Channel 4 & Co-op Team Up for Celebrity Funeral Face-Off
Channel 4 Sales has joined forces with Co-op Funeralcare to launch a fresh, social-first series, “Celebrity Send Off.” The three-part YouTube hit, rolling out on social platforms from July 10, pits celebrity duos against each other as they plan quirky, imagined funerals for their star partners.
Celebrity Duos Get Dead Serious – Sort Of
In this unique experiment, famous pairs tackle the challenge of organising fictional funerals. Co-op Funeralcare experts guide them through themes, eulogies, flowers, and wake ideas. The aim? To get Brits chatting openly about death and funeral wishes, shattering taboos around the inevitable.
- Shaun Ryder & Bez (Happy Mondays): Bez channels their gritty Salford roots and Shaun’s UFO obsessions into a truly leftfield send-off.
- Marcus Luther & Mica Ven (Gogglebox): The couple explore their dream funeral plans – and what they really want for their final curtain call.
- Kriss Akabusi & Shakira Akabusi: Father and daughter share touching insights into the emotional side of laying a loved one to rest.
Faces Behind the Flowers
Bez said: “Planning Shaun’s fake funeral was weird but creative. I imagined him cracking up over my grey UFO-shaped flowers – pretty emotional!”
Shaun added: “Bez’s ideas caught me off guard. It made me realise how important it is to have open talks about funerals. He nailed it, knowing me so well.”
Breaking Taboos with Bold Storytelling
Hanzla MacDonald from Channel 4 stressed the series’ impact: “Celebrity Send Off helps normalise death talks, pushing boundaries alongside Co-op Funeralcare.”
Sophie Lloyd of Channel 4 Sales said: “This show is a perfect example of bold, creative storytelling that grabs attention and sparks conversation.”
The series, produced by Interstellar and TSL’s Story Lab, is set to shake up how we think about funerals – with a cheeky celebrity twist.