UK's ITV fires Phillip Schofield over affair with younger male staffer he had groomed for decades as allegations swirl over top ITV execs cover-up and future of This Morning and Holly Willoughby.

by Thinus Ferreira

ITV in the United Kingdom has fired Phillip Schofield who was forced to admit on Friday that he's had a secret affair with a male staffer 34 years younger than him who he helped to get work on ITV's This Morning show.

The shocking revelations could lead to the exit of co-host Holly Willoughby, the end of Ths Morning, as well as the exit of top ITV executives if it comes out that they were complicit in a cover-up at the broadcaster, or where aware of the problem and did nothing.  

The shocking ITV, This Morning and Phillip Schofield revelations is a case of real life mirroring fiction.

The exploding Phillip Schofield scandal - following after his behaviour that's been ongoing for years and with ITV saying it did investigate rumours but found nothing - looks as if it's ripped straight from the American Apple TV+ drama series, The Morning Show.

In The Morning Show, the male anchor is fired after shocking revelations of inappropriate sexual relationships and how he abused his power and position to have sex with other and junior staffers, with his female co-host who had an inkling of what was going on.

Making it worse is that Phillip Schofield's wholly inappropriate relationship with Matthew McGreevy was known and gossiped about within Britain's TV industry, by showbiz reporters and many inside the media, although nobody did anything about it and failed to report on it for whatever reasons.

Phillip Schofield isn't very well known in South Africa but DStv subscribers would have seen him in some shows when MultiChoice carried the short-lived ITV Choice TV channel like The Cube, The Greatest Show on Ice, Dancing on Ice, and some British royal interview programming.

Phillip Schofield who came out as gay on This Morning just a few years ago after 27 years of marriage has allegedly been carrying on a secret affair with Matthew McGreevy who is around 34 years younger than him and who Phillip Schofield had allegedly been grooming since he was just around 10 years old when he was part of a local theatre group.

Phillip Schofield then got Matthew McGreevy a job at This Morning. Later - for reasons yet unknown - ITV moved Matthew McGreevy away from This Morning and over to the talk show Loose Women. 

When Phillip Schofield announced he was gay, insiders thought he was going to reveal his secret relationship with Matthew McGreevy but he didn't.

Last week Phillip Schofield was axed from This Morning, after the relationship between him and Holly Willoughby soured and got so strained that she demanded ITV bosses remove him. ITV however said it would still be working with Phillip Schofield and use him for other shows.

This Friday Phillip Schofield dropped the bombshell of his tawdry and inappropriate affair with the decades-younger man, which forced ITV to now completely distance itself from Phillip Schofield who will no longer do the other projects for ITV.

Phillip Schofield was also fired by his agent although he has a share in the YMU agency, as well as his lawyer, with his TV career that looks to be completely ruined over his shocking lies.

"I did have a consensual on-off relationship with a younger male colleague at This Morning," Phillip Schofield admits in his statement issued on Friday, saying his secret affair was "unwise" but "not illegal".

"'Contrary to speculation, whilst I met the man when he was a teenager and was asked to help him to get into television, it was only after he started to work on the show that it became more than a just a friendship. That relationship was unwise, but not illegal. It is now over."

"'I am painfully conscious that I have lied to my employers at ITV, to my colleagues and friends, to my agents, to the media and therefore the public and most importantly of all to my family. I am so very, very sorry, as I am for having been unfaithful to my wife."

"I am resigning from ITV with immediate effect, expressing my immense gratitude to them for all the amazing opportunities that they have given me. I will reflect on my very bad judgement in both participating in the relationship and then lying about it."

After his statement, YMU issued a statement.

"Honesty and integrity are core values for YMU's whole business, defining everything we do. Talent management is a relationship based entirely on trust," said Mary Bekhait, YMU Group CEO.

"This week, we have learned important new information about our client Phillip Schofield. These facts contradicted what Phillip had previously told YMU, as well as the external advisors we had brought in to support him. As a result, on Thursday we agreed to part company with Phillip, with immediate effect."

ITV in a statement says "We are deeply disappointed by the admissions of deceit made tonight by Phillip Schofield. The relationships we have with those we work with are based on trust".

"Philip made assurances to us which he now acknowledges were untrue and we feel badly let down. We accept his resignation from ITV and therefore can confirm that he will not be appearing on ITV as had previously been stated."

ITV did an investigation in 2020 into rumours of Phillip Schofield and his young lover but said it found no evidence. ITV called allegations at the time, in a statement, "malicious gossip". It turns out it wasn't. 

Meanwhile, Phillip Schofield's secret affair continued after he announced in February 2020 on-air that he was gay but left out that his younger lover was working at ITV - a job Matthew McGreevy got with the help and power of Phillip Schofield.

Now the Phillip Schofield scandal that destroyed his career, threatens the jobs of ITV CEO Carolyn McCall, ITV director of television Kevin Lygo, ITV's head of daytime programming Emma Gormley, Martin Frizell as This Morning editor, and group corporate communications director Paul Moore, with allegations that they have been part of a cover-up of Phillip Schofield's affair.

Allegations are also swirling about what and how much Holly Willoughby knew, whether she could stay on, and if or when the tarnished This Morning is getting cancelled. 

The former This Morning presenter Eamonn Holmes said on Twitter that Phillip Schofield "has finally been caught out but he's not the only guilty party. Four high members of ITV management knew what sort of man he was and never took action to prevent him controlling or taking advantage of his position over young people".

ITV in a statement says that "ITV can confirm that when rumours of a relationship between Phillip Schofield and an employee of ITV first began to circulate in early 2020, ITV investigated. Both parties were questioned and both categorically and repeatedly denied the rumours as did Phillip’s then agency YMU".

"‘In addition, ITV spoke to a number of people who worked on This Morning and were not provided with, and did not find, any evidence of a relationship beyond hearsay and rumour."

"Phillip’s statement reveals that he lied to people at ITV, from senior management to fellow presenters, to YMU, to the media and to others over this relationship."

M-Net schedules ITV's Prince Harry book tour interview for 9 January 2023 on DStv as he talks about his drug use and broken British royal relationships in 90-minute British TV special.

by Thinus Ferreira

M-Net has acquired the British one out of two pre-recorded upcoming TV interviews that Prince Harry gave to promote his upcoming book, Spare, with the ITV one which will be shown on M-Net (DStv 101) on Monday 9 January at 19:00 a day after it's shown in the United Kingdom.

The Duke of Sussex did three interviews - one with America's Carte Blanche version of 60 Minutes which will be shown in the United States on Sunday night, the other with ITN Productions for ITV which will also be shown in Britain on Sunday night, and one with America's Good Morning America which will be shown on the ABC network on Monday morning.

Prince Harry did the three new sit-down TV interviews to promote his book, Spare.

Prince Harry's vengeful and malicious book which was supposed to go on sale next week already landed on shelves in Spain on Thursday this week and got read, translated and reported by the media already.

Published by Penguin Random House and ghostwritten by JR Moehringer, Spare includes Prince Harry's salacious revelations about everything from his drug use, to how he injured his penis during a visit to the North Pole and if he's circumcised or not, why he dressed in a Nazi costume, how he got into a nasty physical fight with Prince William in which he ended up on the floor, how he lost his virginity to an older woman when he had sex with her in a field behind a pub, and even how many people he had killed in Afghanistan.

In the past M-Net used to acquire selected 60 Minutes interviews and air it in Carte Blanche on Sunday nights as segments. This time, M-Net is taking the interview with ITV News at Ten presenter Tom Bradby, entitled "Harry: The Interview".

Recorded in California just like Prince Harry's sit-down with Oprah Winfrey which was also on M-Net, the 90-minute TV interview will see Prince Harry dish more dirt and gossip about his broken relationships with various members of Britain's royal family, as well as his drug use including cocaine and marijuana.

"This is going to be a historic broadcast. Being in step with global trends and conversations is built into the fabric of MultiChoice, and we are proud to always offer our subscribers monumental broadcasts – such as this one – as they happen," says Nomsa Philiso, MultiChoice CEO of general entertainment, in a statement.

Jan du Plessis, M-Net channels channel director, says "This is a colossal media event that's bound to have many talking. We're pleased for our viewers to be among the first in the world to see it, and look forward to the conversations they will have around it."

Michael Jermey, ITV director of news and current affairs, says "It is extremely rare for a member of the royal family to speak so openly about their experience at the heart of the institution. Tom Bradby's interview with Prince Harry will be a programme that everyone with an informed opinion on the monarchy should want to watch".

Ian Rumsey, ITN Productions managing director and executive producer, says "Harry's version of events contains many elements we've never heard before, as viewers will see. It is a raw and intimate perspective on his relationships with the people closest to him and the moments that have shaped him".

Want to win Love Island? Be monogamous like a swan, dude.

by Thinus Ferreira

Canoodle all you want lovebirds but - yes, gasp - monogamy and staying faithful to just one partner is what will win you Love Island.

The British online fashion retailer Boohoo crunched the numbers of the original British reality competition series currently in its 8th season on the United Kingdom's ITV channel and with the finale happening on 1 August, and according to Boohoo's predictions, Gemma and Luca are supposed to win, based on characteristics of past contestants.

Boohoo's surprising new analysis reveals that - drum roll please and listen closely - male contestants who only couple up with one partner are more likely to win the show. Five out of seven male winners took the crown with their first partner.

Additionally, female contestants who joined the villa on day one are the most likely to win Love Island, and the county of Essex produces the most Love Island winners.

The Boohoo study which looks at characteristics of the show's previous winners, found the following attributes:

Characteristics    Female    Male

Height                       163cm       183cm

Eye colour              Blue           Brown

Hair colour            Brown       Brown

Resides                    Essex         Essex

Age                            22                23

Original member Yes (86%) No (43%)

Number of partners 3            2        

The Boohoo study looked at the physical traits of the winners including height, eye colour and hair colour. The study also identified their age when entering the villa, and whether they entered on day

one or later in the series as bombshells.

The average height of a female Love Island winner is 162cm tall, whilst the average height of a male winner is 180cm. Additionally, the average age of a Love Island winner is 22 for women and 23 for men. 

Brunette women such as Amber Davies and Dani Dyer have a better chance of winning, whilst women with blue eyes were the also more likely to win the prize.

For men looking for a chance to win the public vote, the winning combination of hair and eye colour was revealed to be brown hair and brown eyes with six out of the seven male winners have brown locks and five out of seven have brown eyes.  

 

When looking at the origins of Love Island winners, the Southeast of England – more specifically, Essex - produces the most female winners. The season 2 winner Cara De La Hoyde is from Kent, season four winner Dani Dyer is from Essex and last year's winner Millie Court is also from Essex.

As for the men, coming from Essex appears to improve chances of winning the show, with season 2 and season 3 winners, Nathan Massey and Kem Cetinay both coming from this county. 

 

Interestingly, the majority of the male winners were not part of the original cast, with four out of seven winners being bombshells, including Liam Reardon and Max Morely. Male winners coupled up with fewer partners during their time in the villa in comparison to female winners.

On average, the women that won the show coupled up with three partners whereas the men coupled up with two. 

"Love Island has been incredibly successful since it started and so understandably each year thousands of applicants try their luck at getting a place on the show to find a partner," Boohoo says about its analysis.

"As the competition gets tougher each year, it is exciting to see which contestants can stick it out for a place in the final and claim the prize. With this season's finale on Monday night, the data would suggest that Gemma Owen and Luca Bish have the winning combination of characteristics out of this year's cast."

MultiChoice dumps iTV Islamic community channel from DStv after a decade.

by Thinus Ferreira

MultiChoice is dumping the iTV (DStv 347) Islamic community TV channel from 17 June after a decade.

MultiChoice added iTV in June 2012 to DStv for Muslim viewers when iTV itself replaced the Islam Channel.

MultiChoice says it's planning to replace iTV with another Islamic TV channel on DStv.

"MultiChoice constantly reviews its channel offering to ensure we continue to bring our customers the best quality local and international content," the Randburg-based pay-TV operator says in a statement.

"We continue to look for fresh content that resonates with our viewers and an announcement for a channel to replace iTV will be made in due course."

MultiChoice says although it's taking iTV away that DStv subscribers will still have access to Radio Islam (DStv 826) and Channel Islam Internationale (DStv 865).

In 2022 MultiChoice already lost or removed TV channels including Russia's RT and A+E Network's Lifetime, and announced that it decided to get rid of several of eMedia's e-packaged TV channels - eMovies, eMovies Extra, eExtra and eToonz - which is still on DStv pending the outcome of a case before South Africa's Competition Tribunal. 

ALSO READ: iTV replacing the Islam Channel on DStv from Monday 18 June on channel 347.

British video streaming service BritBox launching in South Africa on 6 August 2021 costing R100 per month.

by Thinus Ferreira

The British video streaming service BritBox, jointly run by ITV and the BBC, announced that it would launch on 6 August in South Africa as the 5th global territory where it will be available at a price of R99.99 per month, including a 7-day free trial.

BritBox that is already available in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, will join South Africa's video streaming wars where MultiChoice's Showmax, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV+ are competing with VIU, Vodacom Video Play and TelkomONE, with HBO Max, Disney+, Paramount+, Peacock and Discovery+ still to launch.

Meanwhile eMedia Investments plans to take the wrapping off of its renamed video streaming service eVOD that it will launch on Wednesday night in South Africa, with the SABC that plans to launch its video streaming service modelled on the British iPlayer, before the end of this year.

Then there is also Acorn TV, likely BritBox's biggest competitor and that is already available in South Africa, also offering a 7-day free trial and costing R79 per month for access to its revolving catalogue of British TV content.

Britbox in South Africa will be supported on the web, as well as on all mobile and tablet devices, while Apple TV set-top boxes, Samsung and LG smart TV sets are also included.

Some of the series at the launch of BritBox will include Absolutely Fabulous, Blackadder, Broadchurch, Fawlty Towers, Inspector Morse, Line of Duty, Luther, Manhunt, Mr Bean, Unforgotten, Professor T, The Midwife, The Office, Wedding of the Century, Vera, as well as Young Victoria.

Reemah Sakaan, BritBox International CEO, at the virtual media launch on Tuesday evening, said that when BritBox launches in South Africa on 6 August, it will have "record-levels" of exclusive content, especially since linear pay-TV channels in South Africa have ended.

Reemah Sakaan alluded to the ITV Choice channel from ITV Studios and BBC First from BBC Studios that were terminated on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV service and saw the loss of a large chunk of content that led to several complaints from DStv subscribers.

"We chose South Africa as our next priority region because we know there's a massive loyal fanbase for British television and it's growing," she says.

"BritBox is perfectly place to respond to the new shifting patterns of behaviours of the way people want to watch. We see new audiences discovering gems from the past to love and generational audiences finding hot new premieres to stick their teeth into - and that's the beauty of streaming."

"In the past few years, British content has moved firmly into streaming centre-stage while also maintaining its high-quality benchmark in character-driven storytelling. That's why we seized the opportunity to tap into that appetite and created BritBox."

Britbox series will include stars ranging from Idris Alba, Helen Mirren, Judi Densch, Martin Clunes and Dominic West. 

"In a sea of other streamers Britbox does exactly what it says on the tin. We pride ourselves in giving subscribers a highly curated and distinctive offering versus others. It's the largest selection of British box sets all in one place for all to discover, rediscover and to binge and enjoy."

"Due to the recent closure of some linear TV channels in Britbox in South Africa will have record-levels of exclusivity," Reemah Sakaan says.

"Premieres will regularly arrive within hours of their UK transmission, she said "making us the fastest from UK screen to BritBox stream".

"Our research tells us that South African audiences have a really broad variety of tastes. We know for instance that they love British comedies, are passionate about crime series and mad about period drama and who doesn't love a classic Agatha Christie mystery?"

"They're also adventurous and keen to try something new and edgy. So it's all of that finding a sweet spot for South African audiences as we hand-select and carefully programme for each market. We're also really excited as we've been busy commissioning and producing new originals that have been created specifically for BritBox." 

Exec Neale Dennett, BritBox new markets launch director, said that BritBox South Africa will be bringing consumers several latest seasons of ongoing British series.

Customers who sign up for BritBox for a 1-year subscription will get two months added on for free.

ALSO READ: What there is to binge-watch on BritBox like a new Charles and Diana wedding documentary.

ALSO READ: Britain's BritBox video streamer to launch in South Africa later in 2021 with content from the BBC and ITV. 

Britain's BritBox video streamer to launch in South Africa later in 2021 with content from the BBC and ITV.

by Thinus Ferreira

Another video streaming service will be launching in South Africa in the second half of 2021 with BritBox, the joint 50/50 streaming venture between BBC Studios and ITV, that announced on Tuesday that it will become accessible to South African consumers later this year.

BritBox, an ad-free subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) streaming service will join the quickly getting crowded video streaming market in South Africa where Netflix SA fiercely compete with the likes of MultiChoice's Showmax, VIU, Vodacom Video Play, TelkomONE, Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV+.

In July 2020 BritBox announced that it is expanding into Africa, but not naming specific countries.

Meanwhile the South African public broadcaster is working on launching its own SABC streaming service, while Discovery+, Paramount+, HBO Max and Disney+ are still to launch in the territory and across the rest of Africa as well. 

BritBox will serve as somewhat of a replacement for the ITV Choice channel and the BBC First channel that both shuttered on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform during 2020. 

BritBox carries on-demand content in the form of British box sets, drama premieres and live events, as well as new and exclusive original commissions.

South Africa will be BritBox's 5th worldwide territory to launch in, following launches in the United States and Canada, the United Kingdom and, most recently, Australia. 

It's not yet clear whether BritBox will be carried and made available through MultiChoice's new DStv Explora Ultra decoder that already carries and gives streaming access to Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. 

BritBox first launched in North America in March 2017, and has since reached over 1.5 million subscribers. In the United Kingdom, BritBox launched in November 2019, followed by Australia in November 2020. 

"The launch of BritBox in South Africa is yet another step in the platform’s trajectory towards international expansion. We’re delighted to bring the service to a brand new territory and continue towards establishing BritBox as a premium VOD brand across the world," says Martin Goswami, ITV group strategic partnership and distribution director, in a statement.

Paul Dempsey, president of global distribution at BBC Studios, says "We know that South African audiences have a real connection to British television and we can’t wait to bring  them even more great shows, on-demand, that we know they will love".

ALSO READ: M-Net abruptly ends Coronation Street and Emmerdale on M-Net City without warning as MultiChoice's DStv subscribers lose access to these British soaps for a second time in months.

ALSO READ: British video streamer BritBox expanding into Africa, is MultiChoice adding this streaming service to DStv as well?

TV NEWS ROUND-UP. Today's interesting TV stories to read - 20 October 2020.

 

Here's the latest news about TV that I read and that you should read too:  

■ Almost naked on the ice: ITV signs up a bunch of Britcelebs to take their clothes off and skate, skate, skate over Christmas in a The Real Full Monty on Ice Brit-TV special.

■ Former NBC CNN correspondent Michelle Kosinski who allegedly got pillow-talk state secrets from her UK ambassador lover Kim Darroch in America during their extramarital affair says the reporting is "nonsense" and "incorrect information"; is talking to her lawyers.

■ Netflix had a great 2020. But 2021 could be rough.

Will report its 2020 Q3 earnings and subscriber numbers late on Tuesday.

■ Britain's ITV commercial TV broadcaster announces restructuring; will now focus on digital video-on-demand (VOD) as it starts a new media and entertainment division.

The United Kingdom's version of e.tv says that linear TV channels will be around and still profitable into the future but that ITV urgently needs a video-on-demand business.

- ITV's increased focus on video streaming comes as it shifts away from traditional TV to compete with Disney+ and Netflix.

■ CNN's (DStv 401) chief legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin suspended by The New Yorker magazine after showing his penis during Zoom staff meeting. Will also no longer appear on CNN while he deals with "personal issues".

- Jeffrey Toobin says "I believed I was not visible on Zoom. I thought no one on the Zoom call could see me".

- Jeffrey Toobin was masturbating says the shocked people who had to witness the Zoom election simulation.

■ Thailand's government censors and suspends Voice TV covering the growing unrest and public protests in that country.

■ Netflix's disappointing Away science fiction drama with Hilary Swank cancelled after a single season.

■ SABC strike looms as talks with unions fail over massive retrenchments at the bloated South African public broadcaster.

Communication Workers Union (CWU) threatens to strike along with Bemawu.

■ After getting rid of 13 workers the SABC says more staffers are getting fired soon who were not properly appointed.

The SABC News Forum says the group is appalled by the decision to fire workers.

■ Mzwanele Manyi is hiding the former ANN7 / Afro Worldview assets liquidators that he got from the Gupta's notorious DStv propaganda TV channel.

High-end studio equipment, three vehicles, financial books and other documents allegedly kept away from liquidators with Mzwanele Manyi and his Lodidox refusing to cooperate with liquidators as creditors are over R5 million.

■ Top TV shows that get sex right according to experts.

■ MultiChoice Nigeria was forced to explain to the country's government that hates the pay-TV company, why it can't offer DStv on the imaginary "pay-as-you-go" basis. Stupid Nigerian media still can't and won't understand and calls MultiChoice Nigeria's explanation "an unacceptable excuse".

■ SABC2's Morning Live presenter Leanne Manas mesmerised by a birthday painting from Rasta that doesn't look like her at all.

■ Fewer than 2% of writers within the British TV industry are black.

■ Why "docusoaps" are the new reality TV.

TV NEWS ROUND-UP. Today's interesting TV stories to read - 25 August 2020.

Here's the latest news about TV that I read and that you should read too:

■ The TV industry will never recover from the Covid-19 pandemic.
Advertising and pay-TV subscription fees have been the twin engines driving the growth of media companies for decades and now both are failing.
- Get ready for fewer new scripted shows and more cheap reality on pay-TV, and more of everything else on the internet.

■ FOX News (StarSat 261) insiders  part of a "real resistance" inside the rightwing American channel; no-one in control at FOX News; FOX News management "afraid of the news"; uncomfortable staffers worried about the damage being done.

■ Alison Sweeney returning to her role of Sami Brady in Days of Our Lives seen on e.tv.

■ ViacomCBS is launching its Paramount+ video streaming service through the OSN pay-TV operator in the Middle East and North Africa.

■ Rose McGowan slams Alyssa Milano for making Charmed "toxic AF":
"You threw a fit in front of the crew, yellig 'They don't pay me enough to do this s-!' I cried every time we got renewed because you made that set toxic."

■ New Pandemic: Covid-19 in Africa documentary series to broadcast on M-Net Movies Zone (DStv 139) every 3 weeks.

■ Grey's Anatomy, This is Us, The Good Doctor, NCIS: New Orleans, The Resident, Shameless:
Why are so many American TV drama series now planning to do Covid-19 episodes?

■ Can Ellen DeGeneres' "be kind" brand survive her not-so-nice scandal?

■ Yep, he's gay: Slipping into bed with the former SABC2 Eastern Mosaic presenter Imraan Vagar.

■ Staggering R22 million legal bill for the SABC for disciplinary hearings of the South African public broadcaster.

■ Has the great "re-bundling" arrived?
As pay-TV moves from bundling TV channels to streaming services, guess what's happening in the "second phase of bundling" ...

■ In America video streaming consumption has doubled during the Covid-19 pandemic - driven by Netflix.

■ Netflix's Selling Sunset real estate reality series hit by allegations that it's fake.

■ In an accidentally "DO NOT POST" tweet Disney+ accidentally tweets it and reveals that it plans to launch on 17 November in Brazil and Latin America.

■ KwaZulu-Natal premier, Sihle Zikalala, hilariously claims that eNCA (DStv 403) anchor and reporter Shahan Ramkissoon "disrespected" and "belittled" him during a live broadcast.

■ Netflix's new "Shuffle Play" button designed to rot brains (subscription required).

■ Islamic TV station ITV (DStv 347) shook by court claims of alleged financial wrongdoing, including thousands paid for family wedding and legal fees of provisionally sequestrated founder (subscription required).

■ Ellen Pompeio of Grey's Anatomy, seen on M-Net (DStv 101), on watching herself age from 33 to 50 on TV across 17 seasons: "It's not so fun. It's ..."

■ A live-action series of The Powerpuff Girls is in the works based on the original Cartoon Network (DStv 301) animation series.

■ British television's racism problem laid bare in blistering address at 2020 Edinburgh TV festival.

■ Netflix could lose 2 million subscribers quarterly ... without new content.

■ The non-TV story (& podcast) of the day: The new pay-for-play "payola": How the secret bundling of artists' music together with other merchandise have broken the album charts.

British video streamer BritBox expanding into Africa, is MultiChoice adding this streaming service to DStv as well?

by Thinus Ferreira

The British video streaming service BritBox has announced that it is expanding the subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) service into Africa without naming specific countries, instantly raising speculation that it might be added onto MultiChoice's upcoming launch of its new streaming carousel of SVOD services that will also carry Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.

BritBox is a 50/50 joint venture between the United Kingdom's BBC Studios and ITV and announced on Monday that it is expanding besides the UK, Canada and the United States into Europe, Asia, South America, the Middle East and Africa. It's also launching soon in Australia.

BritBox wants to expand to 25 countries worldwide and with Africa now in the mix in stands to reason that South Africa will highly likely be included as the continent's most developed TV market, as well as the best-connected when it comes to broadband internet penetration and speed.

BritBox recently announced its first slate of British Original scripted series commissions including Spitting Image (Avalon), A Spy Among Friends (Sony & ITV Studios); The Beast Must Die (New Regency Television and Scott Free), Crime (Buccaneer Media) and Magpie Murders (Eleventh Hour Films).

With MultiChoice that has overcome its fear of adding streaming services and wants to become a content super-aggregator, will roll out SVOD services like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video when it launches its latest DStv Explora decoder in South Africa later this year.

The announcement of BritBox's Africa expansion makes it a strong possibility that BritBox could be housed within MultiChoice's DStv viewing environment given that DStv carries multiple existing BBC Studios channels, carried the ITV Choice channel until recently, and acquired ITV programming after the axing of ITV Choice for the M-Net (DStv 101) and M-Net City (DStv 115) channels.

"This international expansion plan will firmly establish BritBox as a global premium brand in a rapidly growing sector," says Carolyn McCall, ITV CEO in a statement.

"Offering subscribers the best and biggest collection of British content has enabled BritBox to rapidly grow in our existing countries and as streaming continues to expand worldwide this rollout will give our distinctive streaming business truly international scale."

Tim Davie, BBC Studios CEO, says "BritBox has very quickly found a place in viewers' hearts and we know there is further appetite amongst international audiences who love great British content. We are actively appraising new markets to introduce the service and are very excited about the imminent launch in Australia".

MultiChoice acquires and moves ITV programming like Coronation Street, Emmerdale and The Chase to its M-Net channels on DStv after ending the ITV Choice channel.

by Thinus Ferreira

MultiChoice has acquired a raft of British programming from ITV that is has decided to allocate to two M-Net channels.

MultiChoice ended the ITV Choice channel on DStv at the end of May after 5 years following low ratings but decided to separately acquire some of the channel's choicest content from ITV Studios directly including the two British soaps Coronation Street and Emmerdale that were carried on ITV Choice.

