CELEBRITY Big Brother might have to change its name, as I can reveal plans for an all-female series.
Producers are on the lookout for the strongest personalities in showbiz, as Channel 5 dedicates a season of programmes to celebrate 100 years since women won the right to vote.
A TV source said: “Channel 5 wants to make a real splash as part of their women’s vote celebrations.
“They are keen to cast opinionated women like GERMAINE GREER over no-mark reality TV girls who look good but have little to say or bring to the conversation.
“Bosses are expecting cat fights galore, plenty of tension and clashing personalities.”
The change, scheduled for January 2018, comes after producer Endemol vowed to refresh the format of the long-running series amid strong competition from rival shows such as ITV2 hit Love Island.
Endemol’s Peter Salmon, the former BBC boss and husband of Happy Valley actress SARAH
LANCASHIRE, said: “Big Brother has got to last. You have to roll your sleeves up and renew it for a different generation.
“It is having a tougher competitive time in the UK but it’s huge around the world.
“Love Island has been sensational. If Big Brother is not on top form, we have to keep changing it.”
I’d be surprised if the new series has no men.
After all, the popularity of Love Island was all about romance.
READ ON FOR THE REST OF DAN WOOTTON'S BIZARRE TV COLUMN
bizbit
BAKE Off host SANDI TOKSVIG admits she “can’t bear it” when contestants leave the TV tent.
Speaking on Sunday Brunch, she said: “When they go, it’s awful. It matters – it really matters. You care deeply about them.”
Suggs' TV debut is a blast
MADNESS frontman SUGGS found the life of a TV presenter is anything but glamorous when he faced an unexploded World War Two bomb during his first foray on to the small screen.
The singer was forced to run for his life after he discovered the 1,100lb device while presenting WW2 Treasure Hunters, which starts tonight on the History Channel.
He said: “This big, black, breast-shaped thing came out of the ground and the director said, ‘Can you do a piece to camera?’
“Then another bloke said, ‘You’ll have to stand five miles away if that thing goes off’. So we just legged it.”
Despite his move into TV, fans won’t see him donning dancing shoes on Strictly or heading Down Under for I’m A Celebrity.
He said: “I get so much reality cr*p offered to me. It’s very rare something comes around that interests you. Eating worms with a load of goofballs in a tent for six months? Falling on my face on a dancefloor somewhere, or on ice or on sand or on butter?
“Look at the calibre of people they’ve got. I’m not bigging myself up but I think I’m quite high up on the list.”
bizbit
LIV TYLER drew on her Lord Of The Rings character Arwen to find an English accent for her role in BBC drama Gunpowder.
She said: “It was interesting because it’s been over ten years since I have done the accent at all.”
Catherine a hit with big Frank
CORRIE’S CATH TYLDESLEY took a break from filming to get glammed up on Saturday night to attend a charity boxing match featuring legend FRANK BRUNO.
The actress posted a photo of herself with the ex-world champ and husband Tom Pitfield, writing: “Such a gent. What an honour.”
Cath’s character Eva has been scrapping with crimper Maria Connor. With fighting skills like that, maybe she’ll take on Frank next.
soapbox
DAVID follows Shona to the solicitor in CORONATION STREET and catches her asking for money from Adam.
She admits she’s paying off Clayton’s dad Dane and David insists he comes with her to meet him.
When they turn up, they refuse to pay him.
She later finds out Billy stole Adam’s £1,000.
In EASTENDERS, Stacey is still in turmoil after social services placed her kids in Carmel’s care.
Feeling guilty, Carmel lets Stacey spend time with Lily and Arthur but fails to mention it was her who reported Stacey in the first
place.
When Kush confronts his mum, telling her he knows she made the call, Carmel begins to panic...
Steph 'n' Dom quit woe-tel
GOGGLEBOX favourites STEPH and DOM PARKER’s new show One Star To Five Star will see them trying to return struggling hotels to their former glory.
But it’s their own B&B that could have done with help.
I can reveal that the couple have quietly moved out of their hotel, The Salutation, in Sandwich, Kent, after a flood of bad reviews last year.
Visitors complained of mouldy showers and ripped curtains in scathing TripAdvisor reviews while Dover Council gave the hotel’s restaurant a one-star hygiene rating.
In an exclusive interview, Steph said: “In the end it was too stressful to run the hotel with our other commitments.
“We’ve moved out and handed the running of it to a management company. We live elsewhere in Sandwich.”
The booze-loving couple quit Gogglebox in 2016 after three years on the show.
Steph added: “We wanted to give some fresh blood a go on the show and we’ve moved on to other things.”
Steph And Dom’s One Star To Five Star starts on Monday at 5.30pm on Channel 4.
And on Monday the couple can be seen trying to avoid capture in Stand Up To Cancer’s Celebrity
Hunted, also on Channel 4, at 9.15pm.
Dom said: “It was much harder than we thought and definitely raised the blood pressure a bit.”
Sounds like running a B&B.
must watch
WHAT? The Undateables, Channel 4, 9pm.
WHY? North London charity worker Ray hopes a bespoke perfume will win over his date, while Shaine and Gemma celebrate their first anniversary in the series finale.
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