Lycett brings together Brummies and US counterparts

Residents of Birminghams far and wide have had the chance to connect thanks to an initiative spearheaded by comedian Joe Lycett.

English Brummies made a new friend in one of North America's 18 Birminghams via a live-link at Victoria Square.

The one-day experiment, dubbed The Brum Hole, was orchestrated ahead of the comedian's new series, Joe Lycett's United States of Birmingham.

He was not present for the event but told BBC Radio WM: "We are the best city in the world and I say that because I'm in London - the irony of promoting a show about Birmingham [is] I've had to come to London."

In his self-appointed role as ambassador for his hometown, Lycett visited the other placed called Birmingham in the United States.

He said people could "speak to somebody from another Birmingham and you never know what you might find out".

He added: "There's a lot of, yeah, not great press about [our] Birmingham in the news, [but] actually we deserve a lot better [than] we get.

"I also feel like the Birminghams around the world experience that feeling of being underdogs.

"I think this is an opportunity for us all to kind of share in and celebrate in the fact that we're a great city and we've got proper real people."

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