Man who stars as a lonely pensioner in a viral Christmas advert for a Northern Ireland pub is revealed as a local actor – and says his newfound fame is ‘incredible’

The makers behind Northern Ireland’s heartwarming Charlie’s Bar Christmas advert have opened up about loneliness around the festive period.

Good Morning Britain presenters Susanna Reid and Richard Madeley invited the creators, including star Martin McManus and landlady Una Burns, to the show earlier this morning.

The video, from Charlie’s Bar in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, tells the story of a lonely elderly gentleman who finds companionship in two friendly strangers after their adorable dog brings them together.

Speaking to the presenters, Una revealed that the moving message is based on the reality of Christmas in the pub: ‘Unfortunately Christmas is not a happy time for everyone.’

Martin, a local actor who met Una through a friend, agreed with a similar sentiment: “I think it’s very important that people care about the elderly and the lonely.”

Una continued, “The idea actually came from what I’ve been used to seeing over the years, especially around the holidays, and unfortunately Christmas isn’t a happy time for everyone.

“I imagine most of us have been sadly affected by grief, and we wanted to portray that while also conveying the essence of Charlie.”

She added, “My dad and I do it [the Christmas shift] You usually see a whole bunch of people here… it’s one of my favorite services of the year.”

Una said she wanted to cast someone in the ad who is not a regular at the bar.

“I found Martin through a friend of mine who suggested I reach out,” she said.

‘I didn’t want someone who is a regular at the bar or a well-known face as we were very conscious of not wanting to distract from the message.’

“It was truly a team effort,” she added.

The hosts also quizzed Martin about his newfound fame, which he described as “incredible.”

Una chose a local cast to avoid any distraction from the meaningful message she was trying to convey

‘I’m used to making amateur drama, more locally. Certainly not on a global scale,” said Martin.

But the local actor didn’t deviate from the emotional message behind the ad.

He said: ‘I think it is very important that people look out for the elderly and the lonely. And it’s not just the elderly who are lonely.’

He added, ‘[Loneliness] is quite exaggerated during the holidays because there are so many people. It’s a sad time for memories. Especially if you now live on your own.’

The two people Martin befriends during the ad also appeared on the show, alongside the dog Missy.

The video, from Charlie’s Bar in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, tells the story of a lonely elderly gentleman who finds companionship in two friendly strangers after their adorable dog brings them together.

Richard asked the couple if they had to do multiple takes to get the dog next to Martin in the ad. Megan Daley said: ‘No, it was just a few treats and a little bit of waving to get her up.’

Alex Middlemass joked: ‘It was harder to get her out of bed this morning!’

The emotional ad, which has stolen hearts, begins with a shot of an elderly man walking to the cemetery to visit a grave, where he has a moment of reflection as he lays down some flowers.

We then see him walking along the road, hoping for a friendly face or a chat, only to be turned away into the busy noise of people engrossed in their own lives.

In one instance, two girls walk past him while laughing together. Elsewhere, a man reading a newspaper lifts it higher to avoid talking to him.

The sweet video – which was filmed and edited by Aoife Teague – ends with a quote from WB Yeats’ poem: ‘There are no strangers here, only friends you haven’t met yet’

A young couple with a dog then walks past, only to see their dog being tempted by a pub on the street: Charlie’s Bar.

They decide to go in and hold the door open for the old man – who happily accepts and enters the cozy watering hole.

He sits down alone to enjoy a pint of Guinness, while the pair from earlier get a drink at the bar.

But soon their adorable four-legged friend runs to the man who is sitting alone.

He welcomes the enthusiastic company and pets the dog while letting him sit next to him.

The couple, delighted with their friendly pet, asks if they can sit with the man – to which he happily agrees, and the trio enjoy cheerful conversation together.

The sweet video – filmed and edited by Aoife Teague – ends with a quote from WB Yeats’s poem: ‘There are no strangers here, only friends you haven’t met yet.’