Desperate Scousewives star Joe McMahon on his journey from Marine FC to dramality television

Dec 22 2011 by Rob Pattinson, Crosby Herald

DESPERATE Scousewives star Joe McMahon hasn’t ruled out a return to football with Marine FC in future.

But for now, the former centre-back – who used to give his teammates fashion advice in the changing rooms – is enjoying his new career on the hit E4 show.

The 28-year-old, who clocked up 60 appearances over three seasons as a central defender with the Mariners before moving to Welsh side Colwyn Bay in 2010, said: “It’s mad how things have worked out.

“I’ve always done club promoting on the side since I left university.

“The opportunity to do the programme came up and I haven’t looked back since then.

“As to the future, it all depends on how big a success the show is really – we’ll have to wait and see.”

The Welsh-born socialite went on to win promotion from the Evo-Stick Northern Premier League with Colwyn Bay – but left the club in the summer due to a lack of assurances about a first team place.

He said: “I really enjoyed my time with Marine but I needed a fresh challenge.

“I went to Colwyn Bay, got promoted and had a really good season.

“After the season ended I wanted to hear that I would be first or second choice the following year and didn’t get that. I went on holiday this summer to have a think and decided not to go back.”

Shortly after that, he was approached by show producers while at work in his promotions role at Liverpool’s trendy Mosquito nightclub.

He said: “I was upstairs having a meeting and one of the producers asked if I would go down and be filmed.

“They liked my stories about my groups of friends, we went on to film the pilot, and it developed from there.”

The “dramality” programme, which follows a group of young socialites around the Liverpool club scene, has proved a hit with fans of similar shows such as The Only Way is Essex and Made In Chelsea.

On the show’s website, Joe is described as an “alpha male lothario who spends two hours a day in the gym honing his physique”, while Joe is quoted as saying “I’m laid back and rocking the ‘ledge’ look.

“I have had relationships or flings with a few of the girls; I know how to push their buttons.”

So far, viewers have watched as Joe lives up to his reputation as a ladies man.

The Scousewives star’s main storyline has seen him locked in a love triangle between long-term ex Elissa Corrigan and “self-confessed maneater” Layla Flaherty.

This week’s episode set the scene for an explosive confrontation between the feisty trio as tempers flare.

It all seems a far cry from his former career on the pitch at College Road.

“This is for television and it’s fair to say the character is a slightly exaggerated version of me,” he laughs.

“There’s plenty more to come and there’s a twist in the tail, but you’ll have to watch to see what happens.

“I actually always got a bit of stick from the Marine lads for not being a Scouser.

“But I did used to offer them fashion advice, tips on how to get a bird, stuff like that.

“You’re always going to behave a bit differently around the lads at a football club than working as a club promoter out in the Liverpool bars though.”

Since working on Scousewives ­– episode four screened this week ­– Joe, who now does promotions at Liverpool nightspot Newz bar, which features in the show, has found himself getting recognised more and more in the city.

He said: “It is mental, getting papped in town or asked for a picture or autograph.

“We got the viewing figures back for the first episode, and including online viewers it was more than a million, which was fantastic.

“Liverpool’s a great city – everyone loves a Scouser – and it makes for good TV.

“I was filming last week and a Marine fan came over and asked me how I was doing, which was nice.

“I really enjoyed my time there.

“I wouldn’t rule out going back in the future but it all depends how things with Desperate Scousewives go.”

And has there been any teasing from his former College Road teammates since Scousewives hit the screens?

“I haven’t really had any stick from the Marine lads for doing the show so far – certainly not as much as I got after I played them with Colywn Bay last year and got beat 3-0!” ­