The hitmaker has given the budget boozers quite the damning one line review
Joe Jonas has got fans of Wetherspoons up in arms after revealing he has been to the budget pub chain, reports The Manc.
Speaking on Heart Breakfast on Wednesday, the American singer-songwriter surprised radio hosts Zoe Hardman and Jamie Theakston at first by revealing that he'd even stepped foot inside one of the pub giant's boozers.
Asked to explain the US chain Waffle Housen to listeners, he then compared it to Wetherspoons or 'another all-day breakfast restaurant’.
Clearly shocked, Jamie couldn't believe what he was hearing and said: “I’m going to pull you up there. You’ve never been to a Wetherspoons!” before Zoe asked Joe: “What did you think of it?"
The Jonas Brothers star then pointedly replied: “I have been to Wetherspoons!
"Um. I liked other places. Let’s just say it wouldn’t be my first go-to.”
The hitmaker had been explaining how, when he and his brothers were first touring, they were too young to go and have a pint after the show so would instead go to a late-night waffle house to talk.
He said: “For us growing up when we were touring in the States, we were too young to go and have a pint after the show and kick it with our friends.
"So we would go to the only place open late, which was a waffle house, where they serve breakfast items all day and we would sit there and talk.
“It became more of this safe place for us, so there’s other places like that for anyone in the world.”
It appears that Joe Jonas isn't the only person who's off Wetherspoons lately, either, with the boozer recently announcing it was selling up a host of pubs across the UK to cover its losses.
In September last year, the company began listing sites for sale with 32 boozers going up as part of what it described as a "commercial decision".
This January, it listed even more - with arch-Brexiteer Wetherspoons boss Tim Martin apparently blaming people 'drinking at home' for the closures.
After the chain suffered a £30 million pound loss, CEO Tim Martin told PA news agency that people 'have got into the habit of staying in' ever since Covid and that that was why sales were down on 2019.
He also blamed lockdown restrictions brought in to stop the spread of Covid during the height of the pandemic for the pub's losses.
He said: "The aftermath of the pandemic and lockdown restrictions have been far more difficult than anyone thought.
"That is the picture for the whole pub and restaurant industry. People thought that after lockdown there would be a boom in people suffering from cabin fever but, instead, it has almost become the opposite situation as people have got into the habit of staying in."
Featured image - Joe Jonas
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Inside Pardon Me – Leeds’ newest neighbourhood record bar inspired by Japan
Farsley is now home to an ultra-cool record bar with coffee, cocktails and an unbeatable sound system.
Tucked away in the beautiful Sunny Bank Mills, Pardon Me is a record bar built around 'music, atmosphere, and detail'.
It's been launched by Scott Rapson, who grew up in the Scottish Highlands and fell in love with music around the time of the arrival of hip hop in the early 80s.
He then spent time travelling for raves, and visiting venues like Glasgow’s Sub Club and London’s Plastic People, giving Scott an appreciation for how 'music can shape a room, not just fill it'.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Scott and his partner Laurie have then spent the past three years travelling, visiting listening bars across Europe to shape the foundations of Pardon Me.
Listening bars, also known as hi-fi bars, originated in 1920s Japan - and you can really see the Japanese influence within the space and it's super cool interiors.
Images: The Hoot Leeeds
Bartenders here create a small but perfectly formed menu of cocktails and pour natural wines from Wayward Wines in front of a wall of vinyl, while a collection of Scott's records play as a soundtrack to your evening.
The sound system Scott claims is one of the "best in the North East", which he says has a "real sense of depth and balance to it" with a "coverage that stays incredibly consistent across the room".
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Whether it's for coffee during the day, or drinks into the evening, they want Pardon Me to be a place to spend time, looking out across Sunny Bank Mills.
Pardon Me is open Thursday - Sunday, and you can find out more about this wonderful new opening here.
Morrissey announces limited run of UK tour dates – but skips one key city
Danny Jones
Veteran British musician Morrissey has just announced a very limited run of tour dates across the UK, including one right here in Leeds.
He's also overlooked one very obvious location...
The iconic singer-songwriter, legendary lyricist and former Smiths frontman is a controversial one these days, but he still has a fervent following of die-hards.
With that in mind, despite some recent cancellations, Morrissey will be coming to just a handful of British cities later this year.
🚨NEW SHOW ALERT!
Live In Concert, Morrissey is bringing his tour to Leeds! 📆Saturday, 19th December 2026
🎫Venue Presale - Wed 20th May, 2026 🎟️General On Sale - Friday 22 may, 2026
Selecting just five cities to play in winter 2026, these latest live shows will be in support of his most recent record, Make-Up Is a Lie.
The 14th studio LP of his solo career, the reviews have been almost as divisive as the man himself, but his most passionate fans have praised it as one of his best.
Have you listened to it yet?
Most notably on this tour, however, the Greater Manchester-born artist has chosen to skip performing in his home city for some reason.
He did make his Co-op Live debut last June, but this time, his only Northern gigs in England are the first direct arena and a night in Liverpool.
We'd be foolish if we didn't mention that 'Moz' caused a bit of a stir by scrapping some slots earlier this year simply due to 'tiredness' - hence memes like this:
The other dates include Cardiff, Brighton and Glasgow, following his sold-out stadium show at The O2 in London this past February, with tickets going on sale next week.
If you're confident of him turning up to Yorkshire on time for his set in December, you can sign up for venue presale from next Wednesday, 20 May, with general admission going live at 9am the following Friday (22 May).
The Hoot -
13th April 2023 
