'Match of the Day's Alan Hansen to take big pay cut
Match of the Day pundit Alan Hansen is reportedly in talks with the BBC about a new deal which would keep him on the show, but with a major pay cut. There was criticism last year after it emerged that the former Liverpool defender was one of the highest paid people at the BBC, taking home a reported £1.5 million a year. His contract is up for renewal at the end of the current football season and BBC insiders claim that he will agree to a "considerable" cut under the new deal, potentially up to £500,000. Hansen, who was at the centre of a race storm last December after he described black footballers as "coloured", started broadcasting after he retired from football in 1991. News of him having to agree a pay cut at the BBC may alert Sky Sports to his potential availability, as the Scot started his punditry career at the satellite broadcaster. A BBC spokeswoman said: "We never discuss talent pay or talent negotiation." The BBC has come under fire in the past over the amount that it pays top on-screen talent. In its latest published accounts, the BBC showed that it paid £22m to 19 stars in its top pay band, including anyone earning more than £500,000. Last year, the BBC announced a broad cost-cutting drive that may result in the loss of around 2,000 jobs and the scaling back of various services in a bid to save £670m a year by 2016/17. Alongside Hansen, it is understood that other top BBC talent, including Jeremy Paxman and Graham Norton, have also been asked to take pay cuts.
Channel 4 bosses are reportedly preparing to axe E4 'dramality' Desperate Scousewives after only one series. The broadcaster has insisted that no decision has been made on the Liverpool-based show's future, but according to the Daily Star, the poor ratings for the show and the fact that it failed to catch on like The Only Way Is Essex and Made in Chelsea has made the programme's prospects bleak. Amanda Harrington, Gill O'Toole, Jodie Lundstram, Sam Wools, Layla Flaherty, Chloe Cummins, Elissa Corrigan, Jaiden Micheal, Debbie O'Toole, Joe McMahon and Danny Latimer have all featured in Scousewives, but none of the cast have become break-out stars like the members of rival scripted reality series. A source told the tabloid newspaper: "We had hoped Desperate Scousewives would really give TOWIE a run for its money. But sadly that's not been the case. For whatever reason people have just not warmed to the characters and there hasn't been a great buzz." It was revealed at last year's Edinburgh TV Festival that Channel 4 turned down TOWIE when it was shown to them by producers. However, neither of E4's rivals series Scousewives or Made in Chelsea has come close to matching the ITV2 hit in the ratings. The cast members of Scousewives have not given up on a second series, and have attempted to start a social media campaign to build support by posting pictures asking their fans to hashtag "Scousewives forever" and "operationseries2".
Timothy Spall and Jennifer Saunders have signed up for roles in BBC One's new comedy Blandings. The six-part series is based on the work of PG Wodehouse, who wrote several stories about a fictional estate called Blandings Castle. Spall has signed up to play Lord Clarence Emsworth, the master of the Castle, while Saunders will star as his sister Connie. Guy Andrews, who will write and appear in the show, described Blandings Castle as "dysfunction junction, the home of a chaotic family struggling to keep itself in order". "For any writer, it is the rarest privilege imaginable to have Wodehouse legitimately available as source material instead of just stealing from him as we usually do," he joked. Saunders is currently working on a movie adaptation of her hit comedy Absolutely Fabulous, while Spall recently filmed a guest spot for Sky1's upcoming drama Sinbad. Blandings, which is set in 1929, will be filmed in Northern Ireland.
Sky1 has confirmed that Glee will return for the rest of its third season next month. The popular musical series will begin airing in the UK again from March 1, the broadcaster announced this week. Sky1 will then be able to show a new episode every week until the end of the season. The first instalment back, 'Yes/No', features a guest voiceover from Dame Helen Mirren, while the episode airing the week after will see the cast paying tribute to Michael Jackson. Other guest stars appearing in future episodes include Ricky Martin, Matt Bomer and Gloria Estefan, while Brian Stokes Mitchell and Jeff Goldblum will appear in the show as the fathers of Rachel (Lea Michele). Glee returns with a new episode on Sky1 on March 1 at 10pm.(CET)
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