GOSSIP: AMANDA HOLDEN TO HOST ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER'S SUPERSTAR?
Posted on 19 March 2012
Britain's Got Talent judge Amanda Holden has been personally approached by Andrew Lloyd Webber to host his upcoming tv talent search for the lead in a touring version of Jesus Christ Superstar, according to the Daily Mirror.
The show will follow in the footsteps of I'd Do Anything and How Do You Solve A Problem like Maria. The most recent incarnation in the franchise, Over The Rainbow, aired in 2010 and made a star of Danielle Hope who eventually landed the role of Dorothy. She has since left the West End show and will take over the role of Eponine in Les Miserables at the Queens Theatre from 18th June.
If the plan goes ahead it seems likely that the move would partly be seen as a BBC retaliation for the burgeoning feud between Simon Cowell and the network. Cowell has admitted that his 'poaching' of Strictly Come Dancing judge Alesha Dixon for his Britain's Got Talent panel on ITV was partly to wind the BBC up. Catty comments by remaining Strictly judge Craig Revel Horwood and others suggests that Alesha's unexpected move to the ITV show has not gone down well. The two stations are both pushing their rival shows Britain's Got Talent and The Voice which start screening this weekend. With Amanda a judge on the former it would be a nice two finger salute to ITV if she were to join the BBC show. Backing up this notion is the rumour that axed American Idol host Nicole Scherzinger has been mooted as a possible judge on Superstar. American Idol is of course another show from the Simon Cowell stable.
Filming for Superstar's live shows is scheduled to begin this summer, which wouldn't overlap with Holden's commitment to Britain's Got Talent. As well as having proved her tv chops she has direct experience of the West End stage having won rave reviews for the lead in Thoroughly Modern Millie at the Shaftesbury Theatre as well as Princess Fiona in Shrek The Musical at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, for which she won a WhatsOnStage.com award for best actress in a musical. Spice Girl Melanie C and popstar-turned-musicals star Jason Donovan have already been lined up to assist Lloyd Webber in initial Superstar callbacks which started last week.
Book Les Miserables tickets online now
[posted by James, 19/03/2012]
