The BBC is claimed to be ‘enraged’ with rival broadcaster ITV after a number of its popular presenters were awarded prime time TV series.
Graham Norton, whose namesake chat programme has aired on the national broadcaster since 2007, was confirmed earlier this week as the new presenter of ITV’s Wheel of Fortune remake.
This announcement occurred after the network gave opportunities to numerous other BBC stars.
Gary Lineker of Match of the Day has helmed ITV game show Sitting on a Fortune since 2021, while Zoe Ball, who runs a BBC radio programme, was named this month as the host of the next ITV reality competition series Mamma Mia! I Have a Dream.
It follows the recent signings of ITV performers such as Paddy McGuinness, Holly Willoughby, Alison Hammond, and Bradley Walsh to BBC programmes.
According to a source, the poaching of Gary, Zoe, and Graham was arranged by ITV’s managing director of media and entertainment Kevin Lygo as “revenge.”
‘To say it feels like a war is an understatement. It all seems to have got very tit for tat,’ they said when speaking to the Daily Mail.
‘Kevin has been furious that the likes of Paddy, Holly, Alison and Bradley have been appearing on the BBC, he is a very competitive man and has one big job, to get viewers.
‘You can’t help but think that his pursuit of Gary, Zoe and now Graham was some kind of revenge.’
They added: ‘ITV are very happy with their three new additions, they think Wheel of Fortune is going to be huge.
‘The telly world is now waiting to see what the next move is, whether the BBC will try another audacious poaching.’
The BBC is claimed to be ‘enraged’ with rival broadcaster ITV after a number of its popular presenters were awarded prime time TV series.
Graham Norton, whose namesake chat programme has aired on the national broadcaster since 2007, was confirmed earlier this week as the new presenter of ITV’s Wheel of Fortune remake.
This announcement occurred after the network gave opportunities to numerous other BBC stars.
Gary Lineker of Match of the Day has helmed ITV game show Sitting on a Fortune since 2021, while Zoe Ball, who runs a BBC radio programme, was named this month as the host of the next ITV reality competition series Mamma Mia! I Have a Dream.
It follows the recent signings of ITV performers such as Paddy McGuinness, Holly Willoughby, Alison Hammond, and Bradley Walsh to BBC programmes.
According to a source, the poaching of Gary, Zoe, and Graham was arranged by ITV’s managing director of media and entertainment Kevin Lygo as “revenge.”
