Roy Chubby Brown coming to Wigan to back mental health fund

Kieran Jones convinced the controversial comic to come to town for a fund-raising night in aid of Mind, an event which will take place at The Monaco in Hindley on March 13.

Kieran, 39, has struggled with depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) for several years and is battling to improve his own mental health, including taking on Tough Mudder obstacle course races, after using fitness and running to boost his wellbeing.

In January, Kieran and friend Scott Parker launched The Road To Recovery, a mental health support group meeting at The Bridge at Leigh, in The Avenue, once a week.

The aim of the group is to allow people to discuss their issues in a manner less formal than traditional counselling sessions or group meetings.

“What I found with the chatting groups was that you took turns chatting in a circle. If you struggle with depression and you get asked to speak like that, there’s a chance you’d never go back.

“Here, you just come in and sit where you want, and just mingle. I make my way around and talk to everyone.”

And unlike most support sessions, Road To Recovery meetings have no time limit. People are free to stay for as long or as little as they want - an idea Kieran devised to help people who might feel anxious about having to stay for a set amount of time.

He also hopes to soon launch a similar group in Wigan, as there may be lots of people wanting to attend but feeling too anxious to travel.

And his efforts have attracted a high-profile supporter in Roy, who has used his notoriously blue and profanity-laden act to raise a huge amount of cash for good causes over the years.

The comedian’s agent Tony Jo said: “Roy Chubby Brown gives a lot of money to charity and has done for many years.

“He really admires the way Kieran is fighting back from the depths of his situation and while recovering is trying to raise money and help others.

“He’s a big Roy Chubby Brown fan so we’re going to do a charity event for him. Roy also has a personal connection to mental health causes, so we’re going to get behind this.

“Roy loves Wigan and Wigan loves him. He’s a man of the people and there are a lot of people in Wigan.”

Tony added that, despite Roy’s outlandish on stage persona, in reality he is “one of the most generous and caring people I have ever met.”

The gig will start at 7.30pm with doors opening an hour earlier. Tickets are £30.

For more details and to find out more about the cause, search for “Kieran & Scott the mental health campaigners” on Facebook.