Girls Aloud at the Brits
After securing the services of Jonathan Ross as its new chat-show host and Brit Awards 2011 presenter, ITV is planning to give the annual event the biggest shake-up in its chequered 30-plus year history.
New ITV signing Ross is not only to host the 2011 awards but Beehive understands that Suzi Aplin, Ross’s Friday Night…BBC One executive producer, will take over the show from Helen Terry, the former Culture Club backing singer who has run the Brits TV show since 2001.
After much speculation, we believe the Brits is poised to finally move home from Earls Court to the O2 Arena on February 15 2011 – and given that the big record companies are firmly ensconced in West London, that’s a big move.
Earls Court could be demolished after the 2012 Olympics but initial scouting of the AEG-owned O2 Arena suggested it lacked the backstage facilities to cope with the Brits’ spectacular. The O2 is bending over backwards to make the venue fit for such a prestigious gig.
New Brits host
Last year the awards were watched by 5.8 million viewers, up on the previous year - but around a third of the audience that watch the final of ITV1’s The X Factor.
ITV wants to give the awards some of that X Factor final buzz. The music industry, not amused by last year’s host Peter Kay’s sarcastic gags at the expense of some winners, wants to see its annual showcase delivered with a little more gravity.
Although Ross doesn’t always equal gravitas, he is a passionate music fan and comfortable around celebrity egos like your Liam Gallaghers.
The new team are believed to be impressed with ITV’s National Television Awards, which has also moved to the O2, where the dignitaries are seated in rows and are not visibly drunk.
Earls Court: the party's over
An audience research firm is already seeking a small number of people who are ”SEXY, FUN, UP FOR DANCING ALL NIGHT and willing to make LOADS OF NOISE” for a limited number of Brits 2011 Front of Stage tickets. But the screaming crowds of Brits School students could yet be relocated from the pit.
Corporate dining would still take place in the O2’s boxes, out of sight of the cameras. But it’s also the cash from those Platinum dining tables that goes to fund the Brits school and the BPI’s good causes, a good reason to stick with Earls Court for some.
“It will be more of a TV show and present the music industry in a more serious, positive light,” said a source familiar with the discussions.
Bringing the Brit house down
It’s still speculation at this stage. After last year’s explosive performances from Lady GaGa, Jay-Z and Alicia Keys, there’s not a lot more the awards can do to attract viewers, beyond introducing more pop categories to place X Factor winners more prominently on the winners’ podium.
After years of being mocked for Sam Fox disasters and on-stage interruptions, the Brit Awards has shrugged off its reputation as a bit of a joke – check the change in The Sun’s coverage over the past decade to see the impact of a smart media management campaign.
But it’s not the Grammys, which are dull beyond words and no-one wants the Brits to become just another light-entertainment show.
Roxy Music: 2011 special Brits winners?
Cutting costs is inevitably an influence on the new ITV/BPI approach. The recorded music industry would probably benefit from a showcase that shows British music at its best but also reflects the straightened circumstances it shares with most of the TV audience.
And whilst we’re at it, here’s Beehive’s early tip for the 2011 Outstanding Contribution Brit award – Roxy Music featuring a special one-off reunion with Brian Eno.
