Michael McIntyre to host BBC chat show
Michael McIntyre is to host his own television chat show.
It was announced today that The Michael McIntyre Chat Show, a six part series, will launch on BBC One this Spring.
The 45 minute long episodes will feature three celebrity guests, with Michael McIntyre acting as the interviewer.
The BBC says: "In his new role as chat show host, The Michael McIntyre Chat Show will see Michael sit in the interviewer's chair for the very first time. Michael will bring his unique and hugely popular brand of comedy to each episode, once again firmly establishing him as one of the world's most popular and successful stand-up comedians."
Speaking about his new show, Michael McIntyre says: "From my very first conversation I remember thinking, 'This should be televised!' Well now the British Broadcasting Corporation has made my dream a reality. I am overwhelmingly excited about meeting and having fun with my favourite celebrated people on The Michael McIntyre Chat Show."
Michael McIntyre hosted two series and a Christmas special of the ratings-winning Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow on BBC One between 2009 and 2011, however it has been known for a while now that he has wanted to move into a new format. In July 2013, he hosted two trial episodes of a new TV entertainment format which, at the time, was titled Mac Factor. The episodes were described as featuring "comedy VTs and studio games" in addition to stand-up and chat.
The new series will be produced by Open Mike Productions, the company behind existing hit TV stand-up vehicles including Live At The Apollo, plus the producers of the long-running comic chat formats The Jonathan Ross Show and Alan Carr: Chatty Man. Open Mike Productions is the sister company to Off The Kerb, the talent agency that looks after high profile comedians, including McIntyre. The company's founder and McIntyre's agent, Addison Cresswell, un-expectedly died last month.
In 2012 it was reported that, with £21 million in ticket sales, McIntyre was the world's most successful stand-up comic. To date, in the UK he has sold over 3 million DVDs, and his last tour broke attendance records at the O2 Arena.
Studio audience tickets, guest line-ups and transmission dates are due to be announced at a later date.
BBC One boss Charlotte Moore says: "Michael McIntyre is one of the country's leading comedians and I'm thrilled he will be bringing his own unique flavour to a brand new chat show for BBC One."
The comedian has a good relationship with BBC One. At Christmas the channel screened a TV edit of Michael McIntyre's Showtime. Below is a clip from this show, in which the comedian jokes about catwalk models and ten pin bowling: