Who's the king of Daytime Television?

Found this story on Teletext today:

Daytime TV has a new king in the flamboyant form of antiques dealer David Dickinson. Dickinson and his weekday BBC1 gameshow Bargain Hunt have been regularly seeing off ITV1 rival This Morning in the ratings, since Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan's exit. Students in particular have become addicted to the patter of the man who looks more like a second-hand car salesman than an expert on 19th-century furniture.

'He's the main man for lots of students,' a BBC spokeswoman told TV Plus. 'Not only is the programme very compelling, but they also find David very charismatic. When filming we often get fans turning up on location with T-shirts saying, 'I love David Dickinson.''

The BBC1 show's homepage has odes dedicated to the host with the bouffant hair and snazzy wardrobe. Fan David Bakewell writes: 'We celebrate the doyen of daytime and his magical television show. He's not mere man, he is the Duke, quick as a pistol, with a sharp rebuke. David David, 24/7 we have all died and gone to heaven.'

Ratings have climbed to almost 2m while rival ITV1 This Morning has bombed since Richard and Judy's exit. This Morning now gets 1.2m since Fern Britton's return, but Bargain Hunt has been clocking up 1.6m. The BBC1 show sees two teams hunt for antiques then sold at auction. Whoever makes the most profit wins.

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I love David Dickinson. If anyone's a DD fan, it's me!

OK, he may be badly dressed, has a terrible skunk-like haircut, and sounds and acts as though he is trying to get into bed with the first woman he sees, but he is great!

Bargain Hunt just wouldn't be Bargain Hunt without David Dickinson. But the new music is terrible. Who cares? The host is.... DAVID DICKINSON

Is it me or does David Dickinson remind anyone of Lovejoy?

Anyway, he is great and seems to be full of energy!

Yes, I love David Dickinson! He is great - I've been saying it for months, but everyone thinks I'm potty!

And, yes Mike, he does look rather a lot like Lovejoy - I always remember Loejoy was on aon a Sunday wasn't it - I used to go to bed when it started...aah those were the days...

Yes, Sunday nights at about 7 or 8 O' Clock. I used to love it.

The actual real king of daytime TV has got to be Richard Whiteley. He would wipe the floor with Dickinson.

More like the other way round, I'd like to see Richard Whiteley's smug looks wiped off his face once and for all. Double D is the king, and no mistake!

I think David Dickinson's the best!

'And remember, stay away from tat!'

I personally cannot stand David Dickinson !!

Whenever he's on, I'm off!

'Cheap as chips!'

Aah, David Dickinson. A true King if ever I saw one.

Cheers,

Joff Hopkins
University of Reading

i thought he was destined for great things when i first saw the show in october, and ive been a regular viewer since. a bbc bristol production too - whilst itv bigwigs are sticking their noses into programmes(eg this morning) and wrecking them, the bbc's daytime schedule is packed with english regionally produced programmes - the results speak for themselves.

as soon as carlton and granada realise the damage the itv network people are doing the better, otherwise expect to see a once great channel fall flat on it's face, and eventually bought up by a foreign media corporation