Cilla Black Slates Saturday Night TV

TV presenter Cilla Black has slagged of ITV's Saturday Night TV offering. Saying the X Factor format was 'done to death'. Granted, it is nothing new. Simon Cowell's former Pop Idol producer, Simon Fuller, is apparently suing him for using the format. Currently, however this is a format that works. I am now watching ITV on a Saturday night, unlike when Cilla's Blind Date show was on for ten years. After two to three series, I had had enough. I am sure Cilla isn't bitter about her show being axed, and having to do a Christmas Special on a Satellite/cable station.

The Block Update

As previously mentioned, I am being reluctantly sucked into ITV's The Block . The tensions and spats between two of the couples is uncomfortably watchable (if that is not an oxymoron!). Bubbly, mouthy Marinella winds up Helen. Helen winds up Marinella. At the beginning I always thought the very opinionated Marinella should shut up as she showed little compassion for family problems that Helen had. But Helen has got a bit obsessed about Marinella and is being equally bitchy and quite bitter. This has divided the other couples up, into the ones that like Marinella and boyfriend Steve (Hele & Tim) and those that don't (Lesley & Jack). So far Helen and partner Paul have not won any of the weekly room reveals, whilst Marinella & Steve and Lesley & Jack have won two (Hele & Tim have also won one). Helen and Paul's rooms have been very different, with retro feels, unusual artwork etc. Last week they revealed a large blue bedroom with little else but blue in it and some odd lights. The ensuite bathroom was awful also. Last week was Lesley & Jack's second win with their state of the art bathroom (spending money from their previous win). Close (in my opinion) was Hele & Tim's bedroom with suede effect walls and luxuriant throws.

Next week is the last 'regular' episode before the final on Sunday.

Celeb Big Brother struggles to find contestants

According to a report on Digital Spy the producers making Celeb BB are struggling to find any quality stars for their show. I love BB and Celeb reality shows, so I expect to watch it, but I also expect celebs I have heard of, not ex-soap stars, has-been pop stars and people with vague claims to celebdom.

In my opinion, the main problem that these producers face is competition for ITV's I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here which has a reputation of turning careers around. Let's look at some evidence:

The first Celeb BB was won by comedian Jack Dee who wanted to go home throughout the whole experience, and didn't really want 'celebrity' or a career move out of it. The show was mainly memorable for Chris Eubank being a twat (he got a 'At Home with the Eubanks' show out of it at least) and Vanessa Feltz practically having a breakdown on TV. The second series was won by ex Take That member Mark Owen. He got a new record deal out of it, but after a minorly successful first single, disappeared off the face of the earth again. That series was most remembered for the negative speculation surrounding the 'success' of Les Dennis' marriage to Amanda Holden (they split up two months after he came out of the house) and his bizarre friendship with rapper Goldie.

I'm a Celeb series one was a slow burner. Christine Hamilton, wife of disgraced MP Neil Hamilton reaffirmed her reputation as a battleaxe, and has continued to send herself up. The show's eventual winner Tony Blackburn was not there to become a real celeb but has become 'retro hip' with his laid back style on laid back late night radio shows. The show's runner-up was 'It' Girl Tara Palmer-Tomkinson, previously only famous for her drug habit. Now clean, neurotic and slightly mad she was the most talked about contestant and now does TV presenting work (including the ITV2 follow up show to the subsequent series of I'm a Celeb).

The second series was when the concept came into its own. Still presented by the popular Ant & Dec, it was one by former cricketer Phil Tufnell and resulted in new TV work for him. Runner-up, TV interior designer Linda Barker has earned a fortune in endorsements and promotions with various home stores and her own TV shows. Popular contestants have earned £1-2m from the extra work their new high profile generates as the tabloids pick up on the snowball success of the show.

Come series Three, I'm a Celeb.. was attracting a higher calibre of celeb in the shape of glamour model Jordan who already has a high profile in the tabs. She was joined by punk rocker Johnny Rotten, 80s pop star Peter Andre, former Atomic Kitten Kerry McFadden and news correspondent Jenny Bond. Jordan and Peter Andre's relationship was talked about a lot (and is still happening several months on), but the star of the show was Kerry McFadden. Everyone expected her to quit, she was feeling ill at the beginning, missed her kids and was a wuss when faced with insects or anything remotely scary. Naturally she was voted, by the public, to do all the trials. Kerry ultimately won the show by being herself and having fun.

Thus the tabloid following coupled with the more extreme tasks makes the success of I'm A Celeb over Celeb BB. The career opportunities and wealth that comes to contestants of I'm a Celeb make it a celebrity's first choice of Reality TV show to kick start their career or change their image. Thus the producers of I'm a Celeb have first choice for their show, and Big Brother has to fight for the scraps with all the other celebrity Reality TV shows that are about.

Top Ten iTunes

Here are the top tunes I listen to on my PC and iPod according to iTtunes. A lot of this is influenced by the fact I trained for a run last weekend, so good running/fast walking tunes have been played a lot

1. The Lightning Seeds - Marvellous
2. Supergrass - Puimping on Your Stereo
3. The Lightning Seeds - What If...
4. Muse - House of the Rising Sun
5. Paul Weller - You do Something to Me
6. Sugababes - Killer
7. Supergrass - Moving
8. Frantique - Strut Your Funky Stuff
9. Skunk Anansie - hedonism
10. Skunk Anansie - Brazen (Weep)

The X Factor

ITV have come up with a new Reality TV show to suck me into. Bastards. It is called the X Factor and I am hooked. Mass auditions are held in a similar vein to Pop Idol, although only Simon Cowell is present for the PI line up, he is joined by Sharon Osborne and Louis Walsh. There are three categories if contestant: 16-24s; 25s and over and groups. I think the idea is that each judge will take a category and work with them to see if they make the short list, and cut it with the audience.

Saturday's first episode was an audition episode and we mey 81 year old Irene, some classically trained male singers, two sisters who dressed like Christina Aguilera five 'looks' ago and two twins who were hopelessly out of tune and sync in their dance routine.

Only time will tell if the main studio format will work, but I am happy just watching the auditionees with immense self-belief and very little talent.

BB5 Nadia to have pop career

Apparently, BB5 winner Nadia has been approached with a record deal. According to reports they have a writer planning a song for her and everything. I loved Nadia on BB5 and thought her very entertaining, but I am not sure I want to hear her sing. Just because you have won a Reality TV show on personality does not make you multi-talented.

Child Obesity

I am no expert on the subject of child obesity, as I don't know a great many children, let alone obese ones. But is occured to me, after reading that the government is reviewing its guidelines for school menus, that this isn't the whole story. Often, when I was at school in the seventies and eighties I took a packed lunch, but if I didn't I ate sausage and chips from the school canteen. Sometimes fish fingers and chips, sometimes just chips, or sometimes I would have baked beans with it. Why was I not obese then?

I think it is because I ate a better diet at home. I was quite a fussy eater, but somehow or other I was fed a balanced diet. Also, I was not greedy and didn't tend to snack on chocolate between meals or anything. Nowadays, there are so many Ready Meals or easy alternatives that have added fat, sugar or salt compared to those meals cooked from scratch. I am not saying that I don't eat these alternatives sometimes, but a balance needs to be struck.

Also, in the years that TV didn't start until PlaySchool at 3pm, and before PlayStations were invented, we played on our bikes and made our own games up.