How Liverpool singer George Gallagher’s House of Bamboo became the viral hit of 2025

When Liverpool singer George Gallagher was first asked to record House of Bamboo for BBC drama This City Is Ours, he never expected it to be any more than a background tune.

But as soon as episode one of the series aired including a christening scene featuring the song, his version – and the line dance that went with it – became an instant viral hit.

Fans across the country were posting their own videos of the dance on social media and Bootle-born George’s vocals were suddenly everywhere.

Now with a remix by Lee Butler and Christian Davies just out and a YouTube video about to be released, he admits nobody’s more surprised by the huge success than him.

George explained:

“Stephen Butchard, the incredibly talented writer of This City Is Ours, is actually a friend of my dad’s and he thought this particular character, the crooner, would suit me,”

“I was so thankful to get the opportunity to be involved, even in a very small way which is all I thought it was going to be initially.

“I have three songs in episode 1, at the christening, and one song in episode 5, and House of Bamboo was always in the script. It was Stephen’s vision, that song and that line dance. 

“I’d honestly never heard of it, it was done originally by a guy called Earl Grant and then we covered the Andy Williams version.

“Stephen sent me the song in about February last year, I learnt it and thought that’s that. Even on the day of recording I thought, I’ll never have to sing that again.”

In fact, 32-year-old George not only sings in the opening episode, he has a small speaking part too. Director Saul Dibb has talked about how important the music in the series is in establishing Sean Bean’s character Ronnie.

Writer Stephen was keen to show Ronnie’s love of crooners like Matt Monroe and Perry Como because they let viewers know he was a man with a sentimental attachment to the past.

The christening scene with George performing and the choreographed line dance was shot at the Devonshire Hotel.

But even then he wasn’t certain just how much would end up in the final edit.

“I didn’t tell actually anyone I was going to be on it until I saw the screening because I understand things can be cut and you might not get as much air time as you thought so I didn’t want to blow my trumpet and then just be in the background for a second!

“It was only when I went to see the screening and I was a bit relieved, then I could tell everyone. 

“And after that it went crazy, it was everywhere, I never imagined how much it was going to blow up.”

The YouTube video will be released on Thursday May 1, featuring a compilation of clips of people doing the line dance. George put a shout out for them and got so many he’s going to have to do an extended version of the two-minute song just to fit them all in.

As for the unexpected success, George – who won the BBC singing contest Frank Sinatra: Our Way back in 2015 – is taking it all in his stride.

“I’m already pretty busy with private events, I get a lot of bookings for weddings and christenings, so I’m just going to keep grounded and keep working hard.

“I’m just riding the wave at the moment, and just enjoying it while it’s here.”

The House of Bamboo remix by Lee Butler and Christian Davies is out now.

George’s original version is also available on all platforms including Spotify.

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