Smoggie Queens: Stars line pink carpet for glitzy premiere

Middlesbrough Town Hall was lit up in pink this evening (Wednesday, November 27) for the launch of the new six-part series, both set and filmed across Teesside. 

The historic town centre venue was packed full of glitz and glamour as the pink carpet was rolled out - with roughly 300 guests flocking to catch a glimpse of the action.

Film and TV stars - including Middlesbrough native Mark Benton, Coronation Street star Alexandra Mardell, and creator and writer Phil Dunning - attended the exclusive launch event, strutting down the pink carpet in true style. 

Patsy Lowe, Phil Dunning, Alexandra Mardell, Elijah Young and Mark Benton at the Smoggie Queens premiere (Image: Stuart Boulton / The Northern Echo)

They were joined by a string of other actors including Coronation Street and Ted Lasso star Bill Fellows, Patsy Lowe, Elijah Young, and special guests such as Geordie Shore’s Ricci Guarnaccio. 

Some lucky fans even got the chance to quiz the cast in a special Q&A session about the show, which is set to debut on BBC iPlayer tomorrow (November 28). 

Guests were even treated to a glass of fizz and a wedge of parmo - in classic Middlesbrough style - before getting a preview of the episodes and their “spontaneous and ridiculous adventures”.

Mark Benton at the Smoggie Queens premiere (Image: Stuart Boulton / The Northern Echo)

Phil Dunning at the Smoggie Queens premiere (Image: Stuart Boulton / The Northern Echo)

Alongside the core group of actors, there are a string of guest appearances from some very well known faces, including Drag Race royalty Michelle Visage, Peaky Blinders star Charlotte Riley, presenter Steph McGovern, and Michael Mather (It’s A Sin) and Bill Fellows.

Smoggie Queens has been described as ”a series with heart” - but also “the most chaotic thing you’ll ever witness - unless you’ve been to Boro town centre on a Saturday night” 

It will introduce viewers to the likes of volatile Dickie (Dunning), drag queen Mam (Benton), self-styled hun Lucinda (Mardell), awkward Sal (Lowe) and newcomer Stewart (Young), as they navigate their little pocket of the LGBTQ+ community. 

Alexandra Mardell at the Smoggie Queens premiere (Image: Stuart Boulton / The Northern Echo)

Crowds lining up for the Smoggie Queens premiere (Image: Stuart Boulton / The Northern Echo)

The 30 minute episodes will see the group navigate their love, life, and pride for a town that feels neglected, in its own little corner of the north. 

And Middlesbrough natives can prepare for plenty of Easter eggs across the series - not only by the town’s big landmarks but through everything from parmos at Manjaros to an iconic radio jingle from a very well known flooring store. 

The “out and out” comedy has been filming across Teesside over the last year, in locations such as Centre Square in Middlesbrough, at the Hartlepool Headland, and in the Eaglescliffe area.

The pink carpet at the Smoggie Queens premiere (Image: THE NORTHERN ECHO)

Recommended reading:

• Smoggie Queens: BBC Comedy to premiere in Middlesbrough
• Drag Race royalty and Ted Lasso star join Smoggie Queens
• Smoggie Queens: What we know so far about BBC show

Get more from The Northern Echo with a digital subscription. Click here.

Speaking to The Northern Echo on the pink carpet, Phil Dunning said: "It is mad. It is overwhelming but it is lovely, and I am buzzing about it.

"I just don't believe it - I feel like I will just wake up tomorrow and be like oh yeah, those tow years were a dream." 

Alexandra Mardell - whose first experience in Middlesbrough was filming Smoggie Queens, added: "You can see that everyone is so excited, just by the turnout. It is lovely."