Latest news with #CactusTV
Yahoo
11-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
BBC viewers lament ‘worst news' after cancellation of ‘much-loved' chat show
The BBC has cancelled Sara Cox's chat show Between the Covers after eight series – and fans of the show are furious. The former Radio 1 DJ has presented the book-centric show since 2020, but it has now been pulled from the schedules in what has been branded a 'difficult decision'. 'After eight series, we have made the difficult decision to bring Between the Covers to an end to enable us to prioritise high-impact content that drives viewers to iPlayer,' a BBC spokesperson said. 'We would like to thank Sara Cox and all the team at Cactus TV for their hard work bringing Between the Covers to our screens,' the BBC spokesperson continued. The series saw celebrity guests pick and discuss their favourite books, with guests in the last 50 episodes including The One Show host Alex Jones and broadcaster Sir Trevor McDonald. Other stars to have appeared on the show include Richard Osman, Stephen Mangan, Graham Norton, Adrian Edmondson and Ranvir Singh. Between the Covers was praised by viewers for placing newly published books in the spotlight. 'This is the worst news,' one upset fan wrote on X/Twitter in response to the announcement. 'How sad, it is much loved!' another added. 'Oh, no! I loved #BetweenTheCovers,' an additional viewer said. 'The @BBC have made some very odd decisions of late, but why axe such an engaging show which must be comparatively cheap to make? It's nuts! And disappointing.' Cox is a novelist herself, having written two best-selling novels: Thrown (2022) and Way Back (2024). In 2024, she told The Independent of her writing style: 'I just want to tell a good story and I always wanted to tell quite a human story. 'I just quite like everyday people and their struggles and their challenges, and also the lighter side of life, and love, relationships and friendship.' Another BBC series that received the axe this month is the critically acclaimed BBC drama This Town. Created by Peaky Blinders writer Steven Knight, the drama is set in the West Midlands during the 1980s and focuses on a group of young people who immerse themselves in the region's burgeoning music scene amid a backdrop of social unrest. However, despite strong reviews and winning Best Single Drama or Limited Series at the Royal Television Society Programme Awards in March, the show's run has been cut short after just one series. In a statement given to The Independent, a BBC spokesperson said: 'We're hugely grateful to Steven Knight and the cast and crew for bringing This Town to life – in no small part due to Steven's passion for the West Midlands.'
Metro
11-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
BBC axes beloved celebrity talk show after eight series in 'ridiculous' move
The BBC has decided to scrap a long running talk show after eight series on air. Since 2020, fans have loved delving into the world of literature with Between the Covers, which sees Sara Cox chatting to celebrity guests about their favourite books. Over the years, the show has featured everyone from Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Will Young to Nish Kumar and new MasterChef host Grace Dent. However, the BBC has announced programme has been cancelled with no series planned to air this autumn, meaning 2024's eighth batch of episodes will be the last. In a statement, the broadcaster said: 'After eight series we have made the difficult decision to bring Between the Covers to an end to enable us to prioritise high-impact content that drives viewers to iPlayer. 'We would like to thank Sara Cox and all the team at Cactus TV for their hard work bringing Between the Covers to our screens.' The decision to axe the show hasn't gone down well with fans, with some arguing that shows like Mrs. Brown's Boys – which has proven divisive over the years with declining ratings – should be pulled instead. X user @emily_glenister wrote: 'Between the Covers (spreading the word about books & culture, getting people back in to reading, introducing viewers to new genres / authors): ❌ 'Another series of Mrs Brown's Boys: ✅✅✅ 'Nice own goal @BBC' 'Devastated. Mrs Brown's Boys ran their race ages ago,' agreed @dan_stubbings, while @84Dippy revealed they were 'absolutely gutted' by the news, and others branded the decision 'ridiculous'. Fan @NicoleaKwrites argued: 'What a nonsense decision! The BBC are basically a self parody at this point.' 'Really bad decision. Only show I actually watch on the BBC,' @clarejk chimed in, as @PippyG82 said: 'This is sad – really enjoyed this programme and bought 9 books as a result of watching. Stupid decision by the BBC.' Others reminisced about the new books they discovered through the show, with another viewer, @TheEllieMo, describing Between The Covers as 'one of the few decent programmes on the BBC'. Fan @ClareDraycott wrote: 'Oh, no! I loved #BetweenTheCovers. I found some really good reads by watching that programme. More Trending 'The @BBC have made some very odd decisions of late, but why axe such an engaging show which must be comparatively cheap to make? It's nuts! And disappointing.' The final episosde aired on December 3, 2024 which Richard Osman, Ranvir Singh, Ben Miller and Alex Jones all taking part, with the likes of Alan Davies, Sara Pascoe, Richard Ayoade, Graham Norton and Sir Trevor McDonald appeared across the eighth series. The host herself is yet to address the cancellation publicly. View More » Series 7 and 8 of Between the Covers are available to stream on BBC iPlayer. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: BBC drama that 'launched Ricky Gervais' TV career' now available on Amazon Prime MORE: Strictly confirms Gladiators legend as first celebrity in BBC 2025 line-up MORE: Christopher Biggins claims he wants to 'grab women' in bizarre defence of Gregg Wallace
The Sun
11-08-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
BBC AXE celeb-favourite TV show after eight series
THE BBC have axed a celebrity TV show after eight series on air. The broadcaster has pulled the plug on the fan-favourite programme and it won't be returning this autumn in a move that will leave fans disappointed. 4 4 Between The Covers, the book series hosted by Sara Cox, has been a BBC Two staple for years but it will now be pulled from air for good. In a statement shared with TVZone, a spokesperson for the BBC confirmed the show's axe as they revealed: "After eight series we have made the difficult decision to bring Between the Covers to an end to enable us to prioritise high-impact content that drives viewers to iPlayer. "We would like to thank Sara Cox and all the team at Cactus TV for their hard work bringing Between the Covers to our screens." Across the eight series, Sara welcomed four different celebrity guests each week to her book club. They shone a spotlight on a newly-published book as they shared their thoughts on the read as well as bringing their own choice of story into the club to share with their fellow panelists. A wide variety of stars appeared across the series including singer Neneh Cherry, TV stars Richard Osman, Graham Norton and Stephen Mangan and GMB and Lorraine star Ranvir Singh. Actress Maisie Adam, TV host Sophie Raworth and comedian Sara Pascoe also took part in the show. The 'Bring Your Own Book' nature was a move created in order to inspire the viewers to do the same within their own circle of friends. For the authors whose work is chosen to be featured on the show, their books will feature a sticker on the front cover, when bought in shops, to alert potential buyers that it has appeared on the BBC show. The show first launched in October 2020 with Sara at the helm. Popular BBC series Between the Covers with celebrity host Sara Cox returning to screens for a seventh series Sara herself has taken to writing in recent years. She published a memoir in 2019 all about her life growing up in 1980s Lancashire. Sara then went on to pen her first novel, titled Thrown, published in May 2022. 4 4
