Tis the season to be Bradley!
TV’s hottest property set for £500,000 Christmas windfall as he dominates primetime schedules on BBC and ITV
IF YOU’RE not a fan of Bradley Walsh, you may want to consider doing your tax return at tea-time on Christmas Day.
The 61-year-old entertainer will be appearing in two shows on two channels across more than two hours on the big day as part of a packed festive schedule that will, according to TV insiders, see him pocket a cool £500,000 Yuletide bonus.
But that’s not all, because the Brad-athon begins on Christmas Eve when he hosts an hour-long celebrity special of award-winning quiz The Chase, the show he has presented for more than 1,850 episodes since 2009, from 5.30pm on ITV.
At 9pm the former Pontins Bluecoat is back, teaming up with his son Barney for ITV reality show Breaking Dad.
Then on Christmas Day, the former Brentford footballer follows in the footsteps of Terry Wogan and Les Dawson to host the BBC’s Blankety Blank Christmas Special, which starts at 7.25pm.
Walsh fans face an hour of desolation without the likeable performer from 8pm until he reappears as Pop Larkins in The Larkins Christmas Special – an adaptation of The Darling Buds Of May – on ITV at 9pm.
And Walsh isn’t just the turkey and trimmings for festive schedulers – he’s dessert, too, as The Chase returns on Boxing Day.
According to accounts filed by his company Wingit Productions, the father-of-two, who has been dubbed ‘the new Bruce Forsyth’ for his versatility and popularity with audiences of all ages, is worth about £12.3million.
Sources say Walsh, whose 30-year showbusiness career also includes roles in Doctor Who and Coronation Street, is inundated with offers from TV networks.
‘Bradley might be everywhere this Christmas but trust me, he could have been on more shows,’ said one insider.
‘He has the pick of whatever he wants.’
But if you do choose HM Revenue & Customs over Walsh on the 25th, you’re unlikely to be alone. According to the taxman, 2,700 people filed their self-assessment return on Christmas Day last year.
‘Trust me, he could have been on more shows’