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Former Talkback and Thames chief Leon Wilson has been named CEO of Banijay UK labels Shine TV and Zeppotron.

This comes after the news current Shine Managing Director Jon Swain is stepping down at the end of the year. Wilson will report to Banijay UK CEO Patrick Holland the he takes up the CEO role at the end of the month.

Shine is known for the BBC’s MasterChef brands, Hunted and Celebrity Hunted and new Channel 4 prison format Banged Up, while Zeppotron makes the long running shows 8 Out of 10 Cats, 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown and Would I Lie to You?.

There are no plans to directly replace Swain at Shine, but Wilson will work with Creative Director Tim Whitwell, MasterChef boss David Ambler and the wider team. At Zeppotron, MDs Ruth Phillips and Peter Holmes will work with Wilson on a push into the streamer market.

Wilson...

Season 2 of the BBC’s acclaimed drama Happy Valley begins shooting this week with some new names among the cast. Among those joining Sarah Lancashire, James Norton and other returning actors are Downton Abbey’s Kevin Doyle, Harry Potter‘s Matthew Lewis, Mr Selfridge‘s Katherine Kelly, Coronation Street‘s Julie Hesmondhalgh, Filth‘s Shirley Henderson and Scott & Bailey‘s Amelia Bullmore. The BBC One drama is created by Sally Wainwright and won the Best Drama Series BAFTA Award last year, among many other prizes. Netflix has U.S. rights. Doyle, who’s been with Downton since the beginning, will reunite in Happy Valley with erstwhile ladies maid O’Brien (Siobahn Finneran), who plays Clare Cartwright on Happy Valley. Also returning are George Costigan, Karl Davies and Charlie Murphy. The six-part drama also is adding Con O’Neill (Cucumber) and Vincent Franklin (The Thick Of It). As S2 opens, Lancashire’s...

Justin Lee Collins is to go on trial accused of harassing his ex-girlfriend, it has been confirmed. The Friday Night Project presenter and comedian pleaded not guilty to the charge at St Albans Crown Court, meaning he will now face trial on September 24. Collins is accused of causing former girlfriend Anna Larke a "fear of violence" between January 11 and August 1 last year. The 37-year-old was arrested (more)...

Alan Carr has described Kanye West as "ever so sweet". The Chatty Man host recalled being forced to turn down the rapper's generous invitation to a concert in Norway during his time on The Friday Night Project. "Kayne came on the Friday Night Project and was ever so sweet," he told The Sun's Buzz magazine. "He invited me and Justin Lee Collins to go on his jet to see him perform in Oslo. But I was doing a charity night... I was very tempted to throw a (more)...

Justin Lee Collins has revealed that he would like to work with Alan Carr again. The pair previously hosted The Friday Night Project and The Sunday Night Project together but have since focused on their individual careers. Speaking to Digital Spy, however, Collins revealed that he would happily team up with Carr in the future. "I'm asked [about that] all the time but it never bothers me, because he's one of my great friends and I love him dearly," he said. "We've not worked together now for two years so I think it's time to get back (more)...

Justin Lee Collins has said that Bruce Forsyth was "horrible" to work with on Strictly Come Dancing. The comic and TV presenter, who hosted spinoff show Strictly Come Dancing On Three during the first series, said that Forsyth's "tone and demeanor" were not pleasant when he interviewed him. The Friday Night Project star told Love It magazine: "He's horrible! I had to interview Bruce three times. He was not pleasant and I didn't like his tone or demeanour. "I was terrified before our first live interview, then during it, he told me my questions were ridiculous. The awkwardness continued and I was thinking, 'Oh man, why are you being like this'. My mum used to tell me the more unpleasant a person is to you, the more you should kill them with kindness, so I kept being nicer and nicer to him. (more)...

Justin Lee Collins has claimed that Pamela Anderson was a "pain the ass" to work with on The Friday Night Project. Collins said that the Baywatch actress did not warrant her large fee and revealed that she refused to believe he was not in a relationship with co-presenter Alan Carr. "Pamela Anderson was a pain in ass on the Friday Night Project," he told Love It magazine. "She was paid £80,000 to appear - she wasn't (more)...

