Strictly star gets chance to reboot career with C5 doc revealing Britain’s favourite motorway service station
Never let it be said appearing on Strictly Come Dancing doesn’t put you on the fast lane to renewed fame and fortune — just look at last year’s runner-up Jb Gill.
The former JLS singer turned farmer and TV host is getting the chance to reboot his career courtesy of Channel 5 with a one-off documentary on a surprising topic.
Jb will host Britain’s Favourite Service Station, in which he stops off to look at our long-standing love of these roadside retreats which, apparently, are something of a national institution.
A TV insider said: “Joking aside, this is a show that will probably get pretty impressive viewing figures. After all, service stations are a bit of a guilty pleasure for most of us.
“Though it is still a bit of a surprise to see someone has come up with the idea of devoting an entire show to looking at them.
“Even more surprising is the fact they’ve got a former pop star in as the host, but execs seem to think it will work.”
Jb and his pro dance partner Lauren Oakley came second on Strictly last December after a sensational run on the 22nd series.
He was originally paired with Amy Dowden, who had to drop out after week six due to illness.
Since then he has been pretty quiet, despite the fact he has shifted his focus from JLS to carving out a television career.
In the new hour-long show, Jb will be travelling up and down the nation’s motorways, and discovering what makes some service stations more popular than others.
This isn’t all based on a random whim by Channel 5 chiefs, however. The show is in conjunction with a genuine poll by consumer champions Which? identifying the best and worst.
Jb will be revealing which is our number one roadside stop-off, and which is parked at the bottom of the list.
The suspense is killing me.
Insider Ekin has Deja-Su
Ekin-Su Culculoglu has landed a huge new Netflix show as her star continues to rise in the USA.
The Love Island and Celebrity Big Brother star is now in reality series Inside, alongside a string of famous Americans.
She went to the States just after Love Island All Stars in January to film for the show, a huge YouTube hit which was then bought by Netflix.
Ekin is a fan favourite there due to her stint last year on the US version of The Traitors.
A TV source said: “Ekin flew to America just after All Stars to film Inside and it’s all wrapped and in the can.”
Inside sees ten celebrities locked in a house where they compete for a prize fund.
The source added: “The irony that Ekin had such an awful time on Celebrity Big Brother but went and did another strikingly similar show won’t be lost on telly fans.”
The finale of Doctor Who’s latest series will be available globally in its first ever worldwide premiere.
The Reality War will air on BBC One and Disney+ simultaneously in a prime-time evening slot on May 31.
A synopsis teases: “The Doctor is doomed, Belinda is lost, Ruby is trapped …”
Sophie’s Geordie u-turn
Just weeks after quitting Geordie Shore amid a pay row, Sophie Kasaei has returned to the MTV series.
Sophie, who has been on the hit reality show on and off since its 2011 debut, joined the rest of the cast in Portugal, alongside boyfriend Jordan Brook, after her team pulled a dramatic u-turn by coming to a resolution over wages.
Insiders told me the dispute was resolved after eleventh-hour talks with show bosses.
A source said: “Execs were determined to keep Sophie in the show and didn’t want to lose her, so after some last-minute meetings, they managed to secure a deal everyone was happy with.
“Sophie and Jordan missed the beginning of filming, but they stunned the cast over the weekend when they turned up to surprise everyone.”
EastEnders is working with the Royal National Institute of Blind People on a new storyline as Lauren and Peter’s son is diagnosed with a visual impairment.
Struggling to settle Jimmy, Lauren (Jac Jossa) takes him for tests. The results shock her and Peter (Thomas Law).
Elaine’s seniors salute
West End legend Elaine Paige will lead the cast of a new sitcom about retirement.
Take a Bow, written by the mastermind behind the Johnny Vegas and Sian Gibson comedy Murder, They Hope, will look at ageing in a similar format to Netflix’s popular Grace and Frankie.
Elaine’s own production company will be behind the series, which will feature an international cast to be announced soon.
Writer Jason Cook teased to industry website Broadcast that the programme will aim to “show that life really starts once you get that awful work stuff out the way”.
Elaine added: “It’s a bold, funny celebration of friendship, freedom, and the joy of still being very much alive.”
- Unlock even more award-winning articles as The Sun launches brand new membership programme – Sun Club.