Linda Barker - THREE shows on ITV?

Uh huh, and Delia Smith is just some woman who throws eggs in a bowl. You know, if you were to pick apart the skills of everyone you see on TV you'd be here til' Christmas.

In fact, for MOST people you see on TV you can really only say, "Him? He can only read an autocue". At least Miss Barker has some DIY skills to fall back on!

Its just the fact that Linda is not really a 'TV presenter', shes just a Handy woman who appears on DIY shows. I cant imagine Linda doing shows dressed in a black suit, with a studio audience etc etc. Linda is more of a 'on the road' woman.

I really do take your point, and how well she'll hold a show together will be a case of wait and see. Vorderman came into presenting via mathematics, but she just doesn't sit well with me. I find her conversations on camera to be uncomfortably forced. She triggers my embarrassed-for-her-switch-off-quick finger on the remote constantly.

Who knows indeed about Linda Barker, but like I say, 3 different shows might only mean 18 appearances in a year, so we might as well wish her well. She came across (to me at least) extremely well in IACGMOOH. She's the kind of funny, down to earth, likes-a-drink yorkshire lass I'd love to have a laugh with. I'd like to think that whatever they have lined up for her took advantage of her more candid nature. I agree, formal hosting would not suit.

Any ideas what she's been signed up for?

For some reason that how I read it. I am a terror.

Linda barker having 3 new Itv programmes shows what is wrong with tv at the moment. If that isn't short sighted, panicky decision making I don't know what is.

Right then, I believe the 3 shows are as follows :

1. With a Little Help from my Friends - show based on the website, Friends Reunited.

2. Celebrities Under Pressure - gameshow, celebs spend a week with a family and have to undertake a challenge (based on Cilla's Moment of Truth I think). I thought this had originally been lined up for Mel Sykes??

3. Under Construction - obligatory daytime makeover programme (I think)

I assure you I'm really not that kind of boy.

As for the 'panick' decision making, sadly there is an entire all-media industry sitting there telling us who is hot, who is not, and who they are doing it with. Like it or not, we all buy into it.

I like Paddy O'Connell to tell me who I like. I *like* Paddy.

It's already been filmed with Melanie Sykes, I was there.

Hmm, that's odd, I referred to this article :

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/content_objectid=13331834_method=full_siteid=89488_headline=-ITV-PUT-FAITH-IN-DALE-name_page.html