EastEnders star Patsy Palmer and comedian Josie Long are among the celebrities taking part in a festival aimed at brightening up Blue Monday.
The third Monday of January is often labelled as the most depressing day of the year thanks to factors including fading Christmas memories, the impact of the festive period on personal finances and abandoned New Year’s resolutions.
The day-long Festival of Connection event is providing a programme of sessions which will try to inspire and cheer participants at the start of 2021.
The festival is being put on by virtual events company SocialEyes and the Jo Cox Foundation’s Great Winter Get Together campaign.
Palmer, who played Bianca Jackson in EastEnders, will host a DJ set during the event, while Long will perform a comedy routine.
Great British Bake Off star Ugne Bubnaityte, who appeared on the show in 2015, will also take part in a Q&A about baking.
West End star Tim Mahendran will give a singing lesson and there will be more comedy from 2013 Britain’s Got Talent finalist Jack Carroll.
Lee Beattie, co-founder of SocialEyes, said: “January is always a tough month, but this one follows a particularly tough year.
“With the Festival of Connection, we hope to bring people together from across the country to enjoy a series of free events designed to make them smile.
“We also hope that employers will allow their teams a free hour across the day to attend an event in a bid to make this Monday less blue.”
Tickets can be booked at socialeyes.club.