Loose Men’s Craig Doyle shocked the panel after revealing the bleak six-word warning Alison Hammond once gave him about friendship in the TV industry.

During Tuesday’s instalment of the ITV programme, Craig, 54, returned alongside Loose Men regulars Jeff Brazier, 45, Jordan Banjo, 32, and Iain Stirling, 37 for a special spin-off show.

The show mainly centered around the topical Netflix drama Adolescence and the impact it has had on teens today.

However, towards the end of the show, the conversation shifted to a discussion about how most men are now living their lives friendship-free.

Craig said: ‘We touched earlier on about the number of young boys not being open about their feelings. But is it a problem later in life, too?’

He continued: ‘This lady has written an article about what she calls her friendless husband and how she’s noticed more older men are living their lives friendship-free.’

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Loose Men’s Craig Doyle shocked the panel after revealing the bleak six-word warning Alison Hammond once made to him about mixing friends

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During Tuesday’s instalment of the ITV programme, Craig, 54, returned alongside Loose Men regulars Jeff Brazier, 45, Jordan Banjo, 32, and Iain Stirling, 37 for a special spin-off show

‘In fact, stats show, this is incredible, 27 per cent of men now have no close friends. They’re calling it a friendship recession.’

The men on the panel proceeded to share their stories and told how once you get to a certain age you ‘stop making friends’.

However, when the panel asked Craig his opinion, he jokingly revealed that he has many friends and shared the one warning his co-star Alison, 50, once made to him.

He enthusiastically said: ‘You know, you give me a drive to Manchester from London, like “Yes, 4.5 hours. That’s at least 12 phone calls” I’m gonna work my way around the boys.’

He continued: ‘Well, I went to school with the same lads from the age of like, six and a half, seven.

‘We’re all out last Friday from about 12:45pm to nine at night. I was a right old state, but it was great fun.’

Next he recounted Alison’s surprising advice about keeping  colleagues entirely separate from one’s other circles.

‘My pal Alison Hammond said to me, “Don’t mix friends with TV friends”, but I think everybody’s my friend.’

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The show mainly centered around the topical Netflix drama Adolescence and the impact it has had on young children today

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View gallery

However, towards the end of the show, the conversation shifted to a discussion about how most men are now living their lives friendship-free

He joked: ‘I’ve been ringing Jeff constantly. He doesn’t pick up the phone. Do you know what I mean?’

Appearing shocked at Craig’s revelation, Iain then joked: ‘Can I just say, imagine being told you’re too friendly by Alison Hammond. That is absolute madness,’ before the panel and audience erupted in laughter.

Before the end of the special episode, Craig, Jeff, Iain and Jordan shared letters they had written to their younger selves and Jeff emotionally told himself ‘you are enough’ and his ‘two incredible boys’ that ‘it’s safe for them to express their vulnerabilities too’.

Between his trademark jokes, Iain included the advice: ‘Do what makes you happy and don’t put your energy into fitting in’ before crediting his wife and daughter.

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However, when the panel asked Craig his opinion, he jokingly revealed that he has many friends and shared the one warning his co-star Alison, 50, once made to him (both pictured 2023)

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He said: ‘My pal Alison Hammond said to me, “Don’t mix friends with TV friends”, but I think everybody’s my friend’

In Jordan’s letter to himself, he shared: ‘It will take you a long time to realise this but it’s okay to just be, you don’t always have to be the centre of attention in order to make people like you or feel something.’

Meanwhile, Craig said: ‘Keep smiling even when others try to stop you!’

Discussing why opening up, particularly about their children, makes them feel emotional, Jeff said: ‘We’re daring to be a little bit vulnerable, in front of cameras, in front of other people and that’s something that we should be doing as much as we can.

‘It’s almost like responsibility for us in the public eye… but just by doing that, I think that’s the best thing we can ever do.’