The 13th season of the game show The Chase with presenter Bradley Walsh has now been added to a 12:30 weekday slot on M-Net (DStv 101).

Emmerdale and Coronation Street will both be added to the schedule of M-Net City (DStv 115) from later this year and M-Net will show the latest episodes from both soaps.

The new 7-episode first season of the World War II drama series World on Fire that has been renewed for a second season, will either be slotted in on the M-Net or M-Net City (DStv 115) channel.

The 6th season of the Brit-reality show Love Island that was filmed in Constantia, Cape Town with presenter Laura Whitmore will be shown on M-Net from the first week in August.

"Our hand-picked selection of the best of the best British reality shows have been audience favourites for many years," says Jan du Plessis, director of M-Net channels.

"We've learnt that the viewers of our M-Net’s general entertainment channels are global citizens who enjoy a variety of stories from different countries and cultures. Adding a wider selection of British genres will not only enable us to bring more fresh content to African shores but also spice up some of our day-time schedules."

Jan du Plessis says that the M-Net channels will continue to build on its British offering in future, while also acquiring the "crème de la crème of European series". "These international productions will complement our existing first-rate schedules."

Coronavirus: ITV follows BBC and shuts down Coronation Street and Emmerdale soaps because of Covid-19 spread while all South Africa's TV soaps on DStv, e.tv and the SABC continue filming.

by Thinus Ferreira

The British soaps Coronation Street and Emmerdale are also shutting down production from today in light of the fast-spreading Covid-19 pandemic although in South Africa TV production continues on all locally-produced weekday soaps seen on the SABC, e.tv and MultiChoice's DStv pay-TV service despite an industry call for them to shut down immediately.

ITV announced that it is temporarily suspending production on Coronation Street and Emmerdale, both seen in South Africa on ITV Choice (DStv 123) because of the novel coronavirus that is rapidly spreading in the United Kingdom.

The BBC already completely shut down production its soaps last week including Holby City and Casualty both seen on BBC Studios Africa's BBC First (DStv 119) channel, as well as EastEnders seen on BBC Brit (DStv 120).

"ITV has sadly taken the decision to suspend production of the soaps Coronation Street and Emmerdale with effect from Monday 23 March 2020," ITV says in a statement.

"We've been doing our best to carry on filming, whilst adhering to the government’s latest health guidelines to ensure we have episodes of both soaps airing on ITV until at least the early summer."

"However, the health and well-being of the production teams, actors, crew and their families is of paramount importance to us and we now feel that the time has come to stop filming. We'd like to thank our viewers for their support and hope they continue to enjoy both soaps in the coming months."

In South Africa broadcasters and pay-TV services like MultiChoice, the SABC and e.tv have not ordered the shut down of its locally-produced shows including the flurry of weekday soaps, with the country's largest studio complexes in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban who all remain operational with large casts and crews where collectively thousands of people work on sets in front of and behind the cameras.

Unlike cinemas in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and elsewhere, both Ster-Kinekor  and Nu Metro have decided to keep their movie theatres open.


ALSO READ: Coronavirus: Stop filming and shut down TV shows right now urges South Africa's Independent Producers Organisation (IPO).

BBC Studios snaps up Prince Harry and Meghan’s African adventure documentary for the BBC Lifestyle channel on DStv.

The rush-documentary for ITV about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s South African and Southern African visit in late-September will now be broadcast on BBC Lifestyle (DStv 174).

 Harry & Meghan: An African Journey will be broadcast on BBC Lifestyle on Thursday 24 October at 20:00 on the BBC Lifestyle channel on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV service for South Africa after BBC Studios snapped up the quick-done documentary.

Harry & Meghan: An African Journey was produced by ITN Productions and sold by Passion Distribution.

When Harry and Meghan recently took their baby son Archie on their recent Royal tour of Southern Africa, the ITV News anchor Tom Bradby accompanied them as an inbedded journalist.

Tom Bradby who has made two other films with Harry in Africa, got exclusive access to couple and speaks to them about the causes and issues they care most about and explores some of the pressures and challenges they face living as a young family in the glare of the world’s media.

Harry & Meghan: An African Journey provides a vivid insight into how they see their roles as modern Royals on the international stage and how they balance their public duties with their private family life.

"This is the third documentary I’ve made with Prince Harry in Africa. I expected it to be an interesting  journey but this ended up being a fascinating insight taking in their passion for their work, their private happiness and the challenge and pressure of balancing their public duties and family life," says Tom Bradby.

"We are thrilled to distribute this extraordinary film. What begins as an observational film about Harry and Meghan in Africa evolves into an insightful, remarkably candid testimony from the Sussexes on the immense stresses and strains which both young royals have experienced,” says Emmanuelle Namiech, Passion Distribution CEO.

Ian Russell, the head of international programmes, says “Harry & Meghan: An African Journey demonstrates what makes ITN unique amongst the world’s leading producers. The documentary was made in an incredibly short turnaround with our ITV News and ITN Productions divisions working seamlessly together."

"Plus ITN’s in-house technical capability enabled us to deliver instantaneously to a global audience of hundreds of millions”.

Endeavour on ITV Choice renewed for an 8th season through 2021 with the Inspector Morse prequel crime series that could end up surpassing the original.

The British crime series Endeavour that serves as a prequel to Inspector Morse has been renewed for an 8th season through 2021 that could see it end up running longer than the original.

Production has just started on the 7th season of Endeavour in the United Kingdom, with the 6th season that was broadcast in South Africa on ITV Choice (DStv 123) in early-2019.

