Iconic Brit TV show RETURNING after 22 years with Claudia Winkleman, Holly Willoughby or Davina McCall lined up to host
LEGENDARY TV love-match show Blind Date is returning to screens after 22 years.
There had been rumours the programme — famously hosted on ITV by the late
7
Cilla Black with a Blind Date hopeful in 1989
Credit: LWT
7
Claudia Winkleman is one of the three women lined up to host the revived show
Credit: Getty
7
Blind Date is returning to screens after 22 years, with Holly Willoughby also lined up to host
Credit: Rex
7
Davina McCall is another top host to have been shortlisted for the role
Credit: Doug Seeburg
However a surprise twist will see the reboot go instead to global streaming service, Disney+.
Producers want to keep the tradition of a top British female host, with a shortlist including Claudia Winkleman, Holly Willoughby and Davina McCall.
The famous sliding wall separating the contestants will also return.
But it is not known whether it will feature a replacement for
READ MORE IN TV
He has plenty of famous namesakes, including chat show host Graham Norton, ex-footballer
An insider said: 'Although there's likely to be some modern twists, the bosses very much want to keep the essence of the original.
'There'll be key elements returning, including the famous sliding wall.
'Plus there will be a prize up for grabs of a wedding package, which echoes Cilla's famous gag whenever couples had enjoyed a successful date, and she used to ask, 'Do I need to buy an 'at for the wedding?''
Most read in News TV
The Sun last year
It is believed the deep pockets of Disney+ ensured it won out over the Beeb.
Paul O'Grady pays tribute to original blind date host Cilla Black
It is expected to film later this year — 40 years after
Blind Date
first aired — and drop in 2026.
The original ran from 1985 to 2003, pulling in up to 18 million viewers.
After Cilla's death in 2015, aged 72, it was briefly revived two years later on Channel 5 with
Disney+ were approached for comment.
7
Could chat show host Graham Norton be in line to replace Graham Skidmore?
Credit: The Mega Agency
7
Will Stephen Graham become 'our Graham'?
Credit: Getty
7
Or might it be ex-footballer Graeme Sounes?
Credit: Mark Ferguson
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
2 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Gavin Rossdale's new girlfriend Xhoana Xheneti looks exactly like ex Gwen Stefani in his new photo as fans ‘look twice'
GAVIN Rossdale celebrated his second anniversary with girlfriend, Xhoana Xheneti, but fans said she looks like his ex. The British rocker was married to No Doubt singer, Gwen Stefani after first meeting in 1995, but their divorce was finalized in 2016. 5 Gavin Rossdale celebrated his two year anniversary with girlfriend Xhoana Xheneti Credit: Instagram/gavinrossdale 5 But fans thought Xhoana looked a lot like his ex, Gwen Stefani Credit: Getty 5 Xhoana is also a musician and was born in Albania Credit: Instagram/gavinrossdale Gavin has been Xhoana, a musician in her own right, for the past two years and took to Instagram to celebrate their milestone. "HAPPY 2 - LOVE YOU," Gavin captioned the post with a black love heart and fire emoji. In the post, Gavin shared two photo of Xhoana, including the couple embracing by a pool, and selfie of her with their dog. But Gavin's fans admitted they at first thought Xhoana was Gwen in the photos. "I had to look twice. I thought this was Gavin and Gwen from the 90s," wrote one person. Another posted: "That's Gwen Ste-phony." And a third wrote: "Is it just me or is this a Gwen Stefani look alike? why do men always find a partner that looks like their ex?" Others rushed to defend Gavin saying he might just have a "type." Most read in Entertainment "Everyone has a type. We know his. Let him live his life. He's a babe in his own right. At least he can pull what he wants and if he's happy that's all that matters," wrote one person. And another commented: "God forbid bro has a type." Gwen Stefani shares 'emotional' video for Blake Shelton on Father's Day - but snubs ex and baby daddy Gavin Rossdale Gavin first went public with his relationship with Xhoana in March 2024 and in the same month revealed he had contacted her first. He said on T.J Holmes and Amy Robach's podcast that he 'wasn't looking to get a girlfriend at that point,' but they bonded over the passion for music. Gwen and Gavin filed for divorce in 2015 after 13 years of marriage. Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani Timeline Blake, 47, and Gwen, 52, began dating in 2015 after meeting on the set of the NBC reality show The Voice. Both were fresh out of lengthy failed marriages. After a five-year relationship, the celebrity couple got engaged in 2020. The Hollaback Girl singer announced their engagement on social media as she flashed her blinged-out hand while sharing a kiss with her hubby. Blake also shared the same picture on his Instagram, writing, "Hey Gwen, thanks for saving my 2020... And the rest of my life.. I love you. I heard a YES!" Less than a year later, on July 3, 2021, the couple tied the knot in an intimate ceremony at Blake's Oklahoma ranch. The two seem to have now found their forever loves, after leaving a trail of drama from past relationships behind them. The split came after speculation that Gavin had been unfaithful in the marriage. The pair welcomed three sons during their relationship: Apollo, Zuma, and Kingston. Gwen has since moved on with country music singer and her The Voice co-judge, Blake Shelton , whom she married in 2021. 5 Gavin and Xhoana launched their relationship last year Credit: Instagram/Gavin Rossdale 5 Gwen and Gavin first met in 1995 and then divorced in 2015 Credit: Getty
The Irish Sun
3 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
RTE Fair City star calls on TV bosses to make soap history and have crossover with Irish language show
RTE Fair City star George McMahon has called on TV bosses to make Irish soap history - and have a crossover with Ros na Rún. In the UK, ITV have announced that next year for the first time Advertisement 4 RTE Fair City star George McMahon has called on TV bosses to make Irish soap history 4 George would love to see a crossover with Ros na Rún 4 He said it's a crossover 'we all need and want' It will be a historic moment for soap fans, and it's something George would love to see here. He told The Irish Sun: 'I'm putting it out there. It's a road trip and it's Cass, Mondo and Ray. We need to go to the Gaeltacht for some reason. And we end up in Tigh Thaidhg, having pints in Ros na Rún. "Crossover episode we all need and want. I'm putting it out there to the universe. We have to make it happen. Tá mé reidh.' This week sees the residents of Carrigstown celebrate a new Advertisement read more on fair city George's character Mondo and Ruby, played by Rachel Wren, are the PR team behind the launch of the supermarket, which they are determined to make a success for their company Comet. George said it made for a fun day on set: 'For us, it was really fun because it kind of felt like sports day in school. "It just happened, kind of the bells and whistles and even the guy on the stilts, God love him, he was there all day in the stilts, didn't come out of them at all. "But there was a carnival atmosphere and seeing balloons and stuff like that, and it kind of just made it really real for us. Advertisement most read in the irish sun Exclusive "So there's a really, really nice positive vibe about the place, having Lidl there and the Lidl team overseeing everything and everyone with smiles on their faces. It just made our day so much fun. So it is, days like that are definitely as fun as they look." Tonight's Fair City He said the fact that a brand has committed to the show gives the cast safety for their future. 'I suppose Lidl coming on board as well, kind of reinforces everybody's commitment to the show going forward. That's kind of really kind of bolstered us. The numbers are really good. 'It's still really well watched by audiences. And RTE backs us 100 per cent. So it is nice for us to do that. So we can just get to open our scripts and worry about storylines rather than the future of the show anymore. Advertisement 'GETTING EXCITED' "But I think there are some exciting times ahead for us. And we've got a really busy summer and lots of stuff coming up for after the summer as well, which would be the launch of the autumn stuff as well, which is stuff that we'd be getting excited about as well." He praised the younger cast coming through for opening up the soap to a new audience, but added the recent returns of actors like "I think it's great. And I actually think all that prison stuff, that could be a standalone show. It'd be like a "But having Advertisement "I watched that myself as a fan of the show and that brought me back to the times before I was in the show. And it was really, really cool. It's always great when you have kind of legendary, iconic characters coming back and kind of just feeds the audience something nice, you know?" Fair City airs four times a week and the new episodes celebrating the new Lidl shop will appear over the coming days. 4 It will be a historic moment for soap fans
Irish Independent
5 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Unique home pairing neo-classical temple design with B3 BER overlooks Russborough House and Blessington Lakes
