Brian Belo

MTV UK eyes Brian Belo reality TV dramedy Team Panache

Brian Belo's latest TV effort is close to landing with a UK broadcaster. I've learned that Team Panache, a dramedy series set in the world of reality television - an arena where Belo has experience, being a former Big Brother winner and having just recently settled a lawsuit over The Only Way Is Essex with Lime Pictures and ITV - is close to being laid off at MTV UK.

First piloted during the 2012 Paralympics, all this hidden camera show proves is that disabled people can be as unfunny as the able-bodied. If the intention was to highlight prejudice, that's failed too: faced with talking guide dogs, or six dwarf pallbearers carrying a fallen Happy, the Great British Punk'd are unfailingly helpful. Meanwhile, getting Brian Belo and Towie's Lauren Goodger to front a group protesting against the grafting of monkey arms on to amputees isn't so much fish in barrels as elephants in teacups.

Political correctness flies out of the window in this hidden-camera comedy show. It's You've Been Framed with disabilities, as both the public and desperate sort-of celebs (hello Brian Belo, Lauren Goodger and Frankie Cocozza) get duped by a bunch of dwarves, amputees and blind people. It's hit-and-miss but watching Belo's impassioned plea to stop the inhumane practice of grafting monkey arms on to humans is sickly amusing. Come on, it's 'armless fun.

If you can stomach the cheap embarrassment of prank show TV, there's no reason why you won't like this one from comedian Lee Kern. This first episode of six has science as its theme, with Kern posing as a boffin and trying to convince David Van Day and Big Brother's Brian Belo that they're about to meet human clones of themselves.

Floppy-collared funnyman Harry Hill has bid an emotional farewell to fans after recording the final episode of his TV Burp comedy series.

The much-loved comic told the audience to ignore rumours that he had agreed to make another series - and confirmed that tonight's episode would bring down the curtain after 11 series on ITV.

The broadcaster made a multi-million pound offer to make one more series, but Hill, 47, stuck to his plans and quit.

Audience member, Zoe McCallister, posted a photo of the cast and crew online after the final filming session on Thursday and wrote: "Definitely the last ever one.

"Just been in the audience. Harry said not to take notice of the rumours. It is probably the best episode of TV Burp in years."

The show will air tonight featuring ex-EastEnders star Cheryl Fergison alongside regular characters Brian Belo, the Lord Sugar puppet and wild child Wagbo.

A second audience member, Jason, wrote online: "Not sure about anyone else, but I felt teary at the end."

In January, Hill said the satirical show would bow out with a "huge" finale and he is now working on a sports panel game with Alistair McGowan.

But an ITV source yesterday insisted the broadcaster was still hopeful the comic would reconsider.

"Harry has been a hugely popular part of the ITV schedule for many years, and the management would undoubtedly prefer him to stay here," he said.

"There will be many more discussions with Harry over the coming weeks, and we are hopeful a deal can yet be reached."