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Scottish Sun
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Holly Willoughby in show U-turn as its confirmed she WILL return to ITV programme for another series – but with a twist
Fans previously learned of Holly's departure from the programme coming back Holly Willoughby in show U-turn as its confirmed she WILL return to ITV programme for another series – but with a twist A U-TURN will see Holly Willoughby return to an ITV programme for another series - but with a twist. Holly, 44, has presented several hit shows for ITV during her career. Advertisement 4 Holly Willoughby will return to a hit ITV show - with a twist Credit: Rex 4 She and Stephen fronted a You Bet! revival last year Credit: ITV 4 Stephen is continuing on as solo presenter - but fans haven't seen the last of Holly Credit: ITV Last year, she and Stephen Mulhern co-hosted the revived version of You Bet! Although the show is coming back for a second series, Holly will not be returning as co-host. You Bet! viewers will see the star again nonetheless - as she's appearing as a guest panelist this time around. Renamed You Bet! On Tour, Stephen will take over solo hosting duties for the second outing. Advertisement Also confirmed for guest appearances are Rob Beckett, Josh Widdicombe, Zoe Ball, Rylan Clark and Babatunde Aleshe. Each instalment of the seven-episode series - including a Christmas special - will take place a different location across the country. Once again, the celebrity panel must decide whether or not challengers will complete their task. Last month, Stephen opened up about continuing on as host without Holly. Advertisement Chatting to TV Biz, he said: 'I'm gutted she's not doing You Bet! with me, but I've had time to think about it and Bruce Forsyth was the first person to do You Bet! and he did it on his own. 'Matthew Kelly made it the best show on the telly. You Bet fans complain as iconic show fronted by Holly Willoughby and Stephen Mulhern returns with missing feature 'And every time I've been interviewed and they say, 'What show would you bring back?', I've always said 'You Bet!'. 'So maybe it happened for a reason. We've filmed one episode already without Holly, and it felt very comfortable. Maybe it is just a one-presenter show. Advertisement "I don't know what happened. She just said, 'Look, sorry, I can't do it'. She told me face to face. She said, 'Look, I'm gutted but it's all over'." The pair's other show, Dancing on Ice was shelved earlier this year with no plans for a new series, as revealed by The Sun. Stephen Mulhern's career so far The presenter is a mainstay on various ITV shows, but how did he become one of Britain's most well-known faces? Stephen first gained an interest in magic and tricks from his father who taught him as a kid. After performing at Butlins, he became the youngest member of the Magic Circle and even made an appearance on Blue Peter in a piece about Harry Houdini. His career started in Children's TV when he presenter the show Finger Tips in 2001. After four years, he launched Tricky TV on CITV in 2005, which he presented until 2010. During this time, he was handpicked by bosses to front the ITV2 spin-off for Britain's Got Talent. He presented Britain's Got More Talent until the cancelation of the companion in 2019. But it's not all bad news for Stephen who is known for his duties on a number of quiz shows. In for a Penny, a format originally launched on Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway was launched the same year. Before, he was chosen by bosses to host Catchphrase in 2013 and has been fronting the show ever since. Other huge shows he presented for ITV included Big Star's Little Star, Rolling In It and the reboot of Deal Or No Deal. He also made regular appearances on This Morning in 'The Hub' segment between 2011 and 2014. After the Philip Schofield scandal rocked ITV, he was chosen to reunite with his former CITV co-star Holly Willoughby as the host of Dancing on Ice. It came as Coronation Street's Sam Aston - aka Chesney Brown - won the latest outing. An ITV Spokesperson said: "Following another successful series earlier this year, Dancing On Ice will be rested in 2026 with no current plans for another series. Advertisement "We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the cast and crew who have worked on the show since 2006, and over the previous 17 series, for all of their hard work both on and off the ice." You Bet! airs on ITV1 and ITVX.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Babatunde Alesha signs up for Great Celebrity Bake Off
Babatunde Aleshe has signed up for 'The Great Celebrity Bake Off'. The 38-year-old comic will be taking his place in the tent for the Stand Up To Cancer special, with programme bosses hoping he will bring his "pure positivity" and "infectious" energy to the show. A source told The Sun newspaper's TVBiz column: "Babatunde is guaranteed to be hilarious and will no doubt have plenty of banter with Paul, Noel, Caroline and Alison. "He's not known for his prowess in the kitchen so there's sure to be some panicky moments laced with the good humour he's known for. "His energy on the 'Gogglebox' sofa has always been pure positivity and very infectious, and bosses are hoping he'll bring that to the tent." The news comes a few days after it was revealed 'Love Island' star Molly-Mae Hague will also be taking part in the charity baking competition. A source said: "She will be a great addition to the line-up and bring a healthy helping of Love island glamour to the tent. "Molly's now one of Britain's biggest TV stars and has seen her fame steadily grow since she first appeared on the ITV dating show back in 2019." And fresh from her stint on 'Celebrity Big Brother', JoJo Siwa is also said to have signed up for 'The Great Celebrity Bake Off', with producers said to be particularly pleased because of the interest in the dancer and her relationship with Chris Hughes. An insider said: "This is a bit of a coup for the 'Bake Off' because JoJo is currently one of the most talked about young stars on TV right now. "She's barely had time to catch her breath, leaving 'CBB' last month amid huge media attention and heading straight into another huge show this month. "It's also a fantastic gig for her because although she already has a fanbase over here, the cookery contest also introduces her to a wider British audience. "Plus she got plenty of experience of cooking in front of the cameras while she was on 'Celebrity Big Brother', though this time she won't have hunky Chris to distract her." The show will see Noel Fielding and Alison Hammond returning as hosts, but long-serving judge Paul Hollywood will be joined by Caroline Waldegrave after Prue Leith decided to step back from all 'GBBO' specials.
