Kay Mellor’s popular television drama Fat Friends is reportedly heading to the big screen, with some of the original cast involved.
Kay Mellor was one of Britain’s leading television dramatists. From the ground-breaking Band Of Gold through to her final series, The Syndicate, Mellor’s dramas were hugely popular and each ran for several series.
Fat Friends, which originally ran on ITV from 2000 to 2005, is reportedly being revamped as a feature film.
The show followed a group of friends as they undertook a weight loss programme. It launched the careers of James Corden and Ruth Jones, who would go on to create Gavin & Stacey, which co-starred fellow Fat Friends alumnus Alison Steadman. Corden, in particular, has enjoyed a busy and high-profile career since Fat Friends ended 18 years ago, with rolls in everything from British dramas (The History Boys, Starter For 10) to glossy Hollywood productions (Ocean’s 8, Into The Woods, Peter Rabbit). He was also in the movie adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats, but we’ll swiftly gloss over that.
While there is no confirmation of who will write the film – Mellor sadly passed away last year – Corden, Jones and Steadman have reportedly been approached to reprise their roles, and an “early script has been written and is ready to go,” according to The Sun newspaper. Mellor’s daughter, Gaynor Faye, who played Lauren Harris in all four series of the show, revealed on Channel 4 show Steph’s Packed Lunch: “We’re revisiting the characters and it’s really exciting. Hopefully we’re shooting it next year.”
We’ll keep you updated as we hear more.
