Find a pair of needle nose pliers
Switch off the mains switch
Break the bulb glass
Use pliers to remove metal base

Turn the lighting circuit off at the fuseboard. Check it’s really off by trying to turn off all the other ceiling lights nearby. If none of them switch on, you’re safe. Get a pair of pliers with insulated handles (just in case!) and use these to remove the remaining metal section of the bulb. Chances are the fitting has developed a fault or warped, so it’s probably time to replace the lampholder – unless you are competent that’s probably a good job for an electrician or handyman. In the meantime, you can install a new bulb. Turn the power back on, and everything should be fine.

If it will push in, gently push the bulb in and out a few times. This should loosen it sufficiently to allow you to turn it and remove it.

If that fails, the next stage involves removing the light fitting. Switch off at the fuse box before you start. If it’s a pendant dangling from a ceiling rose, open the rose and disconnect the wires (after making a note of where they connect!). If it’s a metal fitting attached to the ceiling, there’s a good chance of doing dangerous damage and it’s best to get an electrician in.

Once you’ve got the fitting down, put a tiny drop of oil on the metal part of the bulb and continue pushing it in and out. If that doesn’t work. wear a glove and give the bulb a good twist anticlockwise. The glass bit will come away and you can lever the metal bit out with a small screwdriver and pliers.

Pull the glass off and stick a potato into the metal bits and twist. I promise you, this works.

Leave power off UNTIL BULB IS COMPLETELY COLD. Then squirt a small amount of WD40 into crack between bulb & holder, wait 1 minute then try to remove bulb in normal way. Wipe off any excess WD40 with a paper towel before switching back on.

Lots of interesting ideas posted so far,But as the holder is probably heat distorted save yourself some time and fit a new pendant,it’s only two wires and as long as the powers off when you do it,safe.Oh and they only cost £0.95.

eventhough I commit virtually all of my daytime hours on the internet playing video games like myspace poker or farmville, I nonetheless like to take some free time to take a look at a number of blogs and forums on occasion and I’m happy to report this recent information is genuinely reasonably effective and considerably superior than 1 / 2 the various other worthless junk I read today , anyhow i’m going to take up a few hands of zynga poker