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Natalie Cassidy will take a 'sledgehammer' to the EastEnders set if Sonia Fowler is recast
Natalie Cassidy will be furious if 'EastEnders' bosses ever decide to recast Sonia Fowler. The 41-year-old actress has played Sonia Fowler on the BBC soap opera since 1993 and even though she will be leaving the show in the coming weeks, she has joked that she will take a "sledgehammer" to the studios if someone else is ever hired for the role. She is quoted by The Sun newspaper's TVBiz column as saying: "If they recast Sonia, I'm going to Borehamwood [where the show is shot] with a sledgehammer. 'I feel very protective about Sonia." Natalie is the only actress to have ever played Sonia, but numerous characters have been recast several times over the course of the programme's 40-year history. Most notably, six actors have assumed the role of Ben Mitchell since the character debuted in 1996, and was most recently played by Max Bowden. Daniella Westbrook originated the role of Sam Mitchell in 1990 but was replaced by Kim Medcalf in 2002 and even though she returned to the part in 2009, Kim took over once again in 2022 for a couple of years. Meanwhile, former 'Masked Singer' Natalie contestant is also aware that her alter-ego "could easily" be killed off once she has left Albert Square but is hopeful that she could make a brief appearance for the serial's 50th anniversary in 2035. She said: 'She could die off-screen, though. We could be watching it one night and you know the old phone call: Cathy runs in saying, 'Ian, I've just had a message, Sonia's dead'. "That could easily happen. 'But I do hope, like for the 50th anniversary, that I could pop back.' Natalie - who initially appeared from 1993 until 2007, then again from 2010 until 2011 before making a comeback in 2014 - announced her decision to step down from the role in January. She said: "I feel extremely sad to be writing this, but also very excited. "After another 11 solid years back on The Square, I have decided it's time to move on to pastures new. 'EastEnders' is in my bones so I will never forget where I started my career and I will continue to love the show. Thank you to Chris Clenshaw for the opportunity to be such a big part of the 40th anniversary – it's an honour. See ya, Sonia, going but never forgotten."
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Britain's Got Talent 'gets dog spinoff' as ITV calls for applicants
ITV wants dogs to apply for a 'Britain's Got Talent' spinoff. The broadcaster is looking to expand its talent show franchise with a special programme focused on talented pooches, following on from beloved acts like 2012 'BGT' winners Ashleigh and Pudsey. A source told The Sun newspaper's TVBiz column: "Pooches are always a huge hit on these competitions, so it made sense to devote a show entirely to the unique abilities of our four-legged friends. "Forget 'Britain's Got Talent', it's more a case of 'Britain's Dog Talent' — and ITV will be hoping this proves to be just as popular.' Head judge Simon Cowell is a huge animal lover, and plenty of performing pets have won the hearts of viewers over the years. In 2019, 11-year-old Alex Lauenburger's acrobatic pooch troupe earned Ant and Dec's golden buzzer. Now, it's said ITV is advertising for contestants for the new show. According to the report, the ad asks: "is your furry friend a star? Do they have a show-stopping trick? Are they a bark above the rest?' The human applicants must be aged 18 or over to submit their pet, with people told to email part@ to apply. Meanwhile, Simon's fellow 'BGT' judge Bruno Tonioli previously joked the dogs competing on the main show are "treated better" than he is", as he urged viewers not to worry about the welfare of the animals taking part. He told the Daily star newspaper's Hot TV column: "They are protected all the time. The sound levels are brought down at different times so they're not made to feel stressed. "The dogs are so well looked after. There is a huge production. They are very well taken care of. "They are actually looked after better than me. They get better dressing rooms!"
Yahoo
17-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Anton Ferdinand reveals Dancing on Ice weight loss as he jokes he is 'enhancing his skater's bum'
Anton Ferdinand has "definitely lost weight" by doing 'Dancing on Ice'. The 39-year-old former footballer is currently competing in the ITV1 competition alongside professional partner Annette Dytrt and lamented that he had started to become out of shape after retiring in 2019, but is slowly getting back on track with things. He told The Sun newspaper's TVBiz column: "I had a skaters bum before, I had it when I played football and this is just enhancing it! 'I've definitely lost weight. When I retired I could see my body fat going up in places where I wouldn't normally have it, you know? 'I like to think that's starting to come down a bit now but I'm nowhere near the type of fitness I had when I was playing football. "However, I need to find what my elite fitness is now, what my thoroughbred feel is now because it's obviously not gonna be the same. 'My body ain't as robust as it was before having not trained properly for six years." The talkSPORT pundit is currently competing against 'Springwatch' presenter Michaela Strachan, Dan Edgar of 'TOWIE' fame, 'Coronation Street' actor Sam Aston, and former 'Traitors' star Mollie Pearce, but is determined to go all the way on the series, especially after feeling as if he "lost his identity" after retiring from the pitch. He said: "But one thing I'll always do is push myself to the end. I've always been like that and I'll continue to be like that. "I think if you speak to most sports people, when they leave their sport and they're retired, they lose a part of themselves, they lose a part of their identity. 'And that definitely happened to me. "
