Tony Wilson, the man behind Factory Records and the central character in the Michael Winterbottom film 24-Hour Party People, is going back to his old job as the frontman for Granada Reports after 13 years.
Wilson, who first came to prominence presenting Granada Reports in the 70s, combined his career as a TV journalist with his interest in the Manchester music scene.
After setting up his own record label, Factory, he became involved in the management of bands including Joy Division (later New Order), A Certain Ratio, and later the Happy Mondays, before eventually quitting his Granada job in the late 80s.
Now Wilson returns to his old stomping ground to co-host with Lucy Meacock the 6pm evening news show that made his name.
"I feel like I've never really gone away," Wilson said, claiming his "core" job has always been as a journalist.
"Being asked to present the show again by Kieron Collins (the Granada controller of programmes) and Eamonn O'Neal, (the executive producer of regional programmes) was a bit like the chance conversation that brought Eric Cantona from Leeds to Man U, and for me, just as wonderful".
Asked what he thought viewers in the north-west would make of his reappearance on Granada TV, he said: "You have to remember, all this stuff about the movie and all these posters saying 'twat' and stuff... it's nothing new,"
"I've been a minor celebrity here since I was 23 years old."
Wilson is also fronting a Channel 5 quiz show, called Topranko, from May 27 at 7pm.
