LEGENDARY TV love-match show Blind Date is returning to screens after 22 years.
There had been rumours the programme — famously hosted on ITV by the late Cilla Black — was to be revived on the BBC.
Claudia Winkleman is one of the three women lined up to host the revived show[/caption]
Davina McCall is another top host to have been shortlisted for the role[/caption]
However a surprise twist will see the reboot go instead to global streaming service, Disney+.
Producers want to keep the tradition of a top British female host, with a shortlist including Claudia Winkleman, Holly Willoughby and Davina McCall.
The famous sliding wall separating the contestants will also return.
But it is not known whether it will feature a replacement for Graham Skidmore – aka “our Graham” — who provided Cilla with a summary of contestants. He died in 2021 aged 90.
He has plenty of famous namesakes, including chat show host Graham Norton, ex-footballer Graeme Souness and actor Stephen Graham.
An insider said: “Although there’s likely to be some modern twists, the bosses very much want to keep the essence of the original.
“There’ll be key elements returning, including the famous sliding wall.
“Plus there will be a prize up for grabs of a wedding package, which echoes Cilla’s famous gag whenever couples had enjoyed a successful date, and she used to ask, ‘Do I need to buy an ‘at for the wedding?’”
The Sun last year revealed plans for a revival after another Saturday night ITV hit, Gladiators, had successfully moved to the BBC.
It is believed the deep pockets of Disney+ ensured it won out over the Beeb.
It is expected to film later this year — 40 years after Blind Date first aired — and drop in 2026.
The original ran from 1985 to 2003, pulling in up to 18 million viewers.
After Cilla’s death in 2015, aged 72, it was briefly revived two years later on Channel 5 with Paul O’Grady.
Disney+ were approached for comment.
Could chat show host Graham Norton be in line to replace Graham Skidmore?[/caption]
Will Stephen Graham become ‘our Graham’?[/caption]
Or might it be ex-footballer Graeme Sounes?[/caption]
