Six years after stepping down from the ‘X Factor’ judging panel, Dannii Minogue is staging a return to UK screens, but Simon Cowell will no doubt be bemused to learn she’s joining a rival show.
Dannii was the first star to be confirmed to be a judge on the BBC show ‘Let It Shine’, Gary Barlow’s upcoming talent search to find a new group of actors to star in a jukebox musical based on the hits of Take That.
Dannii gushed: “I’m so excited to be returning to the UK and joining the judging panel of Let It Shine.
“To be a performer, you must have a burning desire to perform, then you train at all the skills you need to shine. This show gives everyone that chance. I can’t wait!”
It has since been confirmed that she’ll be joined by ‘Glee’ actress Amber Riley and Spandau Ballet’s Martin Kemp on the panel.
Martin says: “I’m so thrilled to be a part of the BBC’s ‘Let It Shine\ and taking on a role where I will be able to pass on a little of my forty five years’ worth of experience, in music, television and film, to young people just starting out on their journey!
“It’s a chance to find not just the most talented, but also those who have that something extra special called charisma, that literally will ‘shine’ from the stage. I won’t just be judging, but trying to give a constructive thought that will help them towards winning that incredible final prize!”
Amber adds: “One of the unique things about ‘Glee’ was the covers of popular songs. They became the soundtrack to people’s lives, as well as the characters on the show.
“I am so excited to see what the UK talent has to offer and share some of my experience on the stage to help them reach their full potential. I’m not just looking for the biggest voices or the biggest personalities, but those who have what it takes to make it on TV and on stage.”
It was recently suggested that Simon would be keeping a close eye on ‘Let It Shine’, in case the forthcoming BBC project resembled one of his own shows a bit too closely, most specifically ‘La Banda’, a South American show which searches for aspiring stars to make into a pop group.
Earlier this month, a source claimed: “Simon’s team is keeping a close eye on Gary’s show.
“They want to make sure that it’s completely different to his own projects – otherwise there could be trouble.”
The most recent series of ‘The X Factor’, which airs every weekend on ITV, has seen a number of familiar faces coming back to the panel, but given her fiery relationship with Sharon Osbourne, we weren’t exactly surprised when we saw that Dannii wasn’t one of them.
‘Let It Shine’ is set to debut on the BBC over an eight-week period in 2017.