THE Christmas telly ratings battle involved the usual clash of comedies, soaps and dramas – but for ITV, it turns out you can’t beat a bit of Bully.
With the dust finally settled on the holiday period, it’s emerged that the festive one-off of Bullseye, hosted by Freddie Flintoff, has now been watched almost 8million times.
That puts the show — which was rebooted after almost a 30 year absence from ITV — well ahead of more established favourites, including Doctor Who and the Strictly Come Dancing special.
A TV insider said: “Bosses knew it was a popular comeback, but nobody expected it to do quite so well.
“This definitely puts pressure on ITV to push for a full series on the back of the success of the one-off.
“They would be mad not to, with telly critics and viewers agreeing that the reinvention really worked.”
When the show first aired on December 22, a respectable 3.3million tuned in — making it the most watched programme on ITV over the weekend just before Christmas.
Three days later, on Christmas Day, it was repeated and enjoyed another 2.6million viewings.
Then, on Friday, it aired again to coincide with the final of the World Darts Championship and had another 1.2million watches.
Combined with the 1million that are expected to have seen it on catch up by this week, that takes it well over the 8million mark.
By the end of the month, it could be even higher thanks to ITVX.
Last week, I exclusively revealed that ITV were keen to have a full series go ahead in 2025, with the dream pairing of Freddie and Luke Littler, who won the darts championship aged just 17.
Although the arrows whizz will be difficult to sign given all the deals coming his way, Freddie will also be a tricky one to bag as he’s expected to be focusing more on cricket than telly this year.
But I reckon he might just change his mind now he’s seen these incredible ratings.
THE Masked Singer returned last night to hit ratings and we were treated to one of the ITV show’s best ever reveals.
Olympian Mo Farah was unveiled as the celeb inside Giant Joel after a guessing game that began on the Christmas special when host Joel Dommett was first surprised with his doppelganger.
Mo said: “I’m used to running around stadiums, this is a different audience.
“I can’t sing, can’t dance but it’s been fun!”
I sent TV Biz’s Felicity Cross to hear the story behind the bonkers idea.
Comic Joel told us: “I had no idea until Giant Joel walked out on Boxing Day – which involved an elaborate ruse at home.
“I had a busy week, then they put a photoshoot in the diary for my tour and the tour was ages away so I said, ‘Can we move that shoot?’ And they wouldn’t.
“Turns out that was the day everyone was filming the clues package with Giant Joel at my house, they all hid it from me!”
When the Olympian was revealed, Joel was wowed.
He added: “I’d never have seen that coming.
“He’s not the greatest singer, but that makes it so entertaining.”
The Masked Singer continues this Saturday at 7pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
STRICTLY judge Shirley Ballas has spoken of how she has turned to mental health charities for help.
It comes after she split with her long-term boyfriend, Danny Taylor, earlier this year.
Talking on the Suicide & Co podcast, Shirley said: “I’ve been involved with CALM – Campaign Against Living Miserably – I’ve been an ambassador since 2022 and Suicide & Co, which I got involved with last year.
“I’ve had things going on in my life lately and I was doing something for them and I was able to talk to them about that and they totally got it.
“It gave me a new perspective on all these issues I’m going through.”
And Shirley keeps an eye out for others feeling the same way.
She said: “I can see the telltale signs.
“If I go into work and somebody’s having an off day, boy oh boy am I tuned into that now.”
THE Office star Mackenzie Crook is planning on bringing back Worzel Gummidge to BBC One.
The actor revealed he’s ruled out a return of The Detectorists with Toby Jones.
But he says he wants to revive the much-loved scarecrow series, which he wrote, directed and appeared in until it ended in 2021.
He added: “Worzel Gummidge, I would like to do more with.
“I don’t feel like I’ve finished.
“The Detectorists, I’m very pleased that I’ve done the right amount and I don’t want to spoil that.
“But Worzel, I had such a great time making those shows.
“I became really fond of the old scarecrow and there’s possibly more stories to tell.”
DANCING on Ice judge Oti Mabuse has landed a new lucrative fashion deal just weeks after leaving I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!
She has joined forces with Sainsbury’s to launch a new luxe gym line.
Oti, who won Strictly Come Dancing with actor Kelvin Fletcher in 2019 and with comedian Bill Bailey in 2002, made the announcement on social media.
I EXCLUSIVELY revealed last month how Wayne Rooney’s latest documentary was hanging by a thread as a result of his poor performance as Plymouth Argyle.
The show, made by Lorton Entertainment, was intended to show how the former England skipper had made the leap from being a player to a manager.
But it has been reported by Broadcast that the axe has finally fallen on the project as a result of Wayne getting sacked by the club.
The decision won’t have been one taken lightly by Lorton.
They produced The Real Wagatha Story, the hit documentary about Coleen’s court battle with fellow Wag Rebekah Vardy , for Disney+, now available on ITVX.
The company were also behind a feature-length 2022 programme simply called Rooney, dropped on Prime Video, who were expected to buy his latest documentary too.
Now it might just mean that wife, Coleen, has to save the day and bag herself some lucrative telly projects following her successful stint on I’m A Celebrity.
After all, they must be down to their last £10m by now.
WHILE most cast members on Downton Abbey were strictly forbidden from eating or drinking on the set of the ITV drama, there was one exception – Dame Maggie Smith.
According to one insider: “She would regularly be seen enjoying a cup of tea during her breaks while reading her scripts.”
But this was allowed as the Carnarvon family who own the home where it was filmed: “absolutely adored her.”
COMEDY legend Paul Chuckle wants to compete on Strictly Come Dancing after hitting it off with pro Amy Dowden.
He met her and other Strictly stars at a bash earlier this year and said it made him want to take part.
The Chuckle Vision actor said: “I met them all, so who knows, maybe they’ll ask me to come along and do something. Could be fun.
“I would do Big Brother and I would do Strictly.”
But he has drawn the line at ever competing on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!.
Speaking on TikTok Live, he said: “I don’t think I’d do the jungle.
“Would you like to drink all that stuff?
“It’s bad enough when the wife does it with greens and drinks it.
“And they’re doing it with flies and beetles and stuff.
“I wouldn’t mind creepy crawlies falling on me.
“Creepy crawlies don’t bother me at all.
“But certainly eating camels wotsits – it’s not for me.”
