TV3 got talent13
Denise Van Outen, Jason Byrne and Michelle Visage get judges roles... and Lucy Kennedy will referee it all
By Eoin Murphy and Niamh Walsh
TV3 have signed up a top comic, a dancer and TV presenter, and an American Big Brother star to judge on the first Ireland’s Got Talent.
On Wednesday afternoon, the commercial station will announce their autumn line-up in a glitzy show at The National Concert Hall.
And the Irish Mail on Sunday can reveal that they plan to unveil Jason Byrne (it was down to Jason or PJ Gallagher and Jason just pipped it), Denise Van Outen and Michelle Visage as the talent show judges.
They had been hoping to add X Factor Judge Louis Walsh to the mix but some sources have claimed they could not agree a contract fee.
‘Louis Walsh wasn’t interested’
It is also understood that Lucy Kennedy is in line to present the show, taking up the role held by Ant and Dec in the UK.
It had been reported that Baz Ashmawy and Laura Whitmore were also in the running but sources insist that it will be the former Six O’ Clock Show host who will land the gig.
A spokeswoman for Ms Kennedy yesterday told the MoS that no deal had been done. Auditions are being scheduled for November, with the series being broadcast on Saturday nights on TV3 in January.
The show will reach an exciting climax over St Patrick’s weekend and according to insiders, this line-up was only finalised this week.
‘There has been an exhausting search for the right balance,’ said another source. ‘Denise and Jason are household names but Michelle Visage is an international star. She has personality and class and a string of incredible one-liners. She could be the real star of the show. There was also a Pussy Cat Doll as well but in the end, we feel that this is the right line-up.
‘We had tried to get Louis Walsh and up until this weekend we were talking to him, but unfortunately he was not interested.
‘But he will be on TV3 in a few weeks as the X Factor judge so it is still a winner for TV3.’