Denise Van Outen is returning to The Big Breakfast as Channel 4 reboots the show this week
HOWEVER brilliant they are, taking over The Big Breakfast with its a huge legacy must be nerve-wracking for Mo Gilligan and AJ Odudu.
But they’ve been dealt a welcome boost ahead of their first proper series of the reboot — show legend Denise Van Outen will be there to officially hand over the reins.
Her four years at the helm from 1997 alongside Johnny Vaughan are widely considered one of the Channel 4 programme’s most successful stints. And for many viewers, Denise is The Big Breakfast.
Ahead of her guest appearance this weekend, she told me: “I spent some of the happiest times of my career on The Big Breakfast and I’m so excited to be popping in to see the brilliant AJ and Mo for the first show of the new series.
“I can’t think of a better way to kick-start my Saturday.”
AJ and Mo will host four Saturday summer episodes of the show after a one-off edition last year proved to be a winner.
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They will be joined by Loose Women’s Judi Love, who will be grilling guests for the On The Bed interview, while Radio One DJ Melvin Odoom, Harriet Rose and Phil Gayle will return to key segment spots.
And there’s a string of special guests lined up for the summer series, including Oscar and Bafta winner Daniel Kaluuya, Rita Ora, Joel Dommett plus rapper Aitch and more.
A source said: “There is still so much life left in the Big Breakfast formula, as AJ and Mo proved in 2021. Everyone at Channel 4 is really excited about what they can bring to the format.
“Having show legend Denise there to christen the new chapter is the icing on the cake — or should I say, the bacon on the bap.”
The series begins this Saturday at 10am on Channel 4.
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'Very gratefyul'
SQUID GAME’S lead actor Lee Jung-Jae did not expect the South Korean drama to be a hit.
Lee, who played gambling addict Seong Gi-hun in Netflix’s most-watched show, said: “I truly had not expected it to be this big of a success.
“I still can’t really believe it, and I’m very grateful.”
'GORGEOUS GIRL'
CORONATION Street’s Lucy Fallon swapped the Rovers for the races as she headed to Haydock Park Racecourse.
The Bethany Platt actress looked radiant in an emerald green dress for the day out as she posed in front of a floral backdrop.
Lucy was joined by co-star Faye Brookes, who played Kate Connor in the soap, along with fellow Corrie actresses Ellie Leach and Charlotte Jordan.
And it appeared Lucy was on a winning streak as she was filmed celebrating her lucky bet on Instagram.
She also posted a collection of snaps from the day, which was hosted by Real Housewives of Cheshire star Seema Malhotra for her fashion brand Forever Unique, captioned: “Gorgeous day, gorgeous girls, just gorgeous.”
SEANN’S GRIPE ON HIS KISS
SEANN WALSH reckons his infamous snog with Katya Jones would not have been such a big deal if BBC bosses had given him more airtime on Strictly Come Dancing.
During the show’s 2018 series, The Sun on Sunday revealed the comedian and his pro dance partner smooched when they were both in relationships.
He told the Chatabix podcast: “Maybe if that had happened to a celebrity with a massive profile that the nation thought they knew, I think they may have had an easier time.
“Because I think the public would have been able to kind of go, ‘Well, the guy’s done something wrong but we’ve spent time with him on the show, we know him’.
“The thing with Strictly as a programme, you don’t actually get to know the characters on it.”
You just keep telling yourself that, Seann.
JAMES’S ONE-STAR TORTURE
JAMES MAY torments himself by reading all the worst reviews of his TV shows.
The Grand Tour host said: “I always get nervous the night before my show is going out so I will go to bed early and in the morning I’ll read all the one-star comments.
“I look at the one-star reviews first because they hurt more, which is good for me, but also those people tend to be more creative.”
James’s travelogue for Prime Video, Our Man In Italy, was released last month and he said: “The production crew loved dressing me up. They were a bit kinky about it.
“I find it a bit embarrassing because I’m very British, but they like to see me suffer.”
And that’s worse than a one-star review?
TYSON’S FURY AT NEW BIOG
LIVID Mike Tyson has thrown a barrage of jabs at streaming service Hulu over a new telly series about his incredible life.
The former world champion is miffed that the streaming service launched a biographical series without his permission - and claims he will not receive a penny.
The show Mike, which premieres on August 25 on Hulu, was created by Oscar nominated Steven Rogers stars Trevante Rhodes.
Tyson remains unimpressed and ranted on Instagram: “Don’t let Hulu fool you. I don’t support their story about my life. It’s not 1822. It’s 2022.
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“They stole my life story and didn’t pay me. To Hulu executives I’m just a n****r they can sell on the auction block.
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“Hulu is the streaming version of the slave master. They stole my story and didn’t pay me.”