Former Shameless star Jody Latham is proving that life doesn’t always imitate art after revealing he now owns a cosmetic business worth £18 million.
The Burnley-born actor – who shot to fame as the smart-mouthed tearaway teenager Philip ‘Lip’ Gallagher in the long-running Channel 4 comedy-drama Shameless set on the fictional Chatsworth Estate in Manchester – is a far cry away from the life of his character.
Now, over seven years after the show finished airing on TV screens, Latham has taken an interesting career pivot, and it’s one that is seeing him fly high in the beauty industry, with the 38-year-old being the owner of an £18 million cosmetics empire.
He has also recently signed a £9.5 million deal with a firm in South Korea to distribute dermal fillers for cosmetic treatments.
Speaking to The Mirror about how his new career began, Jody said: “I became friends with an extra [and] years later, I saw she was giving Botox and I said, ‘Jab me up.’
“I felt so good. I thought, ‘There’s got to be an in into this industry.’ I wanted to make people feel this good.”
Jody then decided to train to give beauty treatments such as Botox and dermal fillers and, after opening a few clinics four years ago, decided to focus on the distribution side and set up Epitique, but admits that he has learnt from his past mistakes of splashing the cash, and now puts all the money he makes back into the business.
He added: “I live in two-bed flat and drive a modest car. I’m pumping everything back into the company. It’s valued at £18 million.
“We’ll see where we are in a couple of years.
“I’ve had money before but not in my hands long enough. After series one of Shameless, I went with my first wage of £21,000 and bought an Audi convertible. I didn’t even think of rent or food.”
News of the success of Latham’s company arrives after it was revealed earlier this year that he had contracted coronavirus (COVID-19). Speaking at the time, Jody said: “I was tested straight away. I isolated until I got the results and when I got the results I couldn’t believe it, it was such a shock.
“I’m in lockdown with my family and we all had to quarantine.”
“You’re as anxious as anything thinking the worst. Some people haven’t been that fortunate to get over it. It’s a brutal time we’re in [and] I just pray we don’t have to go through this again in our lifetime.”
Following his experience, the actor said he aimed to donate 100,000 face masks to care homes and charities across the North West, through his company Safe and Protect UK. He explained: “Previously my background has been in cosmetics and aesthetics distributions, besides acting, but because of the COVID-19 outbreak, my suppliers and a lot of people in the industry turned their attentions to PPE.
“We’re giving 100,000 masks away and it’s first come, first served.
“Come on the website and there’s an option to apply for up to 1,000 free three-ply disposable face masks for you and your charity. All we need is the charitable number and if it’s a trust we can get the registered trust number. Be it a care home or charity shop, if you need them for your customers or for staff so they can serve customers, please get in touch with us.”
Despite his success in the cosmetics industry though, Jody said he hasn’t given up on acting and hoped “there’s more to come” after a “fantastic career”.
Trending
Pep Guardiola hints at when Manchester City fans can expect to see their latest arrival
Danny Jones
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has given supporters a rough timeline as to when they can expect to see their new signing, or at least their latest arrival, make his first appearance.
The Blues wrapped up the January transfer window with four major signings: their new attacking number seven, Omar Marmoush (who has already bagged a hattrick on his home debut) promising defensive duo, Abdukodir Khusanov and Brazilian Vitor Reis, as well as their ‘mini-Rodri’, Nico Gonzalez.
However, the club has had another late arrival who was technically signed back at the start of last year but who has spent for the last 12 months or so loaned back to his previous parent club, River Plate in Argentina, waiting to make the move over to the Etihad Stadium – and now he’s here in Manchester.
Speaking on his touchdown in 0161, Pep said Claudio Echeverri won’t be thrown into first-team action straight away but did give a rough estimate as to when City fans could expect him to get involved. You can see him discussing the integration plan in his post-match press conference following the Spurs win.
The mention was only brief but there’s still plenty of reason for Man City fans to be excited by the late January signing.
