[JamesWorldNews]

Steering clear of the recent history…..

It’s now been announced that the format will be tweaked slightly from September 2023 onwards, when the programme returns for the new “season”.

Holly will be the main presenter, co-presenting with a random presenter from a pool of 4 or 5 others. (Dermot, Alison, Josie, Craig and one other who I can’t remember).

Back in May, I had suggested that a truly random rota would be a good idea, with no set days and mixing up the group in a random way. It seems they’ve gone half-way towards that, and I quite like the idea.

With only a few weeks to the “launch”, what else can we expect to see, apart from some shuffling on the sofa? What else is possible, to elevate the programme back to its glory days? 

Answers on a postcode……

[JAS84]

I would presume we'll be seeing new graphics.

[RDJ]

It does need a relaunch to reset itself from the past. The current look is 8 years old now and there's been no changes apart from the removal of the real windows back in 2018.

I also think it's the stalest look out of all of ITV Daytime currently so it would help in more ways than just the obvious one.

[Brekkie]

I do hate how shows don't directly replace presenters now but I think they're cautious of giving the job to the obvious choice just in case Holly moves on in the next year or so.

If she stays I'd have Craig and Holly in the main role with Alison and Dermot continuing as they are, but if Holly did move on I'd push Alison and Dermot as the main hosts with Craig and Josie in the secondary role.

I suspect Craig and Dermot will largely alternate in the co-host role with Alison and Josie mainly just plugging the gaps. Suspect the odd guest host will appear too - I don't think Gino was joking when he said he'd be guest hosting in September.

[Kim Wexler’s Ponytail]

I don't really like rotating hosts. I guess it's fine if you like all 5 people but why am I going to bother tuning in at all if there's only a 1 in 5 chance it's going to be the presenter I like?

It's one way of preventing egos from becoming overinflated again but rotating hosts, imo, goes too far in the other direction and strips the show of its personality. Would the show even be here today if Richard and Judy had originally only done Tuesdays?  Would The Big Breakfast have took off the way it did of if Chris Evans had the only done Wednesdays?

[Brekkie]

Actually The Big Breakfast and Chris Evans kind of started the idea of hosts not doing the full week with him cutting down to three then two days a week after a year. I hated it then too, and for whatever reason when Chris left they were very reluctant to give Mark Little the role full time.


Although I think Holly (and Phil) taking so much time off if this is the approach they're taking I'd actually give her more time off so we get more weeks with Dermot and Alison (and I guess Josie and Craig), with Holly doing some Fridays to offset that.

[brioalex]

I do wish they’d found a replacement for Phil rather than going down the rotating hosts route. Surely this would’ve been the perfect time to introduce someone new alongside Holly who perhaps could’ve continued with another female host once Holly leaves. To me the rotating hosts formula just highlights the fact that they can’t find anyone suitable to do the job full-time.

[Brekkie]

Ridiculous they still haven't replaced Piers on GMB too. Suspect it'll be the same with BBC News now with just a group of hosts covering the 1/6/10 rather than a named host for each bulletin.

[Kim Wexler’s Ponytail]

Actually The Big Breakfast and Chris Evans kind of started the idea of hosts not doing the full week with him cutting down to three then two days a week after a year.  I hated it then too, and for whatever reason when Chris left they were very reluctant to give Mark Little the role full time.

 
I still remember the crushing disappointment I felt as a kid tuning in and being greeted by Paul Ross!. When Chris started appearing less is when the ratings started to slide. Nobody should become so egotistical to believe they're bigger than the show but it's also true that these shows need solid familiarity to sell it.

[PWD]

This has happened on The One Show too since Matt Baker's departure