RADIO 1 Breakfast show host Greg James is grappling with the pressures of primetime TV in his new role on Channel 4’s Rise and Fall.
After years behind the mic he’s proven that he’s got more than a face for radio as he takes on big budget telly.
But he reckons the real challenge he and his fellow presenters could actually face is avoiding the march of ChatGPT, AI robots - who threaten to be funnier, more creative and cost a lot less.
Greg laughed: “I’ve got to be better than an AI! That’s my challenge.
“I mean it’s quite scary, how quickly things are moving but we can work with technology.
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“The internet came along, Spotify came along and, you know, it was the same when I took over Breakfast.
“They would always say ‘we used to have 20 million listeners’ but there were only five radio stations!”
Rise and Fall is a game of strategy as 16 ordinary people compete to rise to a position of power.
It was filmed in a plush building overlooking Westminster, and the scale of the production wasn’t lost on Greg.
He told me: “That was the very first day on set, we were just on this rooftop in London.
“There was a drone going up to shoot the big aerial shot and it suddenly felt very real.
“I was like, f**king hell, this is like proper telly.
“I was absolutely nervous. That feeling of being a bit out of control and just going, I’ve got to do it now, otherwise, it doesn’t happen.
“It’s been a real ambition ticked off.”
The series is now heading into its final week and so far has included some dramatic moments and real talking points.
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One episode saw the initially diverse panel of Rulers, which spanned different ethnicities and genders, entirely overtaken by a group of white men.
Greg added: “Look at most CEOs in the world, it’s old white men… it was mirroring actual society.
“Seeing the reaction from viewers to that happening was amazing.”
In a week’s time one of the group will take home a huge prize fund.
Greg said: “It’s been amazing to see that at 10pm people are still switