Throng

Karen Barber has never been in the press more thanks to Jason Gardiner, and reports are now circulating that she is being considered to return to the judging panel next year.

As well as this, she is being heralded as the one who saved Gardiner from being fired from the show.  Reports were circulating that show bosses were considering booting Gardiner from the show after his comments last weekend however Barber is reported to have told them that she just wants to “move on.”

An insider said, “Many people were upset by what Jason said and Karen was devastated.  He made her sound like she was worthless on the show and that couldn’t be further from the truth.”  It is believed that producers are believed to want to incorporate more professional skaters in the judging lineup and to allow her the opportunity to have as much of a say as Gardiner does.  

Didn’t they have three professional skaters on the panel before they booted one out and moved Barber?

The current ice panel consists of Gardiner, a choreographer, singer and theatre producer, Emma Bunton, a singer and Robin Cousins, a ex-professional skater.

Christine Bleakley has reportedly landed her first primetime presenting gig.

The Daybreak presenter will make a move into a primetime slot in presenting a new gameshow for ITV.  Control, is a general knowledge quiz ahow which has been pencilled in for a primetime slot.

An insider said that, “Details are under wraps, but it’s a brand new quiz show which will put Christine firmly into primetime.  Bosses said when they hired her that they wanted her to do stuff other than Daybreak.  They’re paying her a fortune so they need to get value for money.”

Bleakly is also reportedly stepping into Holly Willoughby’s shoes on Dancing on Ice when she goes on maternity leave.

No 3D royal wedding coverage

The royal family has rejected plans to broadcast the wedding of William and Kate in 3D as they don’t want the “additional camera footprint” in Westminster Abbey.

Dave Lamb to host CBBC series

Come Dine With Me host Dave Lamb will take up the hosting job on a new CBBC series called Gory Games. Lamb will present the 13-episode gameshow series which will feature horrible historians battling it out for a “putrid prize.”

Comedy Dave to bare skin this weekend on DOI

Comedy Dave Vitty plans to bare a bit of skin for this weekend’s Dancing on Ice episode. The Radio 1 presenter joked on Twitter that he has started working out in preparation for the dance so he will “have abs like Andi Peters.”

Paxman takes pay cut

Jeremy Paxman has reportedly taken a 20 per cent pay cut for his new BBC deal. The presenter signed a four-year £3.2 million deal which is believed to be £1 million under his previous contract.

Emmerdale’s Danny Miller has organised a charity football match in memory of the late Emmerdale producer Gavin Blyth.

The young actor, who plays Aaron Livesy on the soap, organised the match as a way of paying tribute to Blyth.

Miller told Inside Soap: “I wanted to do something in Gavin’s memory, and this is my way of giving back to a man who did so much for me. He was highly thought of across the industry.”

Emmerdale actors will take on cast members of Coronation Street in the event which is due to be held at the Manchester Regional Arena on Saturday February 19 at 1pm.

The Emmerdale team will consist of: Mark Charnock, James Sutton, Marc Silcock, Adam Thomas, James Hooton, Tom Lister and Lyndon Ogbourne.

While the Coronation Street team is: Ryan Thomas, Graeme Hawley, Ben Price, Jack P Shepherd, Michael Le Vell, Andrew Whyment and Alan Halsall.

Source: Whatsontv

BBC One has released this new preview of the upcoming season of MasterChef, complete with an all new set inspired by the Australian version of the show.

Dancing On Ice’s Jason Gardiner will remain on the show despite a whole lot of uproar over his exchange with Karen Barber on last weekend’s show.

Gardiner is believed to have been given the stern word from the show’s bosses over the incident which led to more than 3000 complaints being submitted to ITV.

Gardiner said to Barber during the show in reference to her being dropped from the panel: “Karen if your opinion mattered, you’d still be on the panel.”

A spokesperson told The Sun: “Jason has been spoken to by producers and that is the end of the matter.”

Source: UnrealityTV

Sky1 is launching a new Friday night comedy line-up as of February 25.

Episodes of the mega popular Modern Family will begin screening as will fellow comedies The Middle, The Simpsons and Raising Hope.

Modern Family will begin screening the second half of its second season in the 8.30pm slot with Raising Hope following it at 9pm.

Sky1 will also be screening the second half of both The Middle’s second season and that of The Simpsons.

Source: Digital Spy

Harry Enfield has been confirmed to direct the new E4 comedy Sex and the Chippy.

Enfield steps in the the role following the departure of Ben Palmer who is shooting the Inbetweeners movie.

Sex and the Chippy, which began shooting yesterday in the North West, centres on a trio of women in Liverpool who meet at a local chip shop.

The series’ writers Neil Jones and Heather Robson said: “We pitched it as the older sisters of The Inbetweeners if they were from Liverpool.

“The women have boring jobs and go out every weekend to escape their routines and look for a bit of romance. But every week it turns out to be disastrous and the episode starts at the end of the night with their chips.”

Source: Digital Spy

Matt Roberts has today been announced as the new presenter of MotoGP on the BBC. Matt has been a key member of the BBC team since 2006, working as a reporter, a co-presenter and as a presenter and will start his new role at the first race of 2011 in Losail, Qatar on 20 March

Charlie Cox and Steve Parrish are once again in the commentary box and Azi Farni joins the team as a pit-lane reporter to complete the line-up for the 2011 season.

