Celebrity (TV programme) explained

Presenter:Andi Peters
Penny Smith
Country:United Kingdom
Language:English
Num Seasons:1
Num Episodes:65
Runtime:25 minutes
Company:Carlton
Location:MTV Studios
Network:ITV

Celebrity was a British entertainment news programme, broadcast every weekday afternoon on ITV between 25 September and 22 December 2000.

Background

Celebrity featured entertainment news, celebrity interviews and coverage of events from the world of television, music and film - in a similar format to that of Access Hollywood broadcast on American television.

The programme was presented by former CBBC presenter Andi Peters and GMTV newsreader Penny Smith live from MTV's studios in Camden every weekday afternoon between 5.05 pm and 5.30 pm.[1]

Other contributors included Richard Blackwood, Emma Bunton, Josie d'Arby, Keith Duffy and Melanie Sykes who would present interviews for the programme, or host when Peters and Smith were unavailable.[2] [3] [4]

The programme was intended as a stop-gap after ITV lost the rights for Home and Away to Channel 5 in early 2000, and before the revival of soap opera Crossroads and new daytime drama Night and Day began in 2001 as a permanent replacement in the former Home and Away slot.

The programme received poor viewing figures against BBC Two's Weakest Link[5] and did not return after the first series.

Notes and References

  1. News: TV Ark clip of ITV's Celebrity. TV Ark.
  2. News: BFI programme information for ITV's Celebrity. https://web.archive.org/web/20210608132854/https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b85652c2c. dead. 8 June 2021. BFI.
  3. News: Bon Jovi - Interview Celebrity, ITV 2000.
  4. News: Celebrity Report The Bill heads to New York, ITV 2000.
  5. News: Deans. Jason. ITV's Celebrity fails to find fame. 8 June 2021. The Guardian. 26 September 2000.