News At Ten Makes Way For Nightly Celeb Show

Remember the almighty row last time TV bigwigs attempted to shift the hallowed ‘bongs’ of ITV’s News at 10?

Well, they’re having another pop at it.

To be fair, the channel’s iconic news show has been floundering ever since it was shifted to a later slot back in 1999 – before TV regulators forced ITV to move the show back to it’s rightful place with its tail between its legs.

However, by the time it moved back, the Beeb had taken up the vacant slot and poached most of the viewers. Things haven’t been the same since.

The solution? ITV now wants to move the show to make way for one of those daily entertainment programmes they do so well across The Pond.

“Think Saturday Night Takeaway meets James Corden’s Late, Late Show,” said an insider, “with rotating presenters in the way that works so well for Have I Got News For You.”

Hmmm, frankly, we’re not convinced.

Star names lined-up for a stint in the hotseat so far are rumoured to included Stephen Fry, David Walliams, Sarah Millican, Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders. Apparently the show already has it’s own strapline: “Where the stars come out at night.”

Groan.

TV bosses are also planning gags and stunts which they hope could attract a younger audience to the tricky post-10pm slot. Shifting the News at 10 has long been an ambition for ITV chief Kevin Lygo, who’s eager to squeeze an extra half-hour of primetime TV out of the schedules.

The new chat show is initially commissioned to run for eight weeks in the new year, but could move to a permanent slot if it does well.

Just don’t tell Tom Bradby.