Jason Manford told off by Michael Ball over backstage theatre superstition

Tomorrow is Friday 13 and comedian Jason Manford isn’t taking any chances on the unluckiest date on the calendar. He won’t be leaving his house - in fact, he may be hiding in the airing cupboard. Superstitious Jason, 45, says: “You can’t be too careful on Friday 13.” Friday 13 has been considered unlucky for hundreds of years as Judas - the disciple who betrayed Jesus - was the 13th guest to arrive at The Last Supper, and Friday was once being known as ‘Hangman’s Day,’ because it was the usual day for hangings. But Jason doesn’t restrict his superstitions to this one unlucky day. He says: “I won’t walk under ladders, I'm a bit funny about the cracks in the pavement and I always say ‘touch wood’.” Convinced that empty pockets improve his live performance, the comedian adds: “If I've had a weird gig, I come off, check my pockets and go, ‘ah, it was this receipt!’” And the Manchester City supporter, who lives in Stockport, also has lucky underpants that he wears to matches. “When you’ve worn the same boxer shorts or whatever for the last three wins, you think, ‘It's on me. It's not Haaland, it's my boxers.’” he says. Actors and performers are notoriously superstitious, so Jason, who has two children with his second wife, TV producer Lucy Dyke, and four from his first marriage, is in good company. He says: "Within my industry, there's so many superstitions. You can’t whistle backstage in a theatre, it’s bad luck. I got a telling off from Michael Ball when we appeared in Sweeney Todd together. “I heard this booming voice - ‘who's whistling?’ I had to go to his dressing room. He said, ‘right, you need to turn around three times.’ I said, ‘give over.’ He went, ‘do it.’ So I did. He went, ‘okay, the curse is gone.’ “Back in the day, you had sandbags that would drop to pull the curtains back. You would tell the guy in the flies to drop them by whistling. So you can't be wandering around a theatre whistling in case a sandbag drops on your head.” But performers are far from the only superstitious Brits. New research produced as part of the Lloyds Insurance Can’t Bank on Luck campaign - which stresses the need to be prepared for the unexpected - revealed that 7.2 million Brits dodge Friday 13, to avoid bad luck. Fifty four per cent of Brits say they’re superstitious - escalating to 73% of people in their 20s. Belfast is the UK's superstition capital, followed closely by Birmingham, Edinburgh, Manchester, and Nottingham. Jason, who is hosting the Royal Variety Performance 2026 at the Royal Albert Hall on November 20, in the presence of King Charles and Queen Camilla - a gig he describes as being like a comedian’s “Wembley Cup Final,’ will certainly be ensuring he has empty pockets on the night. The funnyman, who says Prince William and Princess Kate are “really good fun and very good sports,” will also be playing Dick Whittington in panto at Manchester’s Opera House from December 5. Meanwhile, recounting more theatrical superstitions, Jason says: “You'll never hear an actor say ‘Macbeth.’ They always say ‘the Scottish play.’" UK’s top five superstitions - Broken mirrors - said to bring 7 years of bad luck, as ancient cultures believed it would damage or trap the soul. - Walking under a ladder - due to safety risk and association with execution - Opening an umbrella indoors - due to safety concerns and thought to be disrespectful to God - The groom seeing the bride on the wedding day before the ceremony - stems from arranged marriages. - Putting new shoes on the table - shoes were once placed on tables after a death, so seen as tempting fate *Source: YouGov *Lloyds Insurance ‘Don’t Bank on Luck’ campaign, in partnership with comedian Jason Manford explores the nation’s superstitions this Friday 13th. The campaign highlights the importance of being prepared for the unexpected, reminding homeowners that, while a little luck never hurts, it’s always better to be protected than to leave things to chance. For more information, see HERE