ITV bosses axe prime-time turkeys Change Your Tune, Our Shirley Valentine Summer and The Big Audition after just one series
Following poor ratings, channel bosses have pulled the plug on each of the three primetime programmes after just one series.
Each struggled to draw in a peak audience of more than two million, and were beaten by low-budget Beeb shows including The Big Painting Challenge and Eat Well For Less.
The final episode of each was seen by an appalling 300,000 (Change Your Tune), 700,000 (The Big Audition) and 1.8 million (Our Shirley Valentine Summer).
A source said: “At one point the three shows were hailed as exciting new entertainment formats for ITV.
“However, they’ve all proven to be quite the opposite and saw ratings drop week on week. So they decided it’s not worth throwing any more money at them. It’s pretty embarrassing given how much they were bigged up.”
Hosted by little-known Baz Ashmawy, Change Your Tune saw the nation’s worst singers receive training.
Stunned viewers wondered if it was an April Fool’s joke.
Our Shirley Valentine Summer, starring the likes of Sian Lloyd, Melinda Messenger and Nancy Dell’Olio, failed to live up to expectations that it would be as big as Love Island but for “grown ups”.
ITV exec Carolyn McCall confirmed yesterday: “While overall our schedule is performing strongly, not all our programmes performed as we had hoped so some, for example Change Your Tune, Our Shirley Valentine Summer and The Big Audition, will not return.”
That’s one way of saying they’re better off in the bin . . .
MUST WATCH…
What? Death in Paradise, BBC1, 9pm.
Why? DI Jack Mooney (Ardal O’Hanlon) threatens to leave the Caribbean and return to the UK to look after his daughter Siobhan in the final episode of this series.
You eyein' Giggs, Kaz?
Kaz Crossley is certainly no shrinking violet following her split from Love Island co-star Josh Denzel.
The former make-up artist turned heads in a figure-hugging purple dress as she was personally invited by rapper Giggs to his album launch party at Proud in London last week.
And Kaz made such an impression on the musician that he even asked her to join him at his table – where they were later caught cosying up and dancing together.
A source said: “Kaz had all eyes on her as soon as she got to the event and it wasn’t long until she was invited onto Giggs’ table with other music stars including Wretch 32 and Chipmunk.
“They looked pretty tactile and were laughing and dancing together at his table.”
It comes after Kaz recently insisted she’d “never rule out” rekindling her romance with Josh.
As the Love Islanders say themselves, at least she isn’t putting all her eggs in one basket.
bizbit
Celebs Go Dating’s Georgia Steel had a secret fallout with co-star Megan McKenna after accusing the Towie beauty of “nasty” jibes.
However, sources have pointed the finger at the former Love Island star for stirring up drama.
Job done for Cheat’s Kath
She's the leading lady in ITV’s big new drama Cheat but Katherine Kelly is not fussed about whether it is a hit.
The four-part thriller, which starts on March 11, sees her play a university lecturer who locks horns with one of her students.
She said she was proud of the part, but added: “You can never predict the popularity of a show and I actually feel like it’s none of my business how well it does.”
And Katherine is even less interested in Cheat turning her into a sex symbol like Doctor Foster did for her ex-Coronation Street colleague Suranne Jones.
She said: ‘We’re not interested for us as actors about how this is going to come out. We’re not thinking: ‘Yeah, I’m going to look really sexy in this.’”
There’s nothing like being invested in a role…
SOAPBOX
In EastEnders, Kat and Stacey both agree Jean needs to see her GP.
After Shirley listens in on their chat, she asks an overwhelmed Jean why she stayed quiet.
It prompts Jean to pack a bag and head to the Tube station.
Plus, Ruby is upset with Jay.
In Emmerdale, Jacob prepares the summerhouse for a romantic night with Maya.
But when Liv turns up he says his efforts were for her.
Liv is charmed but neither of them know that Maya has witnessed everything from outside.
Elsewhere, Aaron and Robert inform Chas and Paddy about their surrogacy plans.
Bizticker… Buffy the Vampire Slayer cast reunite after 16 years… Zac Efron, Anna Kendrick to star in animated series Human Discoveries
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