‘Blind Date’ has been axed by Channel 5.
The dating show was rebooted in 2017 with late host Cilla Black’s good friend Paul O’Grady at the helm, but channel bosses have decided to drop the programme after ratings failed to live up to expected figures and it was deemed too "expensive" to keep producing new episodes.
A source told the Daily Star Sunday newspaper: "After a number of series on Channel 5, it’s been decided that it’s time to ditch it.
"Execs loved reviving such an iconic show, but it hasn’t gone as well as they hoped. Everyone involved is sad to see it go.
"No-one was expecting the show to pull in the figures it did in the 90s.
"But less than a million is just not enough to warrant another series.
"Channel 5 bosses are quite keen to focus on documentaries rather than expensive entertainment formats that just aren’t popular enough."
The news comes just a few weeks after another dating show, ITV’s ‘Take Me Out’, was also axed, and industry insiders admitted producers are growing more "ruthless" when programmes don’t cut it in the ratings.
A source said: "Light entertainment is so competitive. Execs have to be ruthless because they can’t afford to make shows that aren’t getting big audiences."
The news comes after Paul admitted last year he wasn’t keen to return for another series because he felt "uncomfortable" mimicking Cilla.
He said: "I don’t think I am going to do any more. I will have to have a word with Channel 5."
Paul felt very reluctant stepping into Cilla’s shoes and "hated" being on set at first.
He admitted: "I said, ‘I cannot do that’. For the first series, I hated the set and felt really uncomfortable. I was saying ‘what is your name number one, where do you come from?’ and my arms would go out and knee bend, and I kept thinking I am turning into Cilla."
Blind Date axed
