ATV News Today: ITV Mornings

Are Judy and Richard about to make a guest return to their ITV daytime home? Has Fiona Phillips found watching GMTV better than being on it? All this and more in the latest ATV Network Today.

Other stories include a Jackson documentary revamp, the death of a prolific BBC and ITV director and the former EastEnders actor who is heading back to the jungle.

New Dawning For This Morning

As ITV prepares for the 21st year of daytime magazine show This Morning reports suggest the show may indeed be welcoming back Richard and Judy – the original hosts of 13-years – for the anniversary week.

Judy and Richard quit the programme in 2001 after rows with the boss of ITV daytime about the content and editorial decisions on the show. They moved to Channel 4 where they remained up until last year. Others mooted for the anniversary to return include Fern Britton – who left the show in July this year.

As well as preparations for the celebration the new-look series, which starts in September, has also hired a host of new experts including Linda Barker for house-style, gardener Sven Wombwell, chef Dean Edwards and fashion ideas with Jason Gardiner. Singer Peter Andre has also been enlisted as one of the entertainment reporters.

The new series will continue to be hosted by Phillip Schofield alongside new arrival Holly Willoby while Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford will continue to host the Friday edition. The appointment of Holly has been met with raised eyebrows, and bets are on how long she’ll last.

The This Morning audience is known to be fussy as to who hosts the show. They like women they can ‘identify’ with, people who are like themselves. Some suggest Holly is too good looking, too young and not someone the morning viewers can relate to. Previous presenters who were dropped as fast as they were hired have included Kerry Katona, Colleen Nolan and Twiggy.

Jackson Documentary Revamped

Following the death of ‘King Of Pop’ Michael Jackson a scheduled documentary on the Jackson brothers is to be revamped for broadcast. The original idea was to follow the Jacksons as they prepared for a reunion tour – which didn’t include Michael.

Now producers have decided to also include the death of the singer in the programme with production continuing currently. Footage was leaked, without authorisaton to an American entertainment programme earlier this week. The programme will air on A&E America later in the year.

Fiona Phillips Dislikes Morning Television

The former face of GMTV has told Reveal magazine that she isn’t impressed with daytime television. Most likely a retaliation after viewers recently made it clear they didn’t want her as a host of afternoon chat show, Loose Women.

After a recent stint as a guest presenter on the show viewers of Loose Women made it very clear on the broadcaster’s message boards that Phillips was not welcome back.

Fiona, 48, quit GMTV last year to spend more time with her children. Some suggested it was also to do with the continued criticism of the presenter and her interviewing style. While Fiona was clearly at home with light and lifestyle, the more serious news and issues often lead to her making embarrassing gaffs.

In the Reveal article she says: “I won’t let my children watch television in the mornings as I find it really annoying. They turn into zombies, which makes me end up shouting at them to get ready.

No comments about the presenters of GMTV looking like zombies…

My Hero and Minder Director Dies

John Stroud, best known for his comedy work, has died aged only 54 from a brain tumour it was announced this week. His most recent work had included BBC One sitcom, My Hero, however his career spans over thirty years. Stroud first broke into broadcasting as a trainee director at production company Thames Television – who at the time also broadcast on ITV in the London region. This enabled John to work on a variety of programming, starting off in the company’s children’s department producing Sooty and Rainbow.

In the 1980s he switched to Channel 4 where he directed Who Dares Wins, one of the networks early sketch shows. A move back to ITV saw Stroud at Central Independent Television in Birmingham where he was one of a team of directors on the satire show Spitting Image.

In the 1990s it was the BBC where John had his big hits, BBC Two’s spoof of Sky Television KYTV and Harry Enfield and Chums for BBC One. He returned to Thames Television to direct the last-ever edition of the original Minder drama and later set up – with Marcus Mortimer – an independent production company, Big Bear Films.

Big Bear, with Stroud again as director, produced five series of My Hero. The company has also produced The Hairy Bikers’ Cookbook and this year a new comedy for the BBC, Big Top.

I’m A Jobbing Actor Get Me A Presenting Role

Former EastEnders actor and winner of ITV’s reality series I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here Joe Swash – which he won earlier this year – is set to become a presenter on the shows ITV2 coverage.

I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here Now! airs directly after the main ITV show each night. Last week it was announced the programme will have a new line-up of presenters, with previous hosts Mark Durden-Smith, and former jungle winner Matt Willis, plus his wife Emma Griffiths, being dropped from the series.

Alongside Joe the new-look show will be co-presented by Caroline Flack – who has been linked to one of the more gingerous royals, if anyone cares. It’s her presenting ability that matters surely? Then again its ITV2 where if you have big tits and look like a badly tanned Barbie doll you can get your own series.