AS one of the celebrity guessers on ITV hit The Masked Singer, he’s used to hearing the chant “take it off.”
But Jonathan Ross is about to front a shocking new programme that’s all about slapping handcuffs on innocent members of the public.
It’s a TV experiment from Channel 4 that will see people with opposing views literally chained together at the wrist.
Called Handcuffed, the bizarre show is set to start filming later this year, with chat show king Rossy overseeing proceedings.
A TV insider said: “This taps into C4’s exploration of what it’s like to walk in someone else’s shoes by forcing them to experience the challenges that might change their views.
“It’s similar to their recent experiment Go Back to Where You Came From, where Brits with different opinions were challenged to take the perilous journey many immigrants face to get into the country.
“Though C4 will be hoping this is more successful, as that show had poor ratings and no plans for a second series.”
The new show, made by Freemantle and 72 Films, has already put out a call for participants.
Described as “a groundbreaking new series,” it promises a “large cash prize” for the winners.
While the advert doesn’t mention handcuffs, it does say contestants will be required to “live closely together and explore their differences.”
It adds: “We’re looking for people with strong, differing views on a wide range of cultural, political, and ideological beliefs tackling some of the most divisive issues in the UK.
“Are you ready to challenge someone’s views and see if they can understand yours?”
I wonder if Rossy knows what he’s letting himself in for…
To apply visit www.tinyurl.com/experimentcasting
[bc_video account_id=”5067014667001″ application_id=”” aspect_ratio=”16:9″ autoplay=”” caption=”The Masked Singer in huge panel shake-up as judge is REPLACED by I’m A Celeb star” embed=”in-page” experience_id=”” height=”100%” language_detection=”” max_height=”360px” max_width=”640px” min_width=”0px” mute=”” padding_top=”56%” picture_in_picture=”” player_id=”default” playlist_id=”” playsinline=”” sizing=”responsive” video_id=”6368892847112″ video_ids=”” width=”640px”]Mark Gatiss and Tamara Lawrance will appear in the second series of Bafta winning comedy Juice as it returns to BBC Three later this year.
Mawaan Rizwan plays young gay man Jamma on his quest for attention from his family, and Russell Tovey as his boyfriend Guy.
Jon: My new role is class
JON RICHARDSON is swapping laughs for lessons after joining the cast of Waterloo Road.
The funnyman shocked fans this week when he revealed he was stepping back from the comedy circuit for a job in education.
Now, it’s confirmed he’ll be teaching at the fictional BBC One school.
It’s yet to be revealed who the 8 Out Of 10 Cats star will play in the series.
Jon said: “I would say joining Waterloo Road is a dream come true, but in truth, most of my dreams about school revolve around not having done homework or put on my uniform.
“I wanted to be a teacher growing up, so hopefully this will put all those ambitions to bed.”
Waterloo Road is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
Hardman part for Ricky
As troubled Stuart Highway, actor Ricky Champ’s time on EastEnders saw him take on storylines involving mental health, male postnatal depression and breast cancer.
But now he’s a world away from Walford.
Soap fans were stunned to spot Ricky in Jason Statham’s new movie A Working Man, which has been a huge hit at the box office.
A source said: “Ricky’s new role is straight out a Hollywood blockbuster.
“He plays a henchman called Nestor and tackles a string of stunts and action scenes.
“The role is barely recognisable from Stuart, who locked a group of patients in a doctor’s office during a meltdown.”
Next up, a nice rom-com.
Molly-Mae Hague has been keeping a low profile since reuniting with Tommy Fury.
But the behind-the-scenes of their relationship will soon hit screens once again as the latest offering of her Molly-Mae: Behind It All, docu, which is out on May 9, with all episodes available to stream on Prime Video.
Jimmy’s monkeys go nuts
Jimmy Doherty and Shivi Ramoutar are used to getting up close with animals on their ITV series Farmhouse Breakfast, as it is filmed on Jimmy’s family wildlife park.
But they might need to rethink their location after filming for the second series was hit by some monkey business.
Jimmy revealed: “We set up cameras around the monkey enclosure to film them foraging for food, but the monkeys made a beeline for the cameras.
“They were pushing all the buttons, biting the lenses – the cameras did get a bashing.”
The first series proved a success with guests including kids telly legends Dick and Dom, The Chase’s Jenny Ryan and comedian Danny Wallace.
The new series, which returns April 19, will include Strictly’s Vito Coppola, and Gladiators’ Nitro, Harry Aikines-Aryeetey.
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