BBC axe plans to reboot beloved quiz show – and it’s bad news for Alison Hammond
USUALLY everything Alison Hammond touches turns to gold.
But I can reveal a reboot of game show Friends Like These, co-hosted by the This Morning star, has been shelved following a pilot last month.
Alison was set to bring back the Noughties programme alongside Vernon Kay.
But the BBC, who aired the original — hosted by Ant and Dec, and later, Ian Wright — has decided not to pursue a full series.
A TV insider says: “Bringing back Friends Like These seemed a no-brainer but bosses felt it wasn’t the right time, as the light entertainment schedule is just so packed.
“It’s no reflection on either Alison or Vernon, who did a sterling job as hosts. There’s hope it could be reignited further down the line.”
In the original BBC One show, two groups of real-life pals competed in various games in a bid to win a holiday.
Six series were made, before it was axed in 2003.
Alison was recently announced as new host of The Great British Bake Off, taking over from Matt Lucas who is quitting the Channel 4 series in December after three years alongside Noel Fielding.
As well as her Friday slot fronting This Morning with Dermot O’Leary, she co-hosted this year’s Baftas with Richard E Grant.
Since appearing on I’m A Celebrity in 2020, Vernon has enjoyed a career renaissance, hosting ITV series Game Of Talents and appearing as a panelist on the male-only special of Loose Women.
And in February, we revealed the Bolton-born star was taking over from Ken Bruce on Radio 2.
I’m sure neither of them will have to wait long for the next job offer.
Rylan hits back
RYLAN Clark has spoken out about the talk that he has quit Strictly: It Takes Two so he can host ITVX’s new Big Brother.
He told his Radio 2 listeners at the weekend: “Can I confirm, I’m seeing all the rumours. Please carry on with them. It was just my time to sit indoors in my pyjamas for a bit.”
Fan aids jittery Jordan
JORDAN North is rapidly racking up an impressive CV of TV and radio work across BBC Three, Radio 1 and ITV.
But he admits he still gets nervous – and his fear got so bad ahead of appearing in Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway that a worried audience member sent him some advice.
Jordan said: “I hate live shows. I mean, I don’t hate them, but you should see me before Ant and Dec. I am a wreck.”
On his Help I Sexted My Boss podcast, he added: “So much so that an audience member messaged me a really lovely message, saying they could tell I was really nervous before I went live.
“They said, ‘Have more confidence and belief in yourself’. I do get nervous.”
Ant and Dec have kept a close eye on Jordan’s career since he came second in I’m A Celebrity in 2020.
They then gave him his own regular weekly segment on their variety show.
All want to join Lee club
ZOOM quizzes over lockdown seem to have done nothing to dent Britain’s love of a game show.
Lee Mack’s The 1% Club returned for its second series on Saturday to a huge audience of 3.7million.
And they were all so keen to play along, the users crashed the brand new app.
A source said: “You never quite know how a game-related app is going to perform but demand was unprecedented.
“That kind of uptake is rarely seen beyond apps that are used for viewer voting, such as for The X Factor or Love Island.”
It wasn’t a bad night for Joel Dommett, either.
His new show In With A Shout was just behind Lee’s one, with 3.4million viewers.
Neighbours return
FILMING for the new Neighbours will begin today and the Aussie soap has confirmed the return of Lucinda Cowden as Melanie Pearson.
Discussing the legendary character’s comeback, the announcement read: “We can’t wait to welcome her back (and maybe her pig collection too).”
Gee whiz, Jorgie
IT’S just four months since Jorgie Porter had baby boy Forest but here she looks a world away from dummies and nappies – glammed up for a day watching the gee-gees at the Grand National.
Jorgie, in a pink frock and stylish, cut-away coat, took the chance to catch up with her Hollyoaks co-star Keiron Richardson and other celebs including Mike Tindall while hobnobbing in the hospitality section at the Aintree racecourse.
I’ll bet she stuck a few bob on Back On The Lash.
Scarlett haunted by show
IF spending eight days locked in a blackout bunker with Chris Eubank and a Love Islander doesn’t sound bad enough, Scarlett Moffatt has now revealed that the filming location for Scared Of The Dark was haunted.
The former Goggleboxer was one of the celebs locked up in pitch-black conditions at Cardington former RAF base in Bedfordshire, which is said to be cursed after a major air disaster in 1930.
Discussing her time on the Channel 4 reality TV series, hosted by Danny Dyer, Charlotte told me: “Me and Chloe Burrows once thought we’d seen a couple of soldiers. We were like, ‘Did you see that?’ And she’s like, ‘The soldier? Yeah’. And I was like, ‘That was weird’. They told us the place is haunted. It freaked me and Chloe out.”
That bunker saw more action than the Love Island villa’s bedroom.