Number One Fan on Channel 5: Thriller is set in Manchester but filmed in stunning European location
You can fly there in a few hours
Number One Fan has landed on Channel 5 after months of hype – Jill Halfpenny and Sally Lindsay on screen for the first time ever! – but it’s the filming locations that might have you begging for more…
The tense, psychological thriller introduces Lucy Logan, a Holly Willoughby-style TV presenter who is adored by her fans. But what they don’t know it that she has a dark history which she has tried to rewrite.
Enter Lucy’s so-called ‘number one fan’, who is obsessed with the daytime TV host in more ways than one. As the action takes place, viewers will see some outstanding houses, and buildings. So what filming locations were used in Number On Fan on Channel 5?
Where is Number One Fan on Channel set?
Channel 5’s latest thriller is set in Manchester. It’s central to media, and has a TV studio and hosts an big award ceremony. Aerial shots of the city skyline feature in the final episode, including prominent landmarks such as the Beetham Tower (also known as the Hilton Manchester Deansgate). Completed in 2006, the 47-story skyscraper was the tallest building in Manchester for many years and is a landmark of the city’s modern architecture.
However, it was not actually filmed in the UK at all. Like its predecessors The Game, Missed Call, and The Rumour, the four-part series was filmed in another European location. Why? Because it’s cheaper!
Where was Number One Fan filmed?
Cast and crew of Number One Fan actually filmed in the Basque region of Spain, specifically Vitoria-Gasteiz. The city has its own airport, its own language, and stunning lush scenery – thanks to the amount of rain the region gets.
If that sounds familiar, you’d be right. Multiple TV dramas have recently filmed in and around the area. Not least Girl Taken, which also starred Jill Halfpenny.
Talking about filming there, Jill told us: “We were in the Basque region in Vitoria. I filmed Girl Taken out there as well, so I knew the city but there wasn’t a lot of down time. You have weekends off. You go to the gym; you have some food, and you learn your lines for the next week. I would love to tell you that everyone was going out and having a right old time but with these shoots, the hours are very intense. But I loved working with Paul Wilmshurst, the director. He’s done so much and knew exactly what he wanted.”
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Number One Fan filming locations: Where is Vitoria-Gasteiz?
Vitoria-Gasteiz is the capital of northern Spain, known as the Basque Country (Euskadi), a beautiful region along the Bay of Biscay. Many people may be more familiar with San Sebastián (known locally as Donostia), which features a crescent-shaped bay called La Concha and is famous for its food, culture, and nightlife.
Vitoria-Gasteiz is famous for its Gothic-style architecture, and its medieval, almond-shaped Old Town. It’s about 100k away from San Sebastián, and about an hour’s drive. It has it’s own airport, or it’s close to Bilbao Airport which is around two hours flight from the UK.
The Basque region features lush, mountainous landscapes shaped by heavy rainfall. While it may not offer the same sunshine as southern Spain, it provides equally striking scenery. Although the Basques have their own language, they also speak the more common castellano (Castilian).
Why do so many UK television shows film in Spain now?
Spain promotes itself as the “California of Europe” by offering strong financial incentives to productions. The country provides a 30% tax rebate on the first €1 million of local spend, with higher incentives available in certain regions.
The Basque Country offers particularly generous rebates of up to 60% when productions meet specific spending thresholds, with an additional 10% available for projects filmed in the Basque language.
Producers also choose northern Spain for its distinct visual style, which contrasts with the sunny stereotype of the country and suits a wider range of genres.
Key filming locations used in Channel 5’s Number One Fan
- TVBX studios where Lucy works was actually filmed at the E8 Building, located in the Álava Technology Park in Miñano, Spain. Designed by Coll-Barreu Arquitectos, the building was inaugurated in 2011. It features a distinctive jagged, splintered glass exterior skin designed to reflect the surrounding environment. It even reduces heat loss during winter!
- Donna lives in a huge apartment block, designed by Vitoria-born architect Roberto Ercilla. It’s actually social housing in Aktur Lakua, Vitoria. There are 168 social houses in the project. It’s more like its own city than an apartment block!
- In episode 4, Lucy and Mel enjoy a glass of wine in a stunning building with kaleidoscopic glass windows. This is the interior central patio of the Hotel Jardines de Uleta Suites in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain.
Read more: The Fortune on Channel 5: ‘Gripping psychological drama’ about dark pasts is coming soon