Matt Roberts says: “I’m absolutely delighted to have been asked to front the MotoGP coverage on the BBC this year. This is a sport I am very passionate about and the opportunity to share it with the TV audience is a very exciting prospect.

“I’m really looking forward to working with Azi Farni, who is an established, enthusiastic and highly respected reporter, and it is always great fun to work with Charlie and Steve, who need no introduction! I’m convinced we will make a strong team and most importantly cover every aspect of what promises to be a truly memorable year in the most prestigious class of motorcycle racing.”

New to the BBC team, Azi Farni has worked in motorsport since 2007 starting with the World Rally Championship, before joining MotoGP in 2009. For the last 15 months she has been working as a reporter and is already a well-known face in the paddock. As well as doing regular interviews and features Azi has also done the occasional pit lane reporting and commentary for MotoGP host broadcaster Dorna’s world and web programmes.

Azi Farni says: “I’m really looking forward to joining the BBC team. I always used to watch MotoGP on the BBC so it’s a dream come true to be working with them. The last year working in the paddock has been an incredible experience and I’m really excited about what could well be the best season in 800cc coming up. With Rossi working his magic on the Ducati and Stoner clicking straight away with the Honda I think we could see a really close title battle between four or five riders this time around, with a lot more riders finishing on the podium than last year. I can’t wait for it all to start in March!”

Mark Wilkin, Executive Producer BBC MotoGP, says: “I am delighted that Matt is taking on the role of main presenter for our MotoGP coverage. This is a natural progression for him as he’s a very talented broadcaster and his knowledge of the sport is second to none. And we welcome to the team reporter Azi who is a well-known face in the paddock and is very passionate about the sport.”

The 2011 MotoGP will be shown live on BBC Two. European rounds will have an extended 30 minute build-up on BBC Two plus a 30-minute MotoGP Extra on the BBC Red Button after the race, bringing the immediate reaction from the experts and the riders themselves.

Live qualifying coverage of the 2011 MotoGP season, including the 125cc and Moto2 races, will be available to view on the red button and at bbc.co.uk/motogp (UK users only). Online viewers will also be able to use the website to access the full MotoGP schedule and all the latest news from on and off the track.

Live MotoGP races will be available to watch on BBC iPlayer for seven days after each race.

The BBC announces a series of programmes to mark the 400th Anniversary of the King James Bible. 

Highlights includes two major documentaries on BBC Two and BBC Four presented by Melvyn Bragg and author and presenter Adam Nicolson that look at the cultural impact that this translation of the Bible – the only authorised English translation – had on language, politics and Western democracy.

In The King James Bible: The Book That Changed The World on BBC Two, Melvyn Bragg sets out to persuade us that the King James Version has driven the development of the English-speaking world over the last 400 years – often in most unanticipated ways.

Bragg argues that while many think our modern world is founded on secular ideals, it is the King James Version that influenced the English language and its literature more than any other book.  It was also, he believes, the seedbed of Western democracy, the activator of radical shifts in society such as the abolition of the slave trade, the debating dynamite for brutal civil wars in Britain and America, and a critical spark in the genesis of modern science.

In his quest to uncover the impact of the King James Bible Bragg travels to historic locations in the US, where the King James Bible had a deep impact including Gettysburg and the American Civil War. He also visits Washington’s Lincoln Memorial, site of Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream…” speech. The King James Bible: The Book That Changed The World is due to transmit in March 2011  

When God Spoke English: The Making Of The King James Bible on BBC Four tells the unexpected story of how the King James Bible came into being.

Author and presenter, Adam Nicolson, reveals why the making of this great and powerful book shares much in common with his experience of a very different national project – the Millennium Dome.

The programme also delves into recently discovered 17th-century manuscripts, from the actual translation process itself, to show in rich detail what makes this Bible so good.

In a turbulent and often violent age the King hoped this Bible would unite a country torn by religious factions. Today, it is dismissed by some as old fashioned and impenetrable.  When God Spoke English shows why, in the 21st century, the King James Bible remains the greatest book of all time. When God Spoke English: The Making Of The King James Bible will be transmitted on Monday 21 February.

On BBC One Songs Of Praise will feature readings from the King James Bible on Easter Day – Sunday 24 April 2011 – as actors Bill Paterson and Tamsin Greig read extracts from the Easter story.

Also on BBC One, in a The Big Questions special, the programme – presented by Nicky Campbell – will mark the anniversary by exploring what relevance the Bible has on society today. This special edition of The Big Questions will be transmitted in May 2011.

Speaking about the 400th Anniversary programmes, Aaqil Ahmed, Commissioning Editor for Religion Television and Head of Religion and Ethics, says: “The King James Bible had a significant cultural and historical impact and has left such a wide ranging legacy. This anniversary marks an important event in British history that has helped shape our nation and the English language into what it is today.

“From Melvyn Bragg’s fascinating The King James Bible: The Book That Changed The World to our special editions of Songs Of Praise and The Big Questions, I hope that viewers enjoy our eclectic programmes to mark the 400th Anniversary of the King James Bible.”