TV boss on possibility of Blind Date revival fronted by Claudia Winkleman
TV boss Dan Baldwin has teased a possible Blind Date revival fronted by Claudia Winkleman.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4 this week (April 3), the Hunger Bear Media boss – the production company behind the successful return of Gladiators – revealed that he hopes to bring more fan-favourite shows back to the screen.
"You always look at old shows that are no longer on television. You are always coming up with new ways of bringing back a show. There is nothing wrong with that because those shows were great for a reason," he said.
Related: BBC's Gladiators reboot renewed for season 2
"As well as coming up with new ideas we've always got one eye on what could come back and what could be a hit like Gladiators is. Another one that you'd like to see back, Blind Date, are we ready for that? What a Saturday night that was.
"I'm thinking Blind Date with Claudia Winkleman on BBC One, how about it?"
Blind Date debuted in 1985 with Surprise Surprise host Cilla Black fronting the series. Following its conclusion in May 2003, the show was revived by Channel 5 in 2017 – with the late Paul O'Grady taking over the matchmaking for four seasons.
Related: Claudia Winkleman shares verdict on BBC Radio 2 replacement ahead of final show
Later in the interview, Baldwin, who is married to Holly Willoughby, announced that there would be a celebrity version of Gladiators following its recent success.
"I can reveal we are going to do a celebrity special," he confirmed. "It's not exaggeration to say that the response to Gladiators has been phenomenal.
"The episodes have been packed with nail-biting drama, thrilling action and huge emotion. Series 2 will see the show go from strength-to-strength. We have some amazing surprises in store for the fans."
Hosted by father-and-son team Bradley and Barney Walsh, this year's revival series attracted a staggering 9.8 million viewers for the opening episode over a 28-day period (via MailOnline).
Gladiators airs on BBC One.
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