Ryan Reynolds has left fans in stitches after joking about a couple moving to Wrexham after watching his hit TV show. The Deadpool star, 49, shared a post on X about Jeff and Janice Ivey's relocation from Texas to Wrexham, with the caption: 'Thank god they didn't watch Chernobyl.'
Welcome to Wrexham follows Reynolds and his friend Rob McElhenney after they purchased Wrexham AFC. Since premiering in August 2022, the documentary series has enjoyed five seasons, all with positive reviews, winning over locals and a global audience.
Fans react to the joke
Fans were quick to praise Reynolds, with X user OgreBlackWhite dubbing it the 'tweet of the year'. 'now THERE'S the comedian we know and love LMAOOO,' praised Presznchampion, while ReneMartinez90 joked: 'I believe that was their second choice 😂.'
Reynolds quickly racked up over 7,000,000 views and thousands of likes, with other fans sharing how they had also been moved – albeit less literally – by the show. 'From Philadelphia area [and] we're about to make our third trip over and are gonna look for a place,' wrote NewSchwander.
The couple's move
Jeff, 62, and his wife Janice, 65, first visited the Welsh city in 2024 after watching the series and ordering merchandise for the Wrexham band, The Declan Swans. After a mix-up with a hoodie order, the singer Michael Hett suggested they visit. 'We just felt so good about the community aspect of Wrexham,' Jeff said, praising the 'welcoming and friendly' locals with their 'lack of elitism or snobbery'.
Jeff, who already had UK citizenship, suggested they move to the town after he retired. '[Wrexham] is a working-class town. It's got a rich legacy in history,' he said. 'The people and the history definitely reminds us of places that we grew up.'
The couple stayed for a month in April before making the decision to relocate, adding that it doesn't matter if Wrexham fail or succeed. 'That's our club,' Jeff said before adding: 'We're not coming for the club, that's a plus, we're coming for the community.'