The 7th season of Endeavour that will be broadcast in 2020 will only have 3 episodes as opposed to the mostly four, 90-minute episodes of earlier seasons.

Since 33 film-length episodes of Inspector Morse were produced during 1987 and 2000, the 8th season of Endeavour that will be broadcast in 2021 would equal the original if it also had 3 episodes, or surpass it if it were to have 4 episodes.

Endeavour follows a young detective sergeant Endeavour Morse (Shaun Evans) with the 7th season that will kick off at the start of 1970. After New Year's Eve, a body is discovered in Oxford on 1 January 1970.

Women's liberation will form a major theme of the 7th season.

"In the dawn of women’s liberation, social progression and scientific growth, the 1970s begin for Oxford’s finest with the discovery of a body at the canal towpath on New Year’s Day," says ITV in a press release about the 7th season and announcing the renewal of Endeavour for an 8th season.

"With the only clue in the investigation a witness who heard whistling on the night of the crime, the team have their work cut out to uncover their culprit."

For the 7th season of Endeavour once again all episodes are written by Russell Lewis with the story that will continue after the dramatic 6th season finale that saw chief superintendent Bright (Anton Lesser) takes over command of Castle Gate after detective chief inspector Ronnie Box (Simon Harrison) was rushed to hospital and Alan Jago was shot dead.

Shaun Evans will make his directorial debut as director of the 7th season's first episode.

"Though each film can be enjoyed as a standalone, we have approached Endeavour 1970 as three panels of a triptych, or - in musical terms - a grand opera that unfolds across three acts," says Russell Lewis. "Whether it wears the mask of comedy or tragedy remains to be seen…"

Damien Timmer, executive producer, says "It's a thrill to enter a new decade and tell more tales of the not-quite-so-young now Endeavour Morse, to be transmitted half a century after they took place! Russell has some very striking stories to tell in this new set of films which we hope will baffle, unnerve and delight the show’s fans!"

Returning to the Endeavour cast are Roger Allam (detective chief inspector Fred Thursday), Anton Lesser (chief superintendent Reginald Bright), Sean Rigby (detective sergeant Jim Strange), James Bradshaw (Dr Max DeBryn), Abigail Thaw (Dorothea Frazil), Caroline O’Neill (Win Thursday) and Sara Vickers (Joan Thursday).

Filmed in and around Oxford, the new Endeavour episodes will be executive produced by Mammoth Screen’s Damien Timmer, alongside writer and creator Russell Lewis and WGBH’s Rebecca Eaton. James Levison will produce the series and ITV Studios Global Entertainment continues to distribute the series internationally.

Comedy boss of Britain's ITV bans all-male comedy writing teams.

The comedy boss of Britain's ITV channel says she has banned existing and new comedy series featuring all-male writing teams or ones that have just "a token woman", with no comedies with an all-male writing team that will be commissioned by the British commercial TV channel anymore.

"I won't commission anything with an all-male writing team," Saskia Schuster, ITV's head of comedy, said at the Diverse Festival on Monday where she was part of a panel discussion with the title "Why employing more women writers in comedy matters", according to reports by the BBC and others.

Saskia Schuster said she took the action after an audit of ITV comedies showed "a significant lack" of women in scripted commissions. For every 5 scripts sent to her by men, she would receive only one from a woman.

Saskia Schuster said that "too often the writing room is not sensitively run. It can be aggressive and slightly bullying".

She has now changed ITV's contracts so any shows that are commissioned or recommissioned "must aim towards 50:50 gender representation".

'That show is for poor people to go on so we can humiliate them.' Former producers and guests on ITV's cancelled conflict tabloid show, The Jeremy Kyle Show, speak out how people were allegedly given cannabis and alcohol, told to get drugs, made angry before recordings and couldn't escape.

Staffers and guests who appeared on the cancelled tabloid conflict talk show The Jeremy Kyle Show on ITV in the United Kingdom are speaking out in a new TV documentary about how Jeremy allegedly smoked cannabis with them, how people on the show were riled up to be their angriest and were given alcohol, and drug users even encouraged to go get drugs before the recording of episodes.

ITV permanently cancelled The Jeremy Kyle Show last week after production was abruptly suspended earlier this month after a man who appeared on it for an upcoming episode, killed himself when he failed a lie detector test.

The Jeremy Kyle Show was seen in South Africa for a number of years, on the former TopTV's (now StarSat) Top One channel in late-2012 and 2013, and on ITV Choice (DStv 123) in 2016. It wasn't currently broadcast in South Africa.

ITV that denies everything being said in the documentary, Jeremy Kyle: TV on Trial done by Channel 4 in the United Kingdom as part of its Dispatches programme, in a statement about the cancellation of the show said that "now is the right time for the show to end".

It comes as this form of confrontational tabloid television is seeing an upsurge in South Africa on channels like Siyaya TV's Moja Love (DStv 157) on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV service, with sensationalist fighting shows ranging from Rea Tsotella and Uthando Noxolo to No Excuse Pay Papgeld and Uyajola 9/9.

Dwayne Davison who appeared twice on The Jeremy Kyle Show told the documentary that that show "is for poor people to go on so we can humiliate them - it ruins lives". He explained how he was invited and locked in a room for 10 hours before going on the show.

"I think that show is for poor people to go on so we can humiliate them - it ruins lives."

This man was branded the Jeremy Kyle Show's most hated guest - he tells Dispatches how the show has affected him since. pic.twitter.com/7HfK0G2kzz

— Channel 4 Dispatches (@C4Dispatches) May 27, 2019

The Daily Mail reports how a former producer on the show said that drug users were encouraged to go get drugs before their show appearance, while other producers explained how guests were given cannabis as well as liquor.

