Jason Manford is confident ‘Starstruck’ will fit in on Saturday nights, and insists there’s a lot more to it than a ‘Stars In Their Eyes’ reboot.
Jason Manford thinks Starstruck will be an upgrade on Stars in Their Eyes
The 40-year-old comedian will be on the judging panel of the new ITV show, and he believes the programme wouldn't be able to repeat the "basic version" of former series ‘Stars In Their Eyes’ - a 90s talent show in which contestants competed against one another while impersonating their favourite musician - because TV has changed so much over the years.
He is quoted by The Sun newspaper's TV Biz column as saying: “You couldn’t actually go back to 'Stars In Their Eyes', that sort of basic version.
"Shows like 'The Masked Singer' have thrown so much at it that people are going, 'Right, that’s what Saturday night is now’, so to do anything less than that is not viable. With this we have pyrotechnics, band, dancers.”
‘Starstruck’ is made up of a similar concept where three performers are pitted against each other all impersonating the same star in one big performance.
The opening performance will see contestants impersonating icons such as Freddie Mercury and Lady Gaga.
Olly Murs, who will host the show, admitted he found it bizarre when he saw three guys appeared dressed as him, and it made him question his own dancing.
The ‘Troublemaker’ singer said: “I thought, ‘Do I really dance like that, is this how I made my career?’ "
Joining the judging panel alongside Jason will be actress Sheridan Smith, Queen's Adam Lambert and musical theatre legend Beverley Knight.
Tagged in Freddie Mercury Lady GaGa Jason Manford