This Morning star lands huge new show on rival TV channel

ok.co.uk:

This Morning star Dermot O'Leary has landed a major new presenting role - however, it isn't with ITV.The broadcaster, 51, is set to host a brand new show for channel U&Dave - formerly known as Dave - alongside comedian Katherine Ryan.The show, titled Silence is Golden, will give its studio audience £250,000 at the start of each episode which they get to keep if they can remain silent.

U&Dave teases: "With every audience member mic’ed up, all hell breaks loose as a green room of 30 acts, led by three returning comedian captains, headed up by Katherine Ryan, wage war on the audience, with every sound forced out of them bringing the total prize money down." If the entertainers can get the prize pot down to zero, they can give the money to charity.The series has been created by Richard Bacon, who is best known for hosting Blue Peter, The Big Breakfast, Good Morning Britain and shows on Radio 5Live.

Announcing his new presenting gig, Dermot said: "I’m so looking forward to Silence is Golden. When a show like this falls into your lap, you can’t quite believe your luck." He added: "Looking forward to having lots of fun with the audience, our comedians and assorted cast of regulars, all trying to make the audience laugh, gasp and giggle." Meanwhile, Richard Bacon said: "You know the feeling when you’re not allowed to laugh at a funeral?

Well, it's that: the Game Show. And I commend U&Dave for boldly commissioning a show that will cost them a quarter million a week - if the audience is better at playing the game than we are." Dermot currently presents This Morning on Fridays alongside co-star Alison Hammond - however, Silence is Golden isn't the first show to take Dermot away from his existing ITV commitments.