridan Smith has had a sky rocketing career in TV, film and the West End. Whilst on the show, Sheridan played Janet Keogh, a girl who loved "things that go bleep bleep" and a "Cheeky Vimto," before leaving in 2009 before the final series.
In the same period she left Two Pints of Lager, Sheridan starred in BBC hit Gavin and Stacey as Smithy's sister, as well as ITV's Benidorm and Joey Ross in drama series Jonathan Creek. But she went on to receive acclaim for starring in the likes of Mrs Biggs, Cilla, The C Word, Black Work and The Moorside.
In the West End, Sheridan has starred in Little Shop of Horrors, Legally Blonde, Funny Girl, and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. Sheridan has won two Olivier Awards, a BAFTA, an NTA, received two International Emmy Awards and also received an OBE in 2015.
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Also presenting BBC dog-grooming competition Pooch Perfect and being a judge on ITV's Starstruck, Sheridan has also released an album, appeared in her own documentary 'Becoming Mum' and this year starred in the sequel to the 1970 film The Railway Children The Railway Children Return.
Ralf Little - Jonny Keogh
Already a popular face on TV after starring in The Royle Family, Ralf Little is still remembered for his role as Jonny Keogh, a daytime TV lover and LFC fan who had a habit of eating cat food, a desiccated coconut and Jammy Dodgers. Also obsessed with the film Titanic, Ralf's character was suddenly killed off screen at the beginning of series seven.
After Two Pints, Ralf has continued to be one of the most recognisable faces on British television, starring in Robin Hood, Doctor Who, Inside Number 9 and Death in Paradise. Since 2020, Ralf has starred as DI Neville Parker in the hit show.
He is also the narrator of Channel 5's Our Yorkshire Farm. And Ralf filmed a six-part travel series with former Royle Family co-star Ricky Tomlinson called Ricky and Ralf's Very Northern Road Trip.
As mentioned with Will, he is also the other half of their podcasting duo. And Ralf has also uncovered his family's history on Who Do You Think You Are?.
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Kathryn Drysdale - Louise Brooks
Kathryn Drysdale played Louise Brookes in the show, known for her distinct voice, being on the hunt for the man of her dreams and her obsession with collecting Sylvanian Families. Whilst on the show, Kathryn's character had a baby before leaving Runcorn with her new celebrity boyfriend in the penultimate series.
The Wigan born actress went on to star in Doctor Who, Benidorm, play Grace Shelley in The West End show The Ruling Class opposite James McAvoy and have the role of Taylor in film St Trinian's. Other big roles included Rhoda Swartz in Mira Nair's Vanity Fair, opposite Reese Witherspoon, and as Lizzie in the drama series Tripping Over.
In more recent years, Kathryn has appeared in Death in Paradise, Horrible Histories and Plebs. But also became well-known for playing Meghan Markle in The Windsors.
Most recently she appeared has appeared in the Netflix smash hit show, Bridgerton. Kathryn plays, high society dressmaker Genevieve Delacroix, acting alongside the likes of Nicola Coughlan and Polly Walker.
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Natalie Casey - Donna Henshaw
Natalie Casey played Carol Groves on Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks for five years from 1996 before her Two Pints of Lager fame. Playing the role of Donna, Natalie's character was known for her temper and being Gaz's long-term girlfriend and then wife.
Natalie spent a decade on the show, from 2001 till 2011. Alongside co-star Will Mellor, the pair were the only two original main characters to appear in all nine series.
In TV, Natalie co-presented Big Brother's Little Brother. But many will recognise Natalie's voice for narrating numerous shows such as Dinner Date.
In the theatre, she has also had roles in Fame, Legally Blonde. In 2012, it was announced she would play 'Judy' in the musical 9 To 5, in its first UK tour, alongside Bonnie Langford.
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