EXCLUSIVE: Kelli Hollis has revealed a major hint about the future of Shameless returning to Channel 4 after several key members of the cast reunited for a special event
One of the stars of the iconic drama Shameless has revealed news sure to devastate fans of the Channel 4 show.
Shameless was the gritty comedy, centred around the infamous Chatsworth Estate in Sretford, Manchester, which was rife with gang crime, prostitution and drugs.
The show, which initially focused on Frank Gallagher and his six children – Fiona, Lip, Ian, Carl, Debbie, Liam, Fiona’s boyfriend Steve and the neighbours, instantly became a hit. And it was so successful, adaptations were made in the United States, Russia, India and Turkey.
Multiple members of the cast have gone on to achieve huge success, both on the small and big screens. Despite the last series airing in 2013, the show still remains a huge success, so much so that members of the cast are currently embarking on a nationwide tour – A Shameless Night, created by actress Kelli Hollis, who played Yvonne Karib.
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With Kelli having the blessing of show creator Paul Abbott for the tour, she has lifted the lid on whether fans could expect to see the show back on screens. “I personally don’t think that would ever happen,” she told the Mirror. She added: “Paul has been so supportive. Paul’s not involved in the show; he’s given me his permission. He’s absolutely made up.”
But while a full-scale return to the screen appears to be off the cards, could this perhaps pave the way for a spin-off series? “Who knows,” said Kelli, adding: “I think it’s something Paul would leave behind and we’d never get David [Threlfall, who played Frank], back.
“David is an absolute legend – he’s busy doing King Lear. They say nobody is bigger than the show, I think Shameless could be the exception. I don’t think there is a Shameless without Frank.” “There might be a little sprinkle of something, who knows?” she laughed.
Reflecting on when the programme first started filming, Kelli says she thought the concept was “nuts”. She said she remembered thinking “How are they going to get away with this?” But while she played a key role, Kelli says throughout her time, she stopped reading the scripts in full as, like viewers, she became hooked on the storylines.
“I wanted to watch with everyone else,” she exclaimed, adding that she and her castmates had no idea the show would be a success – or even spoken about two decades later. The programme often tackled the taboo, including one storyline involving Carl Gallagher becoming a male sex worker.
“There’s nothing,” Kelli said of similar shows, adding: “I think Brassic would be the baby Shameless, but a lot tamer. I’ve gone back and rewatched a load of stuff, trying to research, when you think Shameless, you think swearing, sex scenes, but it is so much more than that.
“Some of my favourite stuff is the Frank and Debbie scenes. Just Frank and Debbie together. And there’s just some beautiful moments, and I think people forget how clever and smart and funny and beautiful it actually was, even though these characters are so caricatured and crazy and outlandish.
“I think with the council estate vibe, I do know that Paul never wanted it to be ‘grim up north’, I know he never wanted that vibe for the show. It was these characters – on paper, Frak Gallagher is the most despicable human. He’s awful on paper, but everybody fell madly in love with him, and I think that’s what makes it beautiful.
“You saw the real people who are just surviving, looking after each other, doing what they need to do to survive. It’s as old as time, isn’t it? But with these beautiful characters.” Speaking of her favourite scene from the show, Kelli said hers is between Sheila and Norma – sitting upstairs in bed, ranting.
But despite the A Shameless Night tour being a huge success, Kelli says she had been mulling over the idea for over a year after seeing reunions for other shows. “It sort of snowballed,” she laughed. Nothing is off topic on the tour, which sees members of the cast reminiscing on stage – but Kelli has teased that there are more names to be announced for future dates.
“We’ve got some of the cast on the night, we’ve got a couple of little surprises from people who can’t be there,” she explained. But being reunited with her co-stars has been the “nicest thing,” with Kelli feeling honoured when they realise she’s the brains behind the event.
She said: “There are some cast members who are quite happy to leave it where it is and not revisit it, and that’s totally fine and 100 per cent respect that. But even the ones who are not doing it have been so supportive. I think they’ve got that energy from us now and know that this isn’t just about doing a thing, it’s about us remembering and appreciating what that show gave us.”
Cast members, including the likes of Jody Latham, Elliot, Luke Tittensor, Tina Malone, Robbie Conway, Samantha Siddall and Chris Bisson, are all taking part in the new on-stage reunion. “Elliot’s been an absolute superstar from day one,” said Kelli. She went on to add: “He’s really helped keep us moving, encouraging and supportive.” Kelli went on to add: “I’ve seen some over the years, some people we’ve not seen each other since the show.
“I think that’s what all of us have realised 20 years later, how, again, you don’t realise when you’re there, and you’re in it, and then you go on to another job, and life, and then you blink, and you’re 20 years later, and people are still talking about it, still asking, still watching.
“A whole new generation of families, kids, you know. My son was two weeks old when I got that job.” Her son, now 23, has designed the merchandise for the tour, cementing Kelli’s belief that Shameless was a true family show.
The tour is hosted by Kelli’s friend, Lewis Nicholls, who, like thousands, grew up as a fan of the programme. “It’s taken a long time, but it feels good now,” said Lewis. He added: “This is something Kelli has spoken about for years, and then it built momentum over the last few months.
“We went to a couple of different people to see if they could take Kelli’s vision and make it into what she would like it to be. And the company now have done that, and it just seems to be getting bigger. What we’re finding now is that more cast members are discovering what Kelli’s put together, and they want to jump on it.”
He added: “Kelli’s got some stories that have never been shared before and they’re so iconic. People are going to be in for a shock because these events are not structured – people can say exactly what they want. There’s going to be some shocking stories.” Lewis is most excited to see Mimi, played by Tina Malone, back on stage. “Getting her to recreate those scenes where she kicks off and swears, I want her to do that on the actual show,” he laughed.
Lewis praised the show, particularly the character Mickey Maguire, played by Ciarán Griffiths. Mickey was known for his erratic outbursts and was prone to violence. But the character was struggling with his sexuality – something which became known in later seasons.
“There was a lot of time he wanted to be loved, and you saw the vulnerable side to the character,” Lewis said, adding: “I think that’s what Shameless was good at, they had the comedy aspect, but then they could really pull on your heartstrings by showing the character’s vulnerabilities.”
Recalling his favourite scene, Lewis said: “There was a moment where Frank and Carl, it was in the last series, when I think Frank turns around and said ‘I wish you were never born,’ or it was something really cruel.
“And then he said, ‘I hate you,’ and they had this horrible exchange, but then they embraced for a hug. And then you realise that actually they just love each other, but didn’t want to say it. And I remember I actually had a lump in my throat when I watched that.”
Tickets for A Shameless Night are now available to purchase for Birmingham and Stockport.
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