28 January 2023 , 22:24
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Davina McCall is reportedly gearing up to front the first "Love Island for the middle-aged" in a major television shake-up.
The Masked Singer judge has made no secret of the fact she believes a show featuring older people should be on screens and it appears her work has paid off.
Speaking recently, Davina, 55, explained that she had been "begging" TV bosses, insisting that she wasn't embarrassed about her pleading.
Sources claim that Davina is within touching distance of signing on the dotted line to front The Romance Retreat which ITV announced earlier this month after being the first choice for bosses.
Davina McCall is said to be in talks to host a "middle-aged Love Island" (Getty Images)
Davina has made it no secret she hoped to present a show with older people looking for love (Dave J Hogan/Getty Images)"Davina is the perfect fit," they told The Mail, adding: "She is bubbly, fun and has also endured her relationship problems.
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"Until she met her boyfriend she was a single mother too."
Discussing her ambitions with Dragons Den star Steven Bartlett on his Diary of a CEO podcast, she said: "I'm begging ITV to let me present mid-life Love Island.
"I could fill a villa in Love Island with middle age people with the best backstories you have ever heard in your life.
Davina recently revealed she'd "begged" ITV bosses for the show (The Diary Of A CEO)"They've lived a life, they're widows, they're people who have been through horrific divorces – they are people who have split up with somebody and decided they want to try and go out with somebody of the same sex as them, like interesting people!"
Davina later insisted that she "needed to present it" before later claiming that ITV had said: "They said, 'Oh, we're looking at something else that's quite similar, we might consider you for that'."
ITV put an official call out for "vibrant single parents across the UK who are in search of love," as part of their selection for The Romance Retreat.
Davina believes older people would have a lot to share (Getty Images)
Davina claims ITV were "considering" her for a project (Dave Benett/Getty Images)The show will have a similar set-up to Love Island as contestants make their way to a luxurious villa in the quest for a connection. Giving wannabes a glimpse of the abode, producers showcased the stunning ultra-modern pad but failed to disclose its sunny location.
While the concept appears similar to the popular ITV2 series, it remains unclear whether there will be a cash prize on offer for the eventual winners.
The casting announcement for the show read: "This is the ONLY dating show where single parents can search for love, by spending time in a luxury retreat, where all the parents have been nominated by their grown-up children."
ITV and Davina McCall were approached for comment.
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