TV REVIEW Reality show regular Joey Essex gets lucky on Love Island
Joey Essex made a surprise entrance into the villa on Love Island as ITV nudged the reality show further into the mainstream
DOI: Joey Essex is unveiled as new contestant
Starmer v Sunak… v Essex?
Welcome to the most unlikely ratings battle ever as two prime ministerial hopefuls plus a reality show regular Joey Essex went up against each other on ITV after the popular star had been parachuted into Love Island.
Everyone had looked shocked on Love Island by Joey’s sudden presence, wondering if he’d walked on to the wrong set in Spain.
If anyone was a candidate to do so it was Essex.
But no one looked as baffled as Keir Starmer in Starmer v Sunak (ITV, Tues) when he was asked about a £2,000 tax rise by Sunak.
This was a rare TV moment.
Love Island had returned 24 hours earlier (ITV1, Mon) bizarrely following Coronation Street in the schedules.
ITV1 went from the Corrie cobbles to cobblers.
Bosses are doing everything possible to drag Love Island into the mainstream.
They’re no longer satisfied with a few bewildered grannies watching it with their grandkids.
Not only had they launched it on the main channel on a Monday night, but they’d tossed Joey Essex, a familiar ITV face, into the melting pot of Mallorca.
It suddenly gave Love Island a celebrity feel even though some of the boys looked at him blankly as he walked in.
Their faces were saying, “Who's this geezer?” Well, he's just spoiled your eight-week holiday as he did later for Sam, the contestant who got dumped.
Joey Essex has been on just about every show with “celeb” in the title.
But he is most famous for his turn on I’m a Celeb when he failed to tell the time correctly. Now, he’s going up against a sweet seller and models. For once, he might have the edge.
It was all ITV this week as we also celebrated a winner of BGT who wasn’t resorting to the comedy value of a high viz jacket.
In Britain’s Got Talent: Final (ITV, Sun), Sydnie Christmas -- what’s in a name? – smashed her final number, leaving her audience mesmerised by another belting rendition.
Christmas has a formidable talent which if harnessed properly will make her an international star.
Let's just hope she gets managed properly and gets the recording contract or lead in a West end show that she craves and deserves.
And who didn't feel touched by her winning speech. In heartfelt fashion, she told her fans: “I have felt an overwhelming amount of love since it started and I just hope everyone can feel this one day.” What a selfless thing to think about at a time like this.
Sydnie impressed from the first moment she appeared on the BGT stage and said, “and my middle name is Mary!”
“Not Merry Christmas?” asked Alesha. “No, of course not,” joked Sydnie.
This has been one of the better series with a variety of good talent.
But producers did milk it, putting us through five semi-finals. Try doing that in the FA Cup.
The last time I looked, “semi” meant half, not just a string of finals.
It smacked of overkill, but I suspect BGT advertisers will be singing, “We wish you a Mary Christmas!”
After Palin, Portillo, Anton, Giovanni, Rylan, Rinder, Myrie, and Calman TV now gives the ultimate gift to travelogue shows – Dick and Angel!
In Secret France with Dick and Angel (Channel 4, Sun), the Escape to the Chateau stars tried to leave no stone unturned on a trip to the Provencal capital of Marseille.
“Everything is so old,” illuminated Angel as they walked the souk-style streets of the port city.
That said, maybe only Rick Stein has ever ventured to Marseilles even though it does look rather spectacular from a drone shot.
Dick and Angel were probably the jolliest couple to do a travelogue this year, bumping along in a Citroen 4CV which is obviously twice as exciting as a 2CV.
Dick Strawbridge MBE is of course a man mountain of knowledge on his own, which he generously shared with his wife as they looked down on the famous, imposing Marseille Cathedral.
Is it a hit? Never underestimate this couple who made chateau living in France look doable -- if you’ve got a former celebrated member of the Royal Signal Corps on hand to fix a boiler, four floors up!
He also cooks a mean bouillabaisse too if Secret France is anything to go on.
Finally, the excellent Football Cops (C4, Mon) was a show we shouldn’t have to watch.
If you think we have moved from the days of out-of-control thuggery, this new series proves otherwise with long-held rivalries still festering.
Now it’s the turn of the next generation of fans.
Some truly dedicated bobbies face abuse and violence, but somehow keep their cool in an ugly but timely series from Channel 4.
STEPHENSON'S ROCKET
The Young Offenders (BBC One) has triggered me, not because I’m bound for prison (one of them is in a Mexican jail) but it made me think of Mr Brown’s Boys.
I’m not against Irish comedy though it has been a long time since Father Ted who, let’s face it, would shield Father Dougal’s ears from the many profanities uttered by the lead characters in this show.
When I first saw this comedy, chucking stuff in skips and breaking into shops amused me. I was having a juvenile moment. Now, it just seems lame, and I can’t see why it’s been promoted to BBC One.
