Yahoo News 7 TV 'traitors' who risked it all by jumping channel
Great British Bake Off fans are still struggling to forgive Paul Hollywood for not quitting the show after it was poached from the BBC by Channel 4. Some went as far as to call the TV judge (who to be fair, was just trying to avoid unemployment) of being a "traitor".
Even his former co-star Sue Perkins joined in on the action and made digs at him. Time will tell if it really was such a bad move.
Over the years, some of the biggest names on the small screen have been tarred with the same brush. And for some, it doesn't work out. But after enough time passes, fans often forget that presenters ever jumped ship at all – can anyone remember Ant and Dec's BBC days? No. Exactly.
Here, we take a look at some of the most successful BBC "traitors" ever and why they've never looked back.
1. Susanna Reid
Susanna is the queen of breakfast TV thanks to her huge success on Good Morning Britain. But it hasn't exactly been plain sailing for Piers Morgan's co-host. Before she joined ITV, she presented BBC Breakfast alongside Bill Turnbull, and when she announced she was leaving, all hell broke loose.
We don't need to explain why she made the right decision on this occasion.
2. Alesha Dixon
It was super awkward when Alesha announced she was quitting Strictly Come Dancing – particularly as ballroom legend Arlene Phillips was axed to give her the job.
At the time, fans weren't impressed. Especially as she was leaving to join Britain's Got Talent over on ITV. Rumour had it that it was all down to money and the star was crucified for her decision at the time. But now, we can barely remember when Alesha was on Strictly because she's so awesome on BGT. #TeamAlesha.
3. Ant and Dec
Ant and Dec don't take on jobs that aren't on ITV. The Geordie icons pretty much are ITV. But that's not always been the case. The presenters actually started off their careers on BBC One playing PJ and Duncan for three years on Byker Grove. Given their history with the Beeb, it was a risk jumping ship to ITV – but it's safe to say it paid off.
4. Christine Bleakley
Remember when Christine quit The One Show with co-host Adrian Chiles back in 2010? She was given hell for betraying the Beeb to present Daybreak.
In the run-up to their debut, the public predicted the pair would crash and burn. Embarrassingly, they did, and were replaced after less than a year.
But Christine's move to ITV did eventually pay off. She went on to host a number of high-profile shows on the channel including Dancing on Ice, and she now regularly guest presents on Loose Women and Lorraine.
Adrian, meanwhile, presented ITV's football coverage for four years and returned to the BBC as a radio presenter in 2013.
5. Jonathan Ross
The Jonathan Ross Show is the biggest talk show on ITV. It's now in its sixth year and has welcomed huge stars through its doors including Adele, Tom Cruise and Will Ferrell. But when Jonathan announced he was joining ITV, eyebrows were raised about his loyalty.
Fans were stunned when he announced he was quitting the BBC after 12 years despite being offered an £18 million three-year contract. But he hasn't looked back since.
6. Rita Ora
Not only did Rita move channels, she ditched The Voice for its direct rival The X Factor. Ouch! She didn't exactly get the warmest reception when she made the leap, but as the series went on, she won fans over and became one of the most popular judges that year, with her act Louisa Johnson going on to win.
Due to her busy pop star schedule, she only stayed for one series – but we're sure Simon Cowell would welcome her back after that performance.
7. Sir Michael Parkinson
Sir Michael was once a flagship of BBC One's prime time schedule. He fronted his iconic chat show Parkinson on the channel from 1971 to 2004 and interviewed huge A-listers along the way including Marlon Brando, Sir Paul McCartney and Muhammed Ali.
Then he announced he was leaving the Beeb to host an almost identical show on ITV. But the move didn't impact his career in the long term, and he's still considered a national treasure.
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