As soon as we first heard whisperings that The Real Housewives of Cheshire's Tanya Bardsley was getting her own ITVBe spin-off series, we knew the universe had done good.
Since she was catapulted on to our radar in 2015 as an OG in the first series of The Real Housewives of Cheshire, Tanya has been giving us all those Kris Jenner x Sharon Osbourne vibes, and doesn't a 'chaotic' family spin-off show with Tanya at the helm as matriarch ten years on just feel right?
The Bardsley Bunch is a six-part reality series produced by Real Housewives of Cheshire producers, Monkey; with the show revolving around Tanya and husband Phil's Wilmslow home, but also following the fam on various adventures in and out of Cheshire – including a turbulent caravan trip to Blackpool with the entire squad in tow.
The 'hilarious' new series stars Tanya, husband Phil, their four kids Gabriella, Rocco, Renz and Ralphi, grandparents Julie (we spoke to Julie too, and we can confirm – icon) and Steve, and Great Nana Irene.
Closer online recently caught up with Tanya ahead of the show's launch on Wednesday 16 April 2025 and being us, we have a feeling Tanya knew exactly what one of our first questions would be – should we be preparing ourselves for any Housewives cameos in this spin-off? Because the thought of Lystra Adams flying in like some ultra-glam Mary Poppins to spruce up Bardsley Manor and cull the chaos for an ep or two makes a lot of sense in our head.
While we're pretty sure Lystra won't be playing Mary Poppins to the Bardsleys, Tanya did confirm that her bestie will be popping up in the series, as will her Housewives co-star, Sheena Lynch (both of whom have just wrapped filming series 18).
Tanya exclusively told Closer online, ‘You’ll see some of the Housewives, like Sheena and Lystra. It’s completely different [though], it’s just a family show.'
Maybe we will get that Mary-Poppins-coded ep, after all?
Opening up about her new series as a whole, Tanya said, 'We watched episode one the other day and it is just hilarious. The head of ITV said to me she thinks it's like a 70s sitcom comedy – but it's just our life.'
Speaking about the comparisons between The Bardsley Bunch and The Real Housewives of Cheshire, Tanya said, 'There's probably just as much arguing as [The Real Housewives of Cheshire], because they need it you see. They don't listen. Mind you, Housewives don't listen either.'
Tanya's new six-part series, The Bardsley Bunch, launches on ITVBe and ITVX on Wednesday 16 April at 9pm.
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Ben Pulsford is a digital writer for Bauer Media, writing for both Closer online and heatworld. When he's not getting paid to gossip about TOWIE, Love Island and The Real Housewives of Cheshire, he's storming the London LGBTQ+ scene as drag queen, Beary Poppins, or co-hosting Spill The Fizz podcast alongside Traitors legend, Diane Carson. Both Ben and Beary are awaiting an invite to join The Real Housewives of Cheshire for series 18. The budget's not there, but the drama is 💅.