Saturday night customers at The Antelope in Wareham, Dorset, were left stunned when top comedian Michael McIntyre unexpectedly walked through the door.
Drinkers enjoying a quiet evening at The Antelope Inn on Saturday 1st November 2025 couldn’t believe their eyes as the BBC’s prime time presenter strolled in wearing a sandwich board advertising his quiz show The Wheel, which aired later that evening.
Michael McIntyre and a TV crew descended on Wareham town centre on Saturday night
A TV crew of around a dozen
Accompanied by a TV crew of around a dozen people, Michael posed for selfies, performed a promotional piece to camera and wished one of the locals happy birthday on his way out.
Michael then dropped in at Sandford holiday park to join in a bingo session, and it was rumoured he also turned up at a house in Wareham where a family was watching his new series of The Wheel.
The sketch is expected to be featured in his other BBC prime time programme, Michael McIntyre’s Big Show, which returns for its tenth series in January 2026, and the BBC has recently been asking for people to nominate unexpected stars for the show.
Landlord of the Antelope Inn, Dave Lye, said producers had contacted him earlier in the week to ask permission to film, but he had no idea the star himself would appear.
The Antelope Inn on West Street, Wareham, is a Grade Two listed building
“It was a bit of a shock!”
Dave Lye said:
“We had a phone call on Halloween asking whether the BBC could come in and do a bit of filming on Saturday, but we didn’t realise that it would be Michael McIntyre himself – we only found that out when he walked through the door.
“It was a bit of a shock! We thought it would just be a couple of jokes and some questions about who watched the show.
“But we were told not to let anyone know about the visit, and when Michael walked in I thought, oh my god, why couldn’t we have advertised this!”
Michael McIntyre makes his big unexpected entrance at The Antelope
Tony Hiscock, a regular customer at The Antelope, posed with Michael McIntyre
“He posed for some selfies”
Dave added:
“He was only here for a few minutes – he came in, did his thing and went out again, it was that quick.
“He was good with the regulars, he posed for some selfies, wished one of our locals a happy birthday, but then the crew moved him on quickly.
“We’re mainly a daytime pub and there were only a few customers in at the time, but it was a really nice surprise for them. It’s not every day Michael McIntyre walks into your local!”
Antelope regular Nathan Anderson was one of several who had a selfie taken with Michael
Wareham local Chris Dowding had a lot to say to the BBC star
“I just sneakily took a video!”
The Antelope Inn is one of Wareham’s oldest pubs, one of only five in the town that still remain from the 15 that were listed in 1865, along with the Duke of Wellington on East Street, the Horse and Groom on St John’s Hill, the New Inn on the Quay, and the King’s Arms on North Street.
Other Wareham residents were surprised and delighted to see Michael in Wareham town centre and took photos and videos on their phones which have since been posted on social media.
Ellie Rose, who was out for an evening with her friends, said:
“I didn’t get to speak to him, but it was nice to see him. I just sneakily took a video – though to be fair, loads of others did too!”
Michael McIntyre’s BBC bus – The Wheel on Wheels – rolled into Wareham on Saturday 1st November
Big Show is in production
Michael McIntyre’s new series of The Wheel – which was at 8.20 pm on BBC One, as his sandwich board spelled out for everyone – began on Saturday 25th October 2025 and runs through until Christmas.
His tenth season of Michael McIntyre’s Big Show is currently in production and begins early in the new year.
The Big Show features games and sketches with celebrities and members of the public, such as Send To All, Unexpected Star of the Show, Midnight Gameshow and Remember Me?
Michael McIntyre and his guests on The Wheel on Saturday 1st November 2025
Watch Michael McIntyre in Wareham
Further information
- Check out The Antelope Inn on its Facebook page
