Ant Middleton takes celebrities including Conor McGregor into the wild with Bear Grylls-style show
THE latest TV survival show will be an epic tale of an Ant taking on a Bear – but it’s not quite the David-versus-Goliath clash it sounds like.
The Ant in question is the hardman star of Channel 4’s SAS: Who Dares Wins, Ant Middleton, who is getting his own programme — as yet unnamed — in which he will take celebrities into the wild.
It will mean he is treading on the toes of fellow TV tough nut Bear Grylls, who has led celebs from Barack Obama to David Walliams off grid.
Ant has MMA fighter Conor McGregor signed up for his show, which has yet to find a channel, and is in talks with Mark Wahlberg. A TV insider said: “Getting a big name like Conor to star in his first major solo show is a coup for Ant.
“It’s going to be interesting to see how Conor fares when he is taken out into the wild — and it’s guaranteed to be seen as Ant encroaching on Bear’s territory.
“For years he has been the go-to man for this kind of format.
“But this is seen as Ant’s breakout project from SAS: Who Dares Wins — and an attempt to become a star in his own right.”
Ant’s profile has been growing since 2015, when he first appeared as chief instructor on the Channel 4 show, in which members of the public attempt the military training given to SAS recruits.
He has also appeared in a celebrity version which featured Made In Chelsea’s Sam Thompson and Love Islander Camilla Thurlow among the recruits.
Even so, I reckon Ant will find it a lot tougher trying to push fighting Irishman Conor to the limit.
READ MORE FROM ANDY HALLS' BIZARRE TV COLUMN
Hayley bags bump-er role
HAYLEY TAMADDON has had major roles in top soaps and is a Dancing On Ice winner . . . but she will be much prouder of becoming a mum.
The Coronation Street and Emmerdale actress said she is having a boy with her fiance, estate agent Adrian, after believing she couldn’t conceive.
She : “The fact I’m 42 and having a baby is absolutely incredible. For so long I thought I couldn’t have children, I had tried over the years but it never happened.
“Now that it has, everything feels natural and so right.”
Hayley played Delilah Dingle on Emmerdale from 2005 to 2007 and Andrea Beckett on Corrie from 2013 to 2015. Plus she won Dancing On Ice in 2010.
She will be going round in circles when the new man in her life arrives soon . . .
Must watch
WHAT? Fifa Women’s World Cup: England v Japan, BBC1, 7:30pm.
WHY? GABBY LOGAN presents the action from both teams’ final Group D match. England will look to progress with a 100 per cent record.
'WRITING SEXISM WRONGS'
I THOUGHT it was just the PC BBC that liked to tick boxes – but now it seems ITV has picked up the habit too.
The broadcaster’s head of comedy, Saskia Schuster, has banned shows written by all-male teams.
The move has seen women hired to write for shows such as ITV2 comedy game show CelebAbility, whose male script team has now been joined by writers Gemma Arrowsmith and Brona C Titley.
Saskia said: “An awful lot of my comedy entertainment shows are made up of all-male writing teams.
“In scripted commissions there has been a significant lack of shows written by women or with women on the writing teams.
“Too often the writing room is not sensitively run. It can be aggressive and slightly bullying.”
Saskia, who has also launched an initiative, Comedy 50:50, to encourage more female writers, added: “I won’t commission anything with an all-male writing team.”
But the move has sparked criticism.
Comedian Lee Hurst, formerly of comedy sports quiz They Think It’s All Over, said: “Head of ITV comedy to not show good comedy and may show comedy that is not so good instead. Fixed that for you.”
Banning potentially funny shows just because they’re made by men is beyond a joke.
Suzette's in Square
SHE had a small part in EastEnders three years ago – now Suzette Llewellyn is joining the cast as a main character.
The actress, best known for playing Nanette Duval in Holby City, has a lot of experience in soaps – she has also featured in Doctors, Coronation Street and Hollyoaks.
Suzette will appear in Albert Square over the summer as Sheree, the other half of Patrick Trueman, played by Rudolph Walker.
She is described by show bosses as “a force of nature with a big heart” but beneath her friendly exterior is a feisty woman.
She will have to go a long way to beat some of the brilliant battleaxes EastEnders has produced over the years.
SOAPBOX
In NEIGHBOURS Andrea ingratiates herself with Terese and is offered a job, but Heather is clearly not prepared to stay in hiding.
Meanwhile, Shaun keeps his promise to Elly to stay out of the way.
EMMERDALE’s Jacob is angered by a discovery, and Jai and Laurel’s attraction grows.
On the cobbles in CORONATION STREET Bethany voices her disapproval of Sarah dating Adam. Ed and Ken encourage Aggie and Claudia to bury the hatchet.
In HOME AND AWAY Justin and Tori reconsider their attitude to cannabis after Raffy is rushed to hospital, and Mason gives up his internship. Elsewhere, Martha returns home.
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