BEEB’S GOT TALENT
ITV fury as top stars take jobs at the BBC
ITV bosses are livid that the BBC has again made a raid on its stars, this time signing up Amanda Holden and Alison Hammond for a new singing series.
Britain’s Got Talent judge Holden and This Morning’s roving reporter Alison are considered to be key “faces” on ITV’s talent roster.
And it sparked fury when they were announced as regulars on BBC1’s eightpart series I Can See Your Voice – hosted by fellow former ITV star Paddy McGuinness.
One senior ITV source admitted: “It is extremely annoying. Have the BBC no stars of their own? Why do they have to keep coming after ours?”
The move to sign up Holden and Hammond comes a year after This Morning presenter Holly Willoughby and The Chase host Bradley Walsh were poached for BBC Christmas special Take Off, which was then ordered as a series.
This followed BGT’s Alesha Dixon and Dancing on Ice’s Ashley Banjo being hired to front The Greatest Dancer – which infuriated ITV bosses. Holden, 49, may have jumped at the role amid fears over BGT’s viability next year.
Already the Christmas special has been cancelled after crew members tested positive for Covid-19.
In an extra blow for Simon Cowell, the new BBC show is co-produced by Thames, which makes both BGT and X Factor – which is now being “rested” indefinitely.
In I Can See Your Voice, which features comic Jimmy Carr, two players try to win cash by guessing who can and can’t sing from a group of mystery performers standing in front of them.
Hammond said: “I Can See Your Voice is going to be great fun and I am thrilled to be taking part.”