It’s not just the worlds of politics and sport that have seen high profile, and sometimes shocking, hirings, firings and quittings recently, the world of TV has also had its fair share of surprising (and not so surprising) comings and goings.
To make sure you haven’t missed out on any of it, here is a roundup of the recent stories for you.
First up, The Voice. Not only has it switched from the BBC to ITV, but it’s also lost a judge, with Boy George leaving. The Culture Club star replaced Tom Jones earlier in the year, but announced he was leaving on Twitter this week. Sir Tom could be set for a return, but we’re more excited about the rumours that Paul McCartney, Kylie Minogue, Phil Collins or Jennifer Hudson could be sitting in the swiveling chair when the show returns on its new channel next year.
If you missed ITV’s This Morning last week and you’re a Rylan Clark-Neal fan then you may not have heard the great news – the Big Brother’s Bit On The Side host has finally revealed that he’ll also be co-hosting the new series of The Xtra Factor. The former contestant is all set to appear on ITV2’s spin-off show alongside Radio 1’s Matt Edmondson as they cast their eyes, and ears, over this year’s hopefuls.
There’s also big news from the Big Brother house. If the first in-house engagement (congrats Andy and Ed) and an eviction weren’t big enough, it’s also been revealed that this year’s show will be over a lot sooner than we expected. Host Emma Willis has revealed that there are just three and a half weeks to go, which means that Big Brother 2016 will be the shortest EVER. But wait, there’s another twist in store, with a massive ‘eviction massacre’ planned for Friday, July 15, as part of a new ‘annihilation’ week. And if all that isn’t enough for you, Celebrity Big Brother is expected to begin in mid-August.
Every night on Channel5 at 9pm
ITV2’s Love Island won’t be outdone by its Channel 5 reality opponent in the drama stakes though. With the end of the series looming, the show is planning a finale that we won’t soon forget. After being voted out, Tom Powell is on the verge of being put back in the house so he can confront his ex Emma and win back Sophie. And just in case those undoubted fireworks won’t be enough to keep you watching, Tom has also let slip that he might not be the only ex returning to the show this weekend. This promises to be some seriously entertaining telly!
Every night on ITV2 at 9pm
In slightly less raunchy news, Lucy Alexander won’t be brightening up our morning viewing for much longer, as she’s about to step down from Homes Under The Hammer after 13 years. The presenter, who has fronted the property auction series alongside Martin Roberts since 2003 and was joined by ex-footballer Dion Dublin last year, is off to pursue other avenues. If you’re not a fan of change, don’t worry too much, she’s set to appear in one more series before she leaves.
Every morning on BBC One at 10am
Improving on an original is always a tall order. It turned out to be nearly impossible for Chris Evans and his version of Top Gear. Some believe it was doomed from the start, but the radio presenting car lover gave it a good go before he officially put himself on the scrap heap when he quit this week. At least the ever so friendly Matt LeBlanc is sticking around for a second series.
With all these shake ups, don’t panic if you’ve missed an episode of any of these shows, you can catch up with them all right here on Freeview.