'I got Noel Gallagher's number off Rob Brydon.' Not Going Out's Lee Mack on his bid to get Oasis legend on the show

Lee Mack refuses to look back in anger after his bid to get Noel Gallagher to appear in the 14th series of Not Going Out ended in failure.

The star and creator of the BBC sitcom says an episode of the forthcoming series follows his character, Lee, as he tries to get tickets for Oasis's much-anticipated comeback tour.

It tracks Lee's progress as little by little, he gets towards the front of the online queue, only for his dreams to slide away when his wife Lucy (Sally Bretton) loses his place while he's in the toilet.

Whatever he does, Lee can't sort the problem, leaving him crying his heart out and arguing with Lucy about who's to blame for the mix-up.

At a recent press event, Lee explained how he'd asked Noel Gallagher to make a guest appearance in the episode and had hoped he would acquiesce.

"I'd been listening to Rob Brydon's podcast, and he'd interviewed Noel," says Lee. "I got Noel's number off him and sent him a text asking if he'd be on the show, but he never got back to me. It's been eight months now, so I think it's a 'no'!"

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Left thinking about where it all went wrong, Lee wonders if texting Noel the morning after Oasis tickets went on sale last August, when he would surely have had a full inbox, might have hampered his chances. Although some might say his fate was sealed by a meeting with the rock 'n' roll star years earlier.

"I was on The One Show with Noel once and said I could play the guitar," explains Lee. "I said I only knew three chords, which meant I could play all his stuff! He sort of laughed, but I think it went in the bank."

Yet despite failing to land the biggest guest star in Not Going Out's 20-year history, Lee says his love for the band will never fade away.

"In a way, it's handy he didn't get back to me," he says. "I'm a massive Oasis fan, but obviously they're not going to want me going on about the ticket prices and stuff in a show that he's in!"

Not Going Out season 14 will air on BBC One on Friday 13 June 2025 at 9 pm.