Jane McDonald to interchange Phillip Schofield as British Soap Awards host
Jane McDonald has been introduced as the brand new host for the British Soap Awards following Phillip Schofield’s departure from ITV.
The ceremony, which had been hosted by Schofield since 2006, is because of happen on Saturday in Salford, Greater Manchester.
McDonald, a singer and TV presenter identified for reveals together with Cruising With Jane McDonald and Loose Women, mentioned she was “so excited” to take over internet hosting duties.
In an announcement shared on Instagram, the 60-year-old mentioned: “Everyone knows how much I LOVE my soaps, this year I’ve been honoured to be mentioned in Corrie, EastEnders and Emmerdale so this is just a dream come true.
“I can not wait to see all our great cleaning soap nominees and rejoice all their laborious work with them – roll on the awards, I can not wait.”
Schofield final week admitted to an “unwise but not illegal” relationship with a youthful male colleague and stepped down from his roles with ITV. He was additionally dropped by expertise company YMU.
Following the revelations, the 61-year-old was additionally dropped as an envoy for The Prince’s Trust charity and ITV has requested a barrister to carry out an external review of his departure from This Morning. ITV bosses will be quizzed by MPs next week over their handling of the situation.
The furore over Schofield had threatened to overshadow the awards ceremony whereas the scandal dominated headlines.
Announcing the “fabulous” McDonald as the brand new host of the ceremony, organisers mentioned: “As a super huge soap fan she’s in for a treat as we celebrate all our wonderful soaps in a star studded glittering event.”
The awards ceremony will air on ITV on Tuesday night.
Who is Jane McDonald?
McDonald rose to fame in 1998, when she appeared within the BBC docusoap The Cruise. She went on to realize success as a singer and stage star, releasing a number of albums, and likewise as a TV presenter – profitable a BAFTA for journey present Cruising With Jane McDonald, and occurring to host Holidaying With Jane McDonald.
She was additionally a panellist on ITV’s Loose Women for a number of years.
In 2021, her long-term fiance, musician Eddie Rothe, died following a most cancers prognosis.
Read extra on Phillip Schofield:
Timeline of ITV departure after colleague affair
Key extracts from ITV’s letter on external review into scandal
Eamonn Holmes alleges ‘total cover-up’
How Phillip Schofield’s profession unravelled
Schofield initially mentioned he was leaving This Morning after more than two decades as a result of he had “become the story” following rumours of a rift between him and co-presenter Holly Willoughby. Reports of the rift got here after his brother was jailed for 12 years over child sex offences.
At the time of this primary announcement, ITV described Schofield as “hands down one of the best broadcasters of his generation” and mentioned they might proceed to work with him on different initiatives, together with the cleaning soap awards.
However, he was dropped totally when particulars of the affair emerged the next week.
Willoughby, 41, is because of return to the present on Monday, when she returns from vacation.
Ahead of the cleaning soap awards airing later the next night, ITV executives will seem earlier than MPs on the Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee.
They had been scheduled to seem earlier than the committee anyway, to debate the draft Media Bill, however have been informed to count on an interrogation over the Schofield affair as nicely.
The exterior evaluation
In a letter despatched to Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer, Culture, Media and Sport Committee chair Dame Caroline Dinenage, and Ofcom chief govt Dame Melanie Dawes, ITV chief govt Dame Carolyn McCall introduced the exterior evaluation.
“You will have seen the significant media coverage concerning Phillip Schofield,” she wrote. “As you would expect we take the matter extremely seriously and have reviewed our own records over the weekend.
“Given the continuing rumours, we continued to ask questions of each events, who each continued to disclaim the rumours, together with as lately as this month.
“There has been a lot of inaccuracy in the reporting so I thought it would be useful to set out some facts.”
She mentioned ITV had instructed Jane Mulcahy KC, of Blackstone Chambers, to “carry out an external review to establish the facts”.