ITV denied the allegations and said alcohol was only given to people who are going to rehab and experienced withdrawal symptoms.

Other staffers described how guests were made angrier before their appearance on the show, a process known as "talking up", saying that "you need people the people that come on the show to be in conflict when you get on, when they're on the show".

Another producer said "the guests were treated like cattle. Behind-the-scenes they created a kind of maze. It's so if the guests run off the stage it's a controlled environment. The cameraman knows where to go. The guests won't be able to find their way out because it all looks the same".

The British government has now launched an investigation into reality television in the United Kingdom following the deaths of people who have appeared on tabloid talk and reality shows there.


UPDATE Tuesday 28 May 2019 13:18 - The second sentence of this article was amended with a new third sentence to indicate and make it clear that The Jeremy Kyle Show was not currently on ITV Choice but was a programme that used to be on the ITV Choice channel in previous years.

Production suspended on ITV's tabloid confrontational talk show, The Jeremy Kyle Show, that is removed from the schedule indefinitely after participant dies.

Production has been suspended on ITV's tabloid confrontational talk show, The Jeremy Kyle Show, that has been removed from the broadcast schedule in the United Kingdom after the death last week of a participant in an upcoming episode that won't be televised.

The Jeremy Kyle Show, similar to Jerry Springer, was broadcast for a number of years on ITV's international channel, ITV Choice (DStv 123) and shows guest discussing and fighting over personal conflicts and relationship problems in front of a studio audience.

Guests take paternity tests, drug addiction and conflict are often featured, security guards are on-set to separate participants who start physical fights and topics range from "My boyfriend’s mum has chosen a paedophile over him!" to “Did my dad have sex on my mum’s grave?”

"Everyone at ITV and The Jeremy Kyle Show is shocked and saddened at the news of the death of a participant in the show a week after the recording of the episode they featured in and our thoughts are with their family and friends. ITV will not screen the episode in which they featured," ITV said in a statement on Monday.

"Given the seriousness of this event, ITV has also decided to suspend both filming and broadcasting of The Jeremy Kyle Show with immediate effect in order to give it time to conduct a review of this episode of the show."

British media reports that Steve Dymond (63) committed suicide. He took a lie-detector test in the episode of The Jeremy Kyle Show to convince his fiancee Jane Callaghan he had not cheated but they split after he failed the test.

Filming starts in London on Julian Fellowes and ITV's 6-episode Belgravia British drama series.

Filming has started on Belgravia, the new 6-episode British TV drama series adaptation of Julian Fellowes' book.

Belgravia is produced for ITV by Carnival Films, a division of NBCUniversal International Studios, and the makers of Downton Abbey that was seen on the BBC in South Africa and Africa on MultiChoice's DStv.

Belgravia will be distributed by NBCUniversal International Distribution, so it's not yet clear whether it will end up on ITV Choice (DStv 123), M-Net (DStv 101), BBC First (DStv 119) or elsewhere South African TV screens.

Belgravia is a story of secrets and scandals amongst the upper echelon of London society in the 19th Century.

When the Trenchards accept an invitation to the now legendary ball hosted by the Duchess of Richmond on the fateful eve of the Battle of Waterloo, it sets in motion a series of events that will have consequences for decades to come as secrets unravel behind the porticoed doors of London's grandest neighbourhood.

Filming of Belgravia will take place at a range of stunning Victorian locations in London and the home counties, Edinburgh, Bath and Northumberland with Carnival's Gareth Neame executive producing alongside Nigel Marchant, Liz Trubridge and Julian Fellowes.

John Alexander will direct all episodes with Colin Wratten producing.

The team is joined by an ensemble cast including Tamsin Greig, Philip Glenister, Harriet Walter, Alice Eve, Tara Fitzgerald, Ella Purnell, Richard Goulding, James Fleet, Adam James, Paul Ritter and Saskia Reeves.

ITV commissions Belgravia as a limited drama series, set in 19th century upper echelon London, from Julian Fellowes and Carnival Films.

ITV has commissioned a 6-episode adaptation of Julian Fellowes' Belgravia, with filming that will start in the autumn of 2019.

Belgravia is a story of secrets and dishonour amongst the upper echelon of London society in the 19th century.

When the Trenchards accept an invitation to the now legendary ball hosted by the Duchess of Richmond on the fateful evening of the Battle of Waterloo, it sets in motion a series of events that will have consequences for decades to come as secrets unravel behind the porticoed doors of London's grandest postcode.

Belgravia will be produced by Carnival Films, producers of the global hit Downton Abbey, and is distributed by NBCUniversal International Distribution.

Belgravia reunites the creative team behind Downton Abbey with Julian Fellowes adapting his bestselling novel for the screen and Carnival Films' Gareth Neame executive producing alongside Nigel Marchant, Liz Trubridge and Julian Fellowes.

John Alexander will direct the limited series with Colin Wratten producing, with casting that is currently underway.

"We're delighted to be reuniting with Julian Fellowes, Gareth Neame and Carnival Films to produce Belgravia," says Polly Hill, ITV's head of drama, in a statement.

"It's a tale of scandal and intrigue set in 1840s London with some wonderful characters spanning two generations at its heart."

Gareth Neame says "It's fantastic to be working again with Julian, a master storyteller. In Belgravia he has painted a wonderful backdrop of 19th century society against which intrigue and dynastic power struggles will play out".

"We are delighted to be partnering with ITV once again .. for this fantastic event series."