Asking price: €1.3m Agent: Jordan (045) 433550 The opportunity to spend almost a decade restoring Dublin's legendary Casino at Marino was a dream come true for the late British-born conservation architect, activist and lifelong Georgian aficionado John Redmill. This prize commission would also lead Redmill (who passed away in October) to his dream clients and yet another chance of a lifetime for a Georgian nut: to design and build a home in the style of a classical temple of the Greek/Roman era in a field in Kildare. And in doing so, bring to life a plan originally conceived and mothballed more than two hundred years previous. The son of a British military aviation engineer, Redmill would become an important architectural conservation activist in Ireland through his work with the Irish Georgian Society, in a time when colonial-era architecture was being destroyed. When Redmill landed, the country was led by Charles J Haughey who, despite living like an aristocrat himself in a Georgian country pile, presided over the demolition of 40pc of Georgian Dublin by his builder cronies. As everyone else was leaving The Sod in the grim, recession damp 1980s, cometh the doughty Redmill who alighted to take up residence in a run-down period pile of note in Phibsborough. He came to Ireland for two reasons: the first was his partner, fellow conservation architect Desmond Hickey, whom the Hampshire-born Redmill met at the practice at which they had both worked in the UK. Hickey had become homesick. 'I asked John to come back to Ireland with me, but he was reluctant to do so without not only a job prospect but a decent one at that,' says Hickey, Redmill's civil partner until his passing last October. Reason two ticked that box, with Redmill landing a plum role at O'Neill Flanagan Partners on Merrion Square. It saw him almost immediately taking the keys to one of Ireland's great marvels of the Georgian era. ADVERTISEMENT Built as an extravagant garden folly by the conceited and immensely rich James Caulfield, Earl of Charlemont, the 50 ft x 50 ft Casino is widely regarded as one of the most important neo-classical buildings in Ireland. Famed as an optical illusion with the external appearance of a single-roomed structure, with a large panelled door on the north elevation and a single large window on each of the other elevations; it in fact contains 16 rooms over three floors. After it sat crumbling and empty for decades, the State had finally decided to restore the landmark – and to do it right. Officials at the OPW hired O'Neill Flanagan, which immediately put Redmill on it. This was one of the State's first big restorations, and it would take most of a decade. 'The Casino helped to make John's reputation here as a capable conservationist and it of course led to other work,' says Hickey. 'Socially through the Georgian Society we met many enthusiasts, including the couple who would commission Mount Temple. 'The Russborough estate had originally intended building a temple-type garden folly. The drawings had been done up but they never went ahead with them. Eventually, the owners of the land decided that they wanted John to design a home for them in that style.' Redmill – who would go on to work on other important restorations such as that of the GPO, and the Italian ambassador's residence (for which he was awarded a knighthood by the state of Italy) – began the gargantuan task of working out how to make a 1750s plan for a temple folly into a home in a Kildare field in 1980s Ireland. 'I think he was rather clever about it,' says Hickey. 'He knew what to do. The tapered pillars of the portico were cast in concrete, for example, but they still very much look the part.' Mount Temple is today on the market for €1.3m – its first time ever for sale. It comes with a 21.5-acre site overlooking Russborough House, the Blessington Lakes and the Wicklow Mountains; and fulfils the wish that Lord Milltown made in 1750 that a temple should be built on this hill as a rather grand garden ornament. The house – which carries a B3 energy rating – spans 3,400 sq ft, and has inspirations inevitably taken from the William Chambers-orchestrated Casino and Russborough itself. The central block is two storeys high, with 11-foot ceilings in keeping with the correct proportions for a Doric temple. The entrance hall contains an oval ring of eight free-standing Doric columns and is decorated in Roman style. Off it is a drawing room, and a traditional-style kitchen and living room. On the other side there is a study/library and a bedroom. The plaster cornices and columns were all specifically designed for the house, with bespoke joinery to include panelled doors. The first floor over the main reception rooms is accessed via a Chinese Chippendale staircase based on the one at Marino Casino. There are two bedrooms on this floor with deliberately low sills for the views. There is a separate bathroom, which is also connected to the main bedroom. Added more recently were a utility, shower/WC and pantry on one side and a guest wing on the other, comprising a kitchenette, bathroom, bedroom and living area, all of which can be accessed from the main house. An Italianate garden features outside. Thanks to John Redmill, his dream clients, Lord Milltown, William Chambers and the Romans; if you happen to have the price of two bog-standard south Dublin semis, you can come here and live like Jupiter and Juno. Mount Temple has an asking price of €1.3m with Jordan Auctioneers.
