It’s been no secret that Jedward were going to be filming a new TV series this month; now we can finally reveal some more details about the show.
Hosted by Vogue Williams, the programme is a completely new format, combining a talent contest and game show, and is set to be shot in Dublin’s 3Arena, starting next week. The series will be screened on Ireland’s Virgin Media, and will be piloted to USA’s Fox Media. The show is made by Bigger Stage, a company formed recently by former Virgin Media managing director, Pat Kiely.
Along with Vogue, the programme will feature a star-studded judging panel, including the legendary Boy George, Jedward, comedian Deirdre O’Kane, and Cork singer songwriter, Lyra.
Boy George is a household name, having been in the music business for more than forty years, first as the lead singer of Culture Club, and then as a solo artist. He has been a judge on The Voice Australia, and also sat in for Tom Jones for one season of The Voice UK.
Jedward are no strangers to a judging panel either – besides their time on X Factor in 2009, and two time tilt at the Eurovision trophy in 2011 and 2012, they have been regular members of the Irish selection panel for the Junior Eurovision Song Contest, as well as for the Junior Eurovision Song Contest itself in Malta in 2016, where they sat alongside Mads Grimstad of Universal Music, and Christer Bjorkman, the producer of the Swedish Eurovision selection show, Melodifestivalen.
Like Jedward, Deirdre O’Kane has been on the other side of the judges, when she was was runner up on Ireland’s Dancing With The Stars in 2018. She has her own experience of talent shows as well, reaching the finals of the BBC New Comedy Awards in 1996.
Singer songwriter Lyra has performed on Ireland’s Got Talent, and Dancing With The Stars, while her song, ‘Falling’ was featured in US TV series, Grey’s Anatomy.
No name has yet been revealed for the new show, which will be filmed before a live audience at Dublin’s 3Arena over a period of 4 sessions. It’s set to be screened on Virgin Media Ireland later in the year.
