09 September 2023 , 11:31
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Olly Murs confessed he was “gutted” as he confirmed the sad news that his ITV show Starstruck has been axed.
The Dance with Me Tonight hitmaker presented the Saturday night entertainment show, which saw fans perform as their favourite artists to a star-studded judging panel, and the winners were awarded a £50,000 cash prize. In the first series, Beverley Knight, Adam Lambert, Sheridan Smith and Jason Manford oversaw the performers as they belted out tracks by Ed Sheeran, Lady Gaga and Meat Loaf, and when they show returned for a second series, Sheridan was replaced by Shania Twain and Ronan Keating.
Back in June, it was rumoured that Starstruck wouldn’t be returning for a third season, which was expected to begin filming later this year. Speaking to reporters at the National Television Awards earlier this week, Olly revealed that the show wouldn’t be returning. “Presenting is something I have always loved doing. Starstruck was amazing but that isn’t coming back,” he sadly shared. “I am gutted it is such a great show. In this game, things change so quickly.”
Olly was the host of the shortlived talent show (ITV)While Starstruck failed to be as successful as its ITV counterparts, including Britain’s Got Talent and The masked Singer, Olly insisted that the “ratings did really well but in terms of money and stuff like that, it just didn’t work.” However, the singer, who recently tied the knot, isn’t ruling out a return to presenting a talent show, and is planning on reuniting with Simon Cowell, who he worked with on now-defunct series The X Factor, which was scrapped in 2018.
“Me and Simon are great, it’s been a long time. Whether it’s The X Factor or The Voice, there are so many voices that need to be heard,” he told The Sun. Olly found fame as a contestant on The X Factor in 2009, and finished in second place behind winner Joe McElderry. He then returned to the show to host the spin-off series The Xtra Factor with Caroline Flack, and the duo stepped up the main presenting duties in 2016 as replacements for Dermot O’Leary, but left after just one series. “If it wasn’t for that show I wouldn’t be here,” he sweetly added.
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It was reported earlier this year that Stastruck was up for the chop as it failed to be a huge hit with viewers in the Saturday night primetime spot, despite having big names on the judging panel. A source told the Daily Star at the time that filming was due to begin in the autumn, but ITV bosses were looking at an alternative to fill the popular telly slot. “It was always at risk of being sidelined for something else,” they added. An ITV spokesperson debunked the claims, but did not confirm it was returning. “We haven’t yet confirmed a third series but are in regular conversations with the show’s producers Remarkable.”