“Yeah, he [Claudio Echeverri] is going to start to train and mainly will be for the end of the season, maybe the [Club] World Cup and as soon as possible [that] he arrives he can adapt quick for the future.”
As mentioned, the 19-year-old Argentinian attacking midfielder from Resistencia officially put pen to paper with CFG back in January 2024 and was quickly dubbed ‘the next Messi’.
Now, although the football world is often quick to jump the gun with these things and he isn’t the first and certainly won’t be last to be slapped with this premature title, he’s done more to back up these claims since then than he has rubbish them.
Starring at the 2025 Under-20 South American Championships, netting six goals in nine games to finish the tournament as the second highest scorer thanks to notable braces against Brazil and Uruguay as the young Argentine’s finished as runners up.
He also notched 48 senior appearances for River Plate thus far, netting four goals and grabbing eight assists in that time, not to mention having already captained his national team at the 2023 Under 17s World Cup, where he scored another five.
Safe to say there’s plenty of talent to be tapped in this lad.
Once again, Echeverri won’t go straight into the senior set-up for a little while yet, barring a major injury crisis, but he’ll be a more than exciting addition to the City Football Academy and for future first-team lineups for years to come.
Who knows, maybe he’ll be included in an FA Cup matchday squad? Nevertheless, you can expect him to not just come of the bench but hopefully show what he can do at the Club World Cup this summer.
City‘s first fixture as reigning champions of the competition will be against Moroccan side Wydad AC on 18 June 2025.
You can watch Echeverri’s first full interview as a Man City player down below:
The new Man City signing is excited to be finally be part of the club 13 months on from agreeing his contract.
Rochdale has been named Greater Manchester’s ‘Town of Culture’ for 2025
Emily Sergeant
Rochdale has officially been named Greater Manchester’s Town of Culture for 2025.
Taking over the reins from Bolton – which held the title in 2024 – and following in the footsteps of Stockport before that, which held the title in 2023, and even hosted a massive ‘Town of Culture Weekender’ festival with 50+ free events to celebrate and bring its title year to a close, it’s now the turn of the north-eastern Greater Manchester borough of Rochdale.
Rochdale’s year will build on the town’s already-rich cultural history and international reputation as the home of the co-operative movement.
More than 35 arts organisations will be bringing together an ambitious programme of festivals, exhibitions, events, and performances throughout the year.
Unfamiliar with what the ‘Greater Manchester Town of Culture’ title is all about? It’s an accolade that’s handed out every year to different boroughs across the region.
Bury was the inaugural title-holder 2020 and held onto it in 2021 too due to the COVID pandemic, before being followed by Stalybridge in 2022, Stockport in 2023, and of course, Bolton in the year just gone.
The title celebrates Greater Manchester’s culture and heritage.
As well as getting a new title to shout about, it also sees the towns given a grant from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) culture fund to help develop a programme of cultural events and activities throughout the year.
Rochdale has been named Greater Manchester’s ‘Town of Culture’ for 2025 / Credit: The Manc Group | Rochdale Council
In Rochdale’s case, you can expect the ‘very best local talent’, as this year is promising to put ‘people power’ centre stage, with residents helping to plan, develop, and deliver a lineup of creative activities, alongside a number of major events.
This includes the popular free days out for families, an exciting new urban arts festival, two different food and drink festivals, a lantern parade, the Ignite Fire Festival, a Pride parade, and so much more.
You can also expect live music performances, a new people’s gallery, and even some major international collaborations that are yet to be announced.
Rochdale is taking over the reins from Bolton, which held the title in 2024 / Credit: Rochdale Council
“Rochdale is a place with a rich cultural history, so it is great to name it Greater Manchester’s town of culture as it’s town hall and town centre enter a new era,” commented Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham as the borough was crowned this week.
“Rochdale submitted a fantastic bid for this which, was incredibly exciting and ambitious, while being firmly rooted in its local talent and deep history.
Emily Sergeant -
26th October 2020 
