Is nothing worth watching without a sprinkling of celebrity stardust?

by

I recall two brief encounters. Once, a film publicist tracked me down in a London hotel, practically glowing with excitement. She yelled down the hallway, “I managed to get you four minutes with Orlando!”

I had the strangest meeting in a Soho café once. Two TV agents were really pushing me to help their clients make a career change – from being magicians to chefs! I almost choked on my macaroon, it was so unexpected. It felt like something straight out of an Alan Partridge sketch – that awkward, try-too-hard vibe. Apparently, in the world of TV, completely bizarre shifts like this actually happen – what they called ‘monkey tennis’ is a real thing, whatever that means!

I bring up these examples to highlight two dangerous ideas that are taking over the world of entertainment. The first is the assumption that seeing a famous person – whether in a show or in real life – is always more valuable than spending time with ordinary people. The second is the belief that celebrities will do absolutely anything for attention, even something trivial or risky, as long as it keeps them on television.

This week, a new show called Celebrity Sabotage begins on ITV. It features well-known personalities secretly trying to disrupt regular people who believe they’re competing in genuine new programs. But how did this unusual idea come about?

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Back in 1997, a BBC show called Driving School casually filmed learner drivers in Bristol and South Wales. They didn’t anticipate meeting Maureen Rees, a cleaner from Cardiff. By the time she finally passed her driving test on the seventh try, a remarkable 12 million viewers were watching! Her popularity exploded, leading to an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and even a cover of Madness’s “Driving in My Car.” What started as an ordinary show had unexpectedly launched a star.

Twenty years after becoming friends, Paul Whitehouse asked Bob Mortimer to join him for a fishing trip. The day was so peaceful, Whitehouse decided to film them simply enjoying the quiet activity. Now, eight seasons in, “Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing” consistently receives the highest ratings of any show on the BBC, according to viewer feedback.

Most reality and factual entertainment shows today follow one of two formulas: turning ordinary people into stars, or showing celebrities doing everyday things. When the BBC asked Clive Myrie for a show idea, he wisely chose a relaxed road trip through Tuscany, complete with a pasta-making class. While enjoyable, it feels like the focus is on the personality – Clive Myrie – rather than a strong, original concept. It’s putting the person before the idea, like choosing a small car over a powerful horse.

The issue is that relying on celebrities to attract viewers is starting to lose its effectiveness. It seems like TV executives haven’t fully considered the long-term consequences of this strategy.

Reality TV shows often rely on either established celebrities – leading to predictable complaints – or they try to launch unknown faces, hoping to discover the next big personality, whether a classic game show host or a daytime television staple.

Celebrities have different roles and commitments, but TV schedules often make it seem like anyone can fill in anywhere. I could have sworn I just saw Michael Ball hosting ‘The One Show’ one day after appearing as a guest – it almost didn’t seem real!

A new show, ‘Sam and Ade Go Birding,’ featuring Samuel West and Adrian Edmondson, is coming to Channel 5. While I’m not expecting much, I’ll give it a fair shot – probably for about four minutes.

Authors

Caroline Frost

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2026-03-18 11:38