The Bardsley Bunch has allowed cameras into the lives of Phil, Tanya and their children in Cheshire
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The Bardsley Bunch follows Tanya and Phil Bardsley in their life in Wilmslow, Cheshire, on ITVBe and ITVX
(Image: ITV)
Tanya Bardsley has been a familiar face on TV in recent years as a star of the Real Housewives of Cheshire, but now ex-footballer husband Phil is in on the action too with their new TV show following their lives.
Tanya admits it's taken a long time to persuade Phil to finally get in front of the camera, but he's a total natural in their new ITVBe docuseries The Bardsley Bunch.
And viewers are already demanding a series two after loving the exploits of the family so far on ITVBe.
Tanya laughs: "Phil was always adamant that he would never ever do it, but he eventually gave in. He's an absolute star, ITV knew it didn't they?"
Phil, 39, says of his retience in the past to be filmed: "It wasn't my bag to be honest, I was busy doing football, I didn't have the time to do anything. The Housewives wasn't for me, but this is totally different."
So how has he found it? He says with a chuckle: "It's been ok to be fair."
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Before Tanya, 44, cuts in to say: "He doesn't like walking through doors twice though for scenes, he says: 'we're all off the cuff darling'."
Phil and Tanya and their children, Gabriella, 23, Rocco, 16, Renz, 12, and Ralphi, 5, all feature in the new series.
Tanya and her children Gabriella, Rocco, Renz and Ralphi pictured in 2022
(Image: Tanya Bardsley/ Instagram)
Tanya says: "They're just following our every day lives in Wilmslow, you only have to stick a camera in the kitchen and there's comedy!
"They followed Phil when he presents for Man United TV. In fact viewers will see a lot of Man United, the boys show where he started and in the dressing room that kind of thing."
Phil says there's one thing viewers won't see a lot of though - and that's cooking in the Bardsley household.
Phil points to one amusing moment during filming where Tanya and her mum order hotpot and pies for her dad's birthday party from their favourite place in Wigan, "But then they had to ring the guy up to ask how long to cook the pie for!"
Tanya says: "Everyone who has seen it says it's like a 1970s sitcom, but that's the way we are."
The show features Tanya's mum and dad, her nan and Phil's dad as well as wider friends and family.
The Bardsley Bunch is now on ITVBe(Image: ITV)
And it shows what Phil has been up to since announcing his retirement from football in 2023, including his property projects and TV work.
Phil, from Salford, says of his retirement from football: "It was the right time for me to call it a day, my body couldn't take it anymore, it isnt easy stepping away from something after such a long time."
He adds: "I'd already set up my property group up and I wanted to stay involved with football in some way, but for me it was doing the media side, I didn't really want to go down the coaching route."
The Bardsleys continue to have a hectic football schedule though, thanks to the burgeoning careers of their sons.
Phil and Tanya Bardsley(Image: Dave Nelson)
Renz, 12, has been signed by Stoke City, as has Rocco, 16, who will soon be a full time footballer there, whch will mean him moving out of home in Cheshire to move to the academy.
Tanya is dreading it wailing: "I'm devastated, he's got a few months...." Before Phil interjects: "He's not going to a different world you know."
Phil recalls how he got started with his football career at Manchester United. He says: "Because I was local I lived at my gran's to be fair, the commute was only 20 minutes to Carrington.
"I was the first pickup every morning by the bus driver."
CARDIFF, WALES - FEBRARY 26: Wayne Rooney, Kieran Richardson and Phil Bardsley of Manchester United poses with the Carling Cup trophy in the dressing room after the Carling Cup Final match between Manchester United and Wigan Athletic at The Millennium Stadium on February 26 2006 in Cardiff, Wales.
Phil Bardsley once played for Manchester United (pictured with Wayne Rooney and Kieran Richardson in 2006)
(Image: John Peters/Manchester United via Getty Images)
With the kids growing up fast, Tanya has also been concentrating on her own burgeoning business empire, with her own hair extension business, and her Haus of CEO launch that features in the new TV show.
We will also see Tanya speak openly about her health struggles with the peri-menopause and getting her ADHD diagnosis.
"We are dealing with a lot in our household with puberty, PMS, ADHD... oh and grumpy old man syndrome too," she jokes nudging Phil.
While there's no news yet on a second series, Tanya said the kids have loved doing all the filming. And it's had a brilliant reaction from viewers so far.
"Oh they've loved it. Ralphi is always like: 'can I film today please, please, please."
She's also loved the project as it's meant filming at home a lot - and she admits she's a real homebird.
She says: "Oh, I love Wilmslow, I don't even like leaving Wilmslow, that's why I love doing the show, because I'm a homebird."
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The Bardsley Bunch is available to watch on demand now on ITVX, or can be viewed on ITVBe every Wednesday at 9pm, and is aired on repeat on Saturdays at 8.55am and 3.55pm, Sundays at 8pm.