Christmas comedy movie Elf was a huge success for Channel 4 last night, drawing more than 6 million viewers at its peak. The film, which stars Will Ferrell and James Caan, averaged 5.26m (22%) for the channel between 6.15pm and 8pm. A further 510k (2.2%) watched on timeshift service Channel 4+1. At 8pm, a repeat of Peter Kay's Britain's Got The Pop Factor and Possibly A New Celebrity Jesus Christ Soapstar Superstar Strictly On Ice drew 2.71m (10.1%) over two hours. On its first broadcast in October, the reality show spoof had pulled in over 6 million. At 10pm a new series of The Sunday Night Project, guest hosted by Tom Jones, opened with 1.6m (8.1%). Overall (more)...

Justin Lee Collins has insisted that his marriage is not in trouble, despite reports that he became intimate with another woman on a pub barge. The Sunday Night Project host was seen exchanging kisses with and fondling a local radio worker in full view of other drinkers. However, while Collins admitted that his behaviour was "inappropriate", he denied that his (more)...

Alan Carr has landed a £3 million chatshow deal with Channel 4, according to a report today. The comedian has been tipped to be a hit with viewers following his success on The Sunday Night Project with Justin Lee Collins. Carr will face competition from the BBC's established chatshow host Jonathan Ross, as well as Britain's Got Talent judge Piers Morgan, who is launching his own programme (more)...

Alan Carr has landed a £3 million chat show deal with Channel 4, according to a report today. The comedian has been tipped to be a hit with viewers following his success on The Sunday Night Project with Justin Lee Collins. Carr will face competition from the BBC's established chat show host Jonathan Ross, as well as Britain's Got Talent judge Piers Morgan, who is launching his own programme (more)...

Here is the full list of winners at this year's Bafta Television Awards, held tonight at the London Palladium:

Actor

Andrew Garfield - Boy A - Winner!

Tom Hardy - Stuart: A Life Backwards

Matthew Macfadyen - Secret Life

Anthony Sher - Primo

Actress

Eileen Atkins - Cranford - Winner!

Judi Dench - Cranford

Gina McKee - The Street

Kierston Wareing - It’s A Free World

Entertainment Performance

Simon Amstell - Never Mind The Buzzc***s

Alan Carr & Justin Lee Collins - The Friday Night Project

Stephen Fry - Qi

Harry Hill - Harry Hill’s TV Burp - Winner!

Comedy Performance

Peter Capaldi - The Thick of It

James Corden - Gavin and Stacey - Winner!

Stephen Merchant - Extras Christmas . . .

LONDON -- The BBC1 costume drama Cranford led the way with four mentions Tuesday morning as nominations were announced for the April 20 British Academy Television Awards.

Cranford, the ensemble costume drama about life in a rural English village, earned best actress nominations for Judi Dench and Eileen Atkins as well as noms for best drama serial and the Sky+ special award, which is voted on by the public. Other Sky+award nominees are comedy Gavin and Stacey, Strictly Come Dancing and Britain's Got Talent.

Channel 4 is the most-nominated network with 23 mentions, BBC1 was second with 20 noms, ITV had 12, BBC2 earned 11 and the Five channel had one. Among the digital nets, arts channel BBC4 earned five noms, youth channel BBC3 took two and Channel 4 and E4 each received one.

Four first-time nominees make up the best actor category including stage and screen star Anthony Sher, who was recognized for Primo, the stage biopic of Hollocaust survivor and writer Primo Levi. Also nominated are Andrew Garfield for Boy A, Tom Hardy for Stuart: A Life Backwards and Matthew Macfadyen for Secret Life.

In the actress category, Dench and Atkins will vie alongside newcomer Kierston Wareing for Channel 4's It's a Free World and Gina McKee for her role in BBC1 drama The Street.

On the entertainment side, ITV1 hit Britain's Got Talent goes head to head with BBC1's Strictly Come Dancing, which has received its 3rd nomination, as well as comedian Harry Hill for Harry Hill's TV Burp and Stephen Fry in celebrity panel show "QI."

Burp's Hill also was named in the performance category alongside first-time nominees Simon Amstell for Never Mind the Buzzcocks, Alan Carr and Justin Lee Collins for The Friday Night Project and four-time performance nominee Stephen Fry for "QI."

In the international category, Family Guy takes on My Name is Earl, Californication and Heroes.

Stephen Merchant and David Mitchell receive individual acclaim this year in the comedy performance category for Extras Christmas Special and Peep Show respectively.