Chiles and Bleakley's partnership goes sour

By Jason Wright (Entertainment Expert)

IT SEEMED like a match made in heaven.  When Adrian Chiles and Christine Bleakley left BBC’s The One Show in a massive media frenzy last year to front Daybreak, ITV’s breakfast replacement for the ailing GMTV, it looked like ITV could finally take a hold to the growing popularity of BBC’s Breakfast programme.  They were wrong.  Now, 15 months into the mockery of a project, Chiles and Bleakley have paid for their gamble, with their jobs.

     So where did it all go wrong for Daybreak?  Firstly, the chemistry that was strongly built on The One Show could never be captivated at the time of first thing in the morning.  Many experts commented that Bleakley was “too light-headed” and Chiles “too grumpy” for breakfast television.  Secondly, the way the programme has been run is seen as a total laughingstock.  At times, it looks like as if the production team hardly pay attention to the news stories, often usually focusing on the main entertainment topics and showcasing weird and sometimes stupid talents.  Do people care about seeing what bubble art or speed stacking is like just before going to work?

DEPARTED: Daybreak will no longer feature Adrian or Christine

     Not surprisingly, ratings have rapidly gone down since the show’s launch last September and last week, reached a new low of just 350,000 viewers, compared to a peak of 1.5 million who watch BBC Breakfast.  Chiles is unimpressed with the decision taken, quoted as saying; “We were assured we could go with our dignity intact.  That’s obviously not happened.  We were enjoying the show and we thought things were going well.  We didn’t want to go.”

     Now attention turns to who will take over, with production of the programme being transferred entirely to ITV Studios.  The main favourites are likely to be sports reporter Dan Lobb and showbiz correspondent Kate Garraway, being promoted to full-time presenters.  They have currently been serving as a relief presenting team to Chiles and Bleakley.  Other big names being mentioned including Natasha Kaplinsky, who has recently joined ITV News from Channel 5, Keir Simmons, who currently serves as a reporter on ITV News and Sian Williams, who is due to leave BBC Breakfast next year ahead of the programme’s relocation to the new MediaCityUK studios in Salford.  However, Eamonn Holmes has rejected the chance to rejoin the ITV breakfast franchise, by signing a new three-year deal to front Sunrise on Sky News.

    As with Chiles and Bleakley, they will now move onto concentrating on their main ITV commitments.  As well as being promised new projects, Chiles will remain the broadcaster main anchor for Champions League, FA Cup and next year’s UEFA European Championships football coverage as well as staying on as frontman of That Sunday Night Show.  Bleakley will stay on to host selected entertainment specials, as well as taking over as co-host to Phillip Schofield on the upcoming new series of Dancing On Ice, following Holly Willoughby’s decision to co-host the UK version of the popular US talent contest, The Voice on BBC.

     The pair will certainly have nothing to worry about for the future for now but surely, a failure of a show like this will decrease their already declining popularities with viewers even further.

William pops the question

GET ready for a spectacular royal wedding next year, after Prince William and his long-term girlfriend Kate Middleton confirmed their engagement this week.

HAPPY COUPLE: Prince William and Kate Middleton

William popped the question to Middleton, his on-off partner for the past seven years on a romantic holiday in Kenya last month.  On Tuesday morning at St. James Palace, they showed off Kate’s ring – which is the same wedding ring that William’s father, Prince Charles gave to Lady Diana Spencer nearly 30 years ago.  William has insisted that the blue and sapphire ring on Kate’s finger is his way of making sure that his late mother didn’t miss out on the special occasion.

They will get married next year, though no venue or date has yet been set.  Speculation within the Royal media experts are that the ceremony will probably take place around August next year.  In various TV interviews, with The One Show, Five News and ITN, William told the media of his obsession of keeping the cherished ring in sight whilst on holiday; “I literally would not let it go.  Everywhere I went, I was keeping hold of it because I knew . . . if it disappeared – I would be in a lot of trouble.”

William and Kate first met each other back in 2001, when they were students at the University of St. Andrews.  Within a year of first meeting each other, there was intense speculation about the pair being an item.  Until the news broke, it is believed that only Miss. Middleton’s mother and father knew about the engagement along with the happy couple.  The reception to the news, from both families, plus the Prime Minister David Cameron seems to have been very encouraging.  The slightly longer wait for the announcement has come because of the recent tragic passing of Kate’s grandfather, Peter Middleton.

Kate Middleton has attempted to keep a very discreet profile in recent times, but she has now been thrown completely into the public spotlight.  It is something that the shy new-wife-to be of the Prince, second in line to the throne has to deal with rather quickly.  The wedding is bound to be really special and us Brits know when to put on a good party and a top-class wedding.

Many congratulations to William and Kate on their engagement . . . I wish both only good times ahead.

REACTION FROM THOSE CLOSEST TO THE COUPLE;

The Queen; “It is brilliant news.  It has taken them a long time.”

Prince Charles; “I am absolutely thrilled of the news this morning.  They have been practising long enough.”

Prince Harry; “I am delighted that my brother has popped the question!  It means I get a sister, which I have always wanted.”

David Cameron; “It is incredibly exciting news and I’m sure the whole country will want to pass their very best wishes to the happy couple, and wish them an incredibly happy and long life together.”

Earl Spencer (brother of Princess Diana); “It’s wonderful news, very exciting.  My family are thrilled for them both.”

Manford quits One Show over sex allegations

THE One Show was plunged into crisis today after the resignation was confirmed by one of its show hosts, Jason Manford.  In a statement released by the comedian, 29 – he revealed his resignation is to do with tour and family commitments. 

RESIGNED: Jason Manford in happier time

However, allegations seem to hint that he has engaged in saucy sex messages with a series of woman over the internet, which he has allegedly confirmed via an interview with The Sun.   Manford was only handed the role to co-anchor the hit BBC show, following the departures of Christine Bleakley and Adrian Chiles to ITV.  His last appearance on the show came on Wednesday night, with Chris Evans standing in last night, alongside Welsh presenter Alex Jones.  It is believed that Manford’s resignation comes through with immediate effect.

Jason’s Twitter account has been suspended and there is talk that his role as a team captain on the Channel 4 panel show 8 Out of 10 Cats is also in severe jeopardy.  Manford has allegedly told The Sun of the details of how far these encounters went; "We would start off flirty, then innuendo and then a bit saucy. They were moments I thought 'I shouldn't be saying that'.  "I went on Skype with a few girls. They also sent pictures on Twitter.  It all happened on tour."

The BBC confirmed that they had accepted Manford’s resignation and will begin talks over a full-time replacement in the near future for the stand-up comedian.  Steve Jones, who is leaving T4 after Sunday’s T4 with the Stars extraganvanza, is amongst the favourites, along with Matt Baker, Richard Bacon and Tony Livesey.  Bookmakers Paddy Power are also giving odds of 16/1 for Chiles to come back to the broadcaster, at least on a short-term measure, especially if the doomed breakfast show, Daybreak gets the axe.  For now, guest presenters are expected to fill the role.

FUNNY: On his stand-up tour, can Manford's career survive

Manford insists that his marriage will overcome this flaw, and it needs with his wife pregnant with a third child.  He isn’t the first and won’t be the last celebrity to be caught in this embarrassing situation and as much as his creditability has been damaged, his respect for owning up and stepping down before getting sacked might just about salvage his career in the future.

Bleakley Departs For ITV - Where's The Loyalty?

Last night, ITV announced that they had poached the services of the popular One Show host, Christine Bleakley.  The deal is rumoured to see Bleakley earning £1.5million a year in her new role, which will see her partnered again with old co-host of The One Show, Adrian Chiles on the new ITV breakfast show, which will begin this September.

Christine has been at the centre of a major bidding war for weeks now, between the two major UK broadcasters and part of the deal will not only see her be part of the new breakfast programme, replacing GMTV this summer, but other prime-time projects, including new entertainment and lifestyle shows.  Bleakley, also being well-known for the high-profile girlfriend of prolific Chelsea and England footballer Frank Lampard, was only earning £100,000 a year with the BBC, which wonders how much she had sold out for?  The BBC did offer her a new, much more improved deal, but it seems like that money and the close bond with Chiles seems to be more important than loyalty and trust in her case.

When Adrian Chiles quit the BBC two months ago, largely to replace Steve Rider as the new figurehead of ITV’s football coverage, their plans were to remodel the One Show firmly around Bleakley – whose contract with the Beeb expired this September.  Popular breakfast presenter Chris Evans and comedian Jason Mannford had been signed up to co-host the show, alongside the Northern Ireland golden girl.  They had given Bleakley a new £450,000 a year deal, and a week to mull over the future.  With no contact from Christine, the BBC felt there was little option but to withdraw their very tempting and more secure offer.

The departure of Bleakley follows Chiles out of the BBC door, and with Jonathan Ross also leaving the corporation when his contract ends next month, leaves the nation’s favourite TV channel facing a bit of a shortfall in presenting talent.  The BBC insist that they have made the right decision, by not entering into a bidding war with their main rivals, for a presenter’s services.  I believe that they have made the right decision.  After all, no presenter is more important than the service of the BBC to the British public.

The Bleakley/Chiles combination is no doubt going to be a winning one, and will pull more audiences into ITV at breakfast time, which has suffered from the stale progress of the award-winning GMTV in recent times.  However, the massive money deal that it is giving Christine suggests that they are putting a lot of faith into her abilities, and there is no guarantee that it will definitely work out.  This is a massive gamble for her career and for ITV as a whole, as it will be seen as an expensive flop should things not work out.  Although ITV have won this battle, I think the BBC has made a shrewd move and time will move on with new presenters and new talent, to replace Bleakley and Chiles on The One Show. 

Some must question though, how important is loyalty?  

Media Changes Aplenty - Adrian Jumps Ship And Some Aren't Happy!

Following the news of Adrian Chiles departure to ITV on Monday night, there have been many upcoming changes, which have promoted anger with some highly-established presenters and turned the BBC and ITV into a Spring Transfer Window Service, rather than TV organisations!

Chiles’ decision to leave the BBC was not of great surprise, as it has been widely tipped that he would quit, after finding out that Chris Evans would present the daily evening programme, The One Show on Friday nights.  However, not many predicted he would switch to ITV as a result.  Although he does leave The Apprentice and Match of the Day 2 behind, this could be a brilliant career move for the popular Chiles, one of TV’s most common stars in recent years.  He has been part of The One Show furniture since it began over three years ago, first with Myleene Klass and now with Christine Bleakly.  In his new four-year deal, he will front breakfast show GMTV five days a week and become the much-needed new face of ITV’s growing football portfolio.  Chiles will begin at ITV with their coverage of this summer’s World Cup finals in South Africa, and will front the FA Cup, the UEFA Champions League and England internationals from next season.

This move has angered ITV’s main sport face, Steve Rider.  According to some media sources, Rider is planning to sue ITV in the High Court, as his £500,000-a year contract states that he will be the leading face of ITV’s World Cup efforts this summer.  He was absent from ITV’s Champions League coverage in midweek and should he not be at Rockingham this weekend, for ITV4’s British Touring Car Championship action, then presume Rider is preparing to leave ITV.  Reportedly, he may be planning to move back to the BBC, to front golf, tennis and rugby coverage, should things not work out with ITV.

The shake-up at the BBC has continued, with the news that Katie Derham is to leave ITN News to join the BBC, though not on the BBC News team.  After twelve years with ITN, Derham will front the BBC’s coverage of the Proms, plus other daytime programmes.  Chiles future replacement at The One Show has not been officially confirmed, though Strictly Come Dancing winner and BBC breakfast host, Chris Hollins is to fill the post for now.  BBC Radio 1 presenter, Colin Murray will be the new fresh face on the MOTD2 sofa from next season.  He already has connections with BBC, though his Radio 1 show, plus presenting the popular ‘Fighting Talk’ programme on BBC Radio Five Live.  Of recent times, he has been fronting Football on Five’s coverage of the UEFA Europa League.

Finally, the concertina effort has continued over on ITV, at GMTV.  Helen Fosparo, currently a host of the GMTV Newshour programme is expected to become Chiles full-time co-anchor from late on this year.  With new bosses having come in at the end of last year, GMTV is going through a major revamp, which has already led to the departure of Penny Smith and Krypton Factor host, Ben Shepherd.  Other anchors, Andrew Castle, Emma Crosby and Kate Garraway are also all expected to be wielded the axe in the coming weeks.

Watch this space for possible further movements in the TV market in the coming weeks; this has certainly been a week full of change, instead of the traditional continuity that we associated BBC and ITV for.