Legendary dating show set to return after 22 years - with Holly Willoughby, Davina McCall or Claudia Winkleman in the running to host

Daily Mail​

a day ago

Blind Date is set to make a sensational return to TV after 22 years away from screens.
The legendary dating show - famously hosted by the late Cilla Black from 1985 to 2003 - is eyeing up Claudia Winkleman, Holly Willoughby or Davina McCall to host the revival.
Originally, rumours suggested the ITV hit would make a comeback on BBC but now sources claim the love-match show will reboot on Disney+.
An insider told The Sun: '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.
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The legendary dating show - famously hosted by the late Cilla Black from 1985 to 2003 - hopes to get Davina (pictured) in the mix
'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?"'
MailOnline has contacted Disney+ for comment.
In March, former This Morning host Holly was tipped to become the next Cilla, with the presenter lining up a string of big-money deals worth up to £10million.
The revival was previously being considered by Holly's husband Dan Baldwin, and the star had previously stepped into Cilla's shoes when she hosted a reboot of Surprise Surprise.
An insider told The Sun at the time: 'There might not sound like obvious parallels between Holly and Cilla, but they're both two of the biggest stars of modern telly.
'Emulating Cilla isn't just about taking on her shows, it's as much about carving out a niche as a solo presenter with serious clout in the world of telly.
'But together with her husband Dan, they form the ultimate power couple in TV. She has the public appeal that gets viewers tuning in, while he has a track record of making hugely successful TV shows.'
When asked about other shows he'd love to reboot, Dan suggested Blind Date, saying: 'Another one you'd like to see back, Blind Date, are we ready for that? What a Saturday night that was. I'm thinking Blind Date with Claudia Winkleman on BBC1.'
A cheaper location was also being sought, as well as plans for fewer expensive celebrities after the likes of Spice Girl Mel B and tennis player Boris Becker were among the 12 stars in the first series
Cilla was also married to a big figure in the TV industry, with her husband Robert 'Bobby' Willis, taking over as her manager after Brian Epstein's death in 1967, and negotiating her deal with LWT, that made her one of TV's highest-paid stars.
During Blind Date's final year, Cilla was said to be earning £17,000 a week, or £884,000 a year, which is the equivalent of £2million in today's money.
Holly had also praised Cilla for being a huge trailblazer for TV presenters in the 1980s and 1990s. The legendary star died in 2015 aged 72.
And it appears Holly now has the time for another hosting stint after her Netflix series Celebrity Bear Hunt was axed after one season.
The programme, which was set in Costa Rica and was hosted by Holly alongside Bear Grylls, will not return despite the star saying that he was hopeful it would.
Sources close to the show which aired in February told the Mail that while the ratings did well it was expensive to make and Netflix are now planning to do more live events rather than pre-recorded shows.
One told MailOnline: 'Everyone was very proud of the show but when it came to it, it was just so expensive to make. You had to have a whole set in Costa Rica, loads of staff and loads of celebrities. The overheads were eyewatering.'
It is understood that cheaper locations were looked at but nothing was appeared to be suitable.