New dad Lycett becomes tip regular during bin strikes

Joe Lycett said that, as a new dad, he was visiting the rubbish tip "more regularly than most" during Birmingham's ongoing bin strikes, to offload dirty nappies and wipes.

"I go to the tip, I would say, every fortnight. Tyseley's my favourite," the Brummie comedian, who has a six-month-old son, joked in an interview with BBC Radio WM.

Birmingham's bin strikes are now in their fifth week, with talks between bin workers and the city council ending on Tuesday without an agreement.

Lycett added that there was "a Blitz spirit" on his road, with neighbours helping each other to take waste to the tip.

Lycett put a post on Instagram two weeks ago quipping that Tyseley's tip was "superior" to one in Kings Norton, prompting hundreds of comments from Brummies about their preferred dumps.

The post provided light relief during what continues to be a difficult period for many residents, as bin bags pile up in several neighbourhoods, along with growing public health concerns.

Bin workers who belong to the Unite union began an all-out strike on 11 March, following sporadic walkouts since January.

"Right now it does feel like there's sort of layers on layers of bad news coming out of the Midlands, but I'm very hopeful that we will find a way through," Lycett said.

The comedian has often used his career to boost his hometown, presenting a live late-night show from Birmingham in 2023 and 2024.

The show, Late Night Lycett, won a Bafta in 2024 and involved a training scheme that offered work to local people.

Lycett has a new show due to air this month, for which he has visited places called Birmingham in the US and found links with his hometown.

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