Did you spot former Hollyoaks actor Emmett J. Scanlan in Peaky Blinders?
He made a return to the small screen!
Last updated 22nd Jul 2020
Peaky Blinders fans and Hollyoaks fans came together to celebrate Emmett J. Scanlan when season five aired in August 2019. The actor, who previously starred as Brendan Brady in the soap, is now a recurring character on Peaky Blinders and just welcomed his first baby with his wife and former Hollyoaks co-star, Claire Cooper. Congratulations!
Who did Emmett J. Scanlan play on Peaky Blinders?
The second episode of the season saw the debut of Emmett as Billy, a footballer turned singer who was performing in the Blinders-owned Garrison pub before being approached by the brothers with a proposition.
Who was Emmett J. Scanlan in Hollyoaks?
Of course, soap fans will recognise Emmett from his Hollyoaks days as Brendan Brady. The Irish actor played the villain everyone loved to hate in the soap for three years, before he bowed out of the soap and his character was sent to prison.
Fans of both were thrilled by his introduction, and many took to Twitter to share their happiness. One wrote, 'Seeing @EmmettScanlan on #PeakyBlinders is giving me so many feels and flashbacks to watching Hollyoaks and I really forgot how much I missed watching him on my screen 😭.'
Another added, 'So happy to see @EmmettScanlan in #PeakyBlinders playing a gangster again!! The Fall, In the Flesh, Atlantis, Constantine, even Safe and GOTG, now PB. Followed what I could all because of his portrayal of Brendan in Hollyoaks.'
Will Emmett J. Scanlan be in Peaky Blinders season 6?
So for those wondering if Brendan from Hollyoaks was in Peaky Blinders... The answer is yes! Following his deception and betrayal of the Shelby family, we're pretty sure he'll be featuring in the upcoming sixth season of Peaky Blinders, which has sadly been postponed due to the global pandemic.
What else has Emmett J. Scanlan been in?
Although he's best known for his roles in Hollyoaks and Peaky Blinders, Emmett also made an appearance in 2014 film Guardians of the Galaxy as a prison guard. He appeared in 2019 series Treadstone as Spencer, and Gangs of London with fellow former Peaky Blinders co-star Joe Cole.
Swipe through to find out where Peaky Blinders is filmed...
The Black Country Living Museum
The Black Country museum is home to many of the filming locations for Peaky Blinders, and if you take a trip around the museum for a day you'll be sure to recognise some past scenes of the show.
Pictured here is Uncle Charlie's dockyard, home to many dodgy dealings between the Shelby brothers as well as allowing safe passage for who or whatever they need to get out of the Midlands. Read up on the museum here.
Powis Street, Liverpool
Much of the filming for Peaky Blinders is done in and around Liverpool, and different companies host many tours in the city so that fans of the show can see where the magic happens. This particular street is used for the Shelby families homes in the first season, named Watery Lane on the show.
Formby Beach, Liverpool
Many heartbroken viewers will spot that Formby Beach in Liverpool was the spot where Alfie Solomons (played by Tom Hardy) admitted his betrayal to Tommy, and basically forced Tommy into shooting him dead after confessing that he had cancer. It was very emotional.
Port Sunlight, Wirral
Port Sunlight is a model village in the Wirral, Merseyside. Although the village and the homes within it were originally built for workers at the Lever Brothers Factory, it's now a tourist attraction. Eagle-eyed Peaky fans will recognise the timbered housing as Aunt Polly's home, which is 'in' Sutton Coldfield in the show.
Arley Hall, Cheshire
Once Tommy became as 'legit' as he could in season three, he and Grace moved themselves into an incredible country house. Sadly, Grace was shot dead at a party they hosted there, but Tommy continued to live there with their son Charlie as well as their staff.
Arley Hall is situated in Northwich, Cheshire, and is often used as a wedding venue. Other shows to be filmed there include Coronation Street, Antiques Roadshow and Cold Feet.
General Manager Steve Hamilton said, "It's been incredible to see the effort and attention to detail that goes into a production such as Peaky Blinders. There was a real buzz around Arley during the filming and it was great to work with the BBC on such a popular and critically acclaimed drama. The great thing now is that people will be able to visit us this summer and walk in the rooms where these amazing stars have filmed their scenes."
Manchester Town Hall
The town hall in Manchester was apparently used as a building front in a scene in one of the first two seasons where Sam Neill's character, Major Campbell, visits Winston Churchill, but Peaky Blinders' Production Designer Grant Montgomery told i News that "the interiors were done in another location." So cryptic!
Victoria Baths, Manchester
The Victoria Baths in Manchester were used for scenes in season two. After Polly's son Michael returned, having been raised in the countryside by adoptive parents, the Shelby brothers took him along to a horse fair where Tommy bought a filly and also met May Carleton. Of course, in true Peaky style, the day ends in a fight, but the filming for the fair took place at the baths.
Montgomery told i, "I remember thinking Victoria Baths could give it a really good look. One of the baths had timber over it, so we put sawdust down on top."
Bolton
The centre of Bolton was used for various scenes in the show, but Le Mans crescent in Bolton was used for shots to capture the Shelby brothers' trip to London, and specifically the exterior of the Eden Club - the jazz den owned by Sabini, who becomes a nemesis to the family.
Montgomery told i, "We were thinking how to do London in the 1920s, and Bolton has that wonderful crescent. So I said, 'Well, this is our London.' And the exterior to the Eden Club was all done in Bolton."
Brooke’s Mill, Huddersfield
Producers used Brooke's Mill in Huddersfield as the location for the gypsy campsite, using traditional caravans and carts, as well as horses.
Leeds Town Hall
Many fans of the show were convinced that the scenes in which Campbell and Grace share information about the Shelby family in the art gallery were filmed at the Town Hall in Birmingham. However, the front was actually shot at the Town Hall in Leeds.
Newby Hall & Gardens, Ripon
However, the scenes on the inside of the art gallery where Campbell and Grace surreptitiously pass notes to each other were filmed at the Newby Hall & Gardens in Ripon, North Yorkshire.
Keighley and Worth Valley Steam Railway
Most of the Peaky moments that take place on a train or at a station happen on the Keighley and Worth Valley railway line. It's a 5-mile long rail line that runs through a small part of West Yorkshire, and many will recognise Keighley as the station where Grace shot Major Campbell in season one.
Undercliffe Cemetery, Bradford
The shots in season one where Polly pays her respects at the cemetery and meets Freddie Thorne laying flowers for his mum is thought to have been shot in Bradford at the Undercliffe Cemetery.
Keighley and Worth Valley Railway, Yorkshire
If it's a scene involving a train station, this historic Yorkshire station is likely to be the filming location, boasting gorgeous old platforms and carriages, picturesque walking paths and eye-catching backdrops.
Chatsworth House, Derbyshire
If you're looking for May Carleton's mansion, featured in season two of Peaky Blinders, then Chatsworth House, in Bakewell, Derbyshire, is the place! The stunning historic building is perfect for aristocratic horse-trainer May Carleton.
Episodes shot at Chatsworth include huge stars of the show, including Cillian Murphy (as Thomas Shelby), Charlotte Riley (as May Carleton) and Annabelle Wallis (as Grace Burgess).