'Absolutely brilliant' - Steve Pemberton proud to support Derian House at Wigan Warriors takeover day
Actor, writer and comedian Steve Pemberton enjoyed his experience as Guest of Honour at Wigan Warriors, as the club shone a spotlight on their charity partnership with Derian House Children’s Hospice.
Pemberton was in attendance at Robin Park Arena and the Brick Community Stadium on Sunday afternoon as Wigan faced Castleford Tigers, with the Warriors dedicating the occasion to their charity partner, Derian House.
The Wigan players wore Holly’s Kit – the club’s 2026 charity third strip – as supporters backed the initiative through Derian House-branded merchandise, raising funds and awareness for the Chorley-based hospice.
Best known for his work on shows such as The League of Gentlemen, Benidorm and Inside No. 9, Pemberton has long-standing ties to the local area and has built a personal connection to the charity over the years.
"I was born in Blackburn and grew up around Chorley, so I know the area very well,” Pemberton told Wigan TV. “We grew up in Astley Village. Me and my brothers used to go out and play in the fields behind our house and on those fields is where Derian House was built, so it wasn’t there when we lived in the area, but because of my close connection with the area, I’ve been supporting Derian for a few years now and I’m proud to say I’m an ambassador for the charity.”
Pemberton’s involvement with Derian House has grown significantly over time, using his public profile to both raise funds and increase awareness of the hospice’s incredible work.
"It all began when me and my mother went on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?,” Pemberton recalled. "It was a live Mother’s Day special, and between us, we had to come up with a charity to support, and we both agreed that because of the local connection, we’d play for Derian. Thankfully, we won something, we didn’t get knocked out, so we won a bit of money there, and I love doing the quiz shows on TV, so I kept playing for Derian and over the years won a few, and then I started thinking of other ways I could help, like auctioning off signed memorabilia, scripts and things like that.
"There was a documentary made about the hospice called The Little Things, which is an incredible documentary made by one of the dads who was at Derian. So over the years, I’ve just been pleased to help out in any way I can.
"It’s not just about raising the money, it’s about raising the awareness as well because people might not know that at Derian, it costs around £6million a year to run, and only 30 per cent of that comes from government funding or statutory funding, so they really need people to help out, so when I do things like going on TV and talking about it, and going on the quiz shows, it’s not just about whether I win or not, it’s about getting the message out there and getting the name out there."
That commitment was highlighted again recently when Pemberton appeared on The Weakest Link, securing a £13,000 donation for the hospice.
"I think we were really lucky on The Weakest Link,” the 58-year-old smiled. “We had quite a good team so the money kept going up, I got into the final two and it was a really intense head-to-head, but I think they told us it was the biggest amount of money in that series that they’d played for, so thankfully I came through and that money went to Derian, so I’m really chuffed about that.”
Sunday’s Super League clash between Wigan and Castleford marked Pemberton’s first live rugby experience, and he was keen to take in the atmosphere as the Warriors turned the stadium green in honour of the hospice.
Speaking ahead of the match, Pemberton said: “I’m really looking forward to it. I’ve only really ever watched rugby when it’s been on TV when England have got to a final in the men’s or women’s game, so I’ve picked up little bits of the basic rules, but I’ve been impressed by how the game flows, because players are more respectful of the decisions made by the referees and stuff like that, but they’ve turned the ground green for Derian and I’m hoping it’s going to be a rousing game.”
While the result did not go Wigan’s way, with Castleford claiming a shock 24-14 victory, Pemberton was pleased that the day shone a light on the hospice and the work it does for families across the region.
"I think it’s absolutely brilliant that a club like Wigan gets involved with a charity that is local to them and important to them,” Pemberton added.
“It’s about the wider recognition of what goes on there, and all credit to Wigan Warriors for getting behind these charities. It’ll make such a difference to the charity, and already they’ve managed to raise hundreds and thousands of pounds through the merchandising, so it’s really important that small local charities get that platform.”
The Warriors worked in partnership with Wigan & Leigh Hospice as the club’s official charity partner in 2025, with more than £18,000 being raised for the charity in the calendar year. Meanwhile, the Warriors’ partnership with Derian House will continue throughout 2026, with the collaboration set to keep raising funds and awareness for the children’s hospice, as high-profile ambassadors like Pemberton continue to spread the message far and wide.