BBC pilots new Norton vehicle

ROSE D’OR NEWS: With Strictly Dance Fever currently on air and variety the new black, the BBC has produced a pilot for another vehicle for Irish comic/presenter Graham Norton.

Graham Norton’s Variety Allstars sees stars from different areas of the entertainment industry swap careers. The new format is only the second major vehicle devised for the comic since the BBC poached him from Channel 4 last year in a reported £5m golden handcuffs deal.

The project is still at early stages but seems to be influenced by Faking It, with stars from different areas of the entertainment industry swapping careers and then being judged by experts in the required fields.

Celebrities rumoured to be starring in the show include US comedian Roseanne Barr, former Boyzone star Stephen Gately, magician Paul Daniels, and ex-Spice Girl Mel C.

The BBC declined to comment further on the project when questioned here in Lucerne. A company rep said today that the show was just one “in a number of pilots” for the former Channel 4 star and would not elaborate further.

Norton’s show cropped up in a Rose d’Or conference that brought to light the recent rejuvenated variety genre across the international market, following successes such as the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing and its Norton-fronted spin-off Strictly Dance Fever, and ITV’s Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway.