Joe Lycett's The Lycett Arms: 6-Part Pub Show Gets APLH

Obtaining a UK Personal Licence for Live Hosting: Championing the Pub as a Community Hub

British comedian Joe Lycett has officially earned his Level 2 Award for Personal Licence Holders (APLH) in order to front his brand-new six-part television series, The Lycett Arms. Scheduled to air on Channel 4 starting Friday, September 4, the show will see Lycett run a pub in east London for one hour each week, serving as the setting for six live broadcasts that celebrate traditional British pub culture.

Throughout The Lycett Arms, Lycett will personally serve patrons a curated selection of beer, cider, wine, and spirits, alongside non-alcoholic options. With each episode running 45 minutes excluding commercial breaks, the production team aims to condense an entire week of pub antics into each broadcast—from brawls and karaoke to comedy sets and changing kegs in the cellar. In addition, each episode will feature a celebrity guest stepping in as pub manager for an internship shift, and the London pub will be paired and connected with another working pub somewhere in the UK.

Opposing Private Members' Clubs: Defending Public Social Spaces

Speaking on Fearne Cotton's Happy Place podcast, the Solihull-born comedian explained that his inspiration for the show stemmed from the ongoing loss of traditional pubs across the UK—venues he views as vital spaces where people from all walks of life can mingle. He openly criticised recent efforts to introduce private members' clubs in his home city of Birmingham, pointing out that Soho in years past welcomed anyone regardless of social status or wealth. In contrast, modern members' clubs require cards or personal connections just to enter, which he described as an inherently Tory worldview that excludes the majority. He stressed that the most interesting people are rarely the rich or elite, but regular folk sitting on street corners watching the world go by over a pint.

Lycett added that while he has nothing against luxury retreats like Babington House, he firmly opposes the entire world turning into an exclusionary membership space. This is not Lycett's first foray into the drinks industry: last year, he partnered with The Queer Brewing Company and Birmingham local pub The Juke to release two single-hop Luminosa pale ales titled Rainbow Juice and Out Tonight?. An artist himself, Lycett illustrated the can labels, with a portion of proceeds donated to Queens Heath Pride and the trans youth charity Not A Phase.

At the time, Lycett jokingly referred to the brewery as his second favourite, runner-up only to the makers of Skol. The 2.8% ABV pilsner-style lager is sold at discount retailers across the UK like Iceland and B&M, produced and distributed by Carlsberg Group across the UK, Europe, and Asia, and handled in Brazil by AmBev, a subsidiary of AB InBev. Meanwhile, UK private members' clubs have recently faced scrutiny over safety incidents; in January, London's elite club Annabel's was the site where wealthy businessman Vikas Nath spiked a woman's drink with GBL. Quick-thinking bar staff swapped the drink and notified authorities, leading to his conviction at Southwark Crown Court following prosecution by the Crown Prosecution Service. He remains in custody awaiting a separate trial.

📅 Publication Date: 2026-09-02

🔗 Source: https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2026/09/joe-lycett-slams-private-members-clubs-as-he-opens-the-lycett-arms/