Joe Lycett opening own pub with bizarre twist as he applies for license
Celebrity landlords really are few and far between. Of course, there’s Jeremy Clarkson, who founded The Farmer’s Dog in August 2024; musician Ed Sheeran opened Bertie Blossoms on Portobello Road back in September 2019, and Candice Brown, who won The Great British Bake Off in 2016, owns The Greenman Eversholt in Bedfordshire.
Hoping to join the elite cohort by opening up his own establishment is comedian Joe Lycett, with the 37-year-old currently being in the midst of swotting up for a licensing exam so that he may serve alcohol at his new pub.
The establishment, set to be christened The Lycett Arms, will act as the backdrop to his new Channel 4 TV series of the same name.
However, unlike other hospitality businesses, The Lycett Arms won’t operate from one fixed position.
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Instead, the boozer will twin with a different pub from across the UK and be open for just a single hour - the amount of time he’ll be on air for.
For the show to go ahead, the father-of-one needs to complete ‘necessary’ licensing forms and take the mandatory exam in order to be accredited with a Level 2 Award for Personal Licence Holders.
If, and only if, he passes the exam with flying colours will be able to host and toast with alcohol on the premises.
Regarding the show, which promises to be ‘live and anarchic’, Lycett claimed that he’d ‘always wanted to run a pub that only exists for an hour a week, for the purposes of a TV concept’.
“And I’m thrilled beyond words to embark on the extended process of applying for a license to sell and serve alcohol,” he continued.
“Filling in government-mandated paperwork has always been a passion of mine, and I only hope that at some point it involves the presentation of at least one form of photographic ID.
“Pretty much the only disappointment is that in addition to this enthralling form-filling process, I will also have to make a television series, as this is apparently the only way to make the whole tax dodge work.”
Nevertheless, the father-of-one said he will ‘meet obligations’ by sitting in front of a camera and welcoming a myriad of celebrities into his pub, The Lycett Arms, for ‘great conversations and top comedy’.
Broadcasting live on Channel 4 every Friday at 10pm, The Lycett Arms is designed to be a ‘brilliant new live entertainment series’ producted by Bango Studios and My Options Were Ltd.
“We’re delighted that we will be helping to facilitate one of the Joe’s lifelong dreams; to set up and run his own pub (with extremely limited opening hours), and transmit it live on Channel 4,” said Emily Hudd and Iain Wimbish of the former.
“It's an absolute thrill to be working with Joe again on a show which promises to be an exhilarating slice of live entertainment joy - so long as all the paperwork comes through on time.”
The Lycett Arms is expected to air later this year on Channel 4.
Topics: TV and Film, Celebrity, Restaurants and bars
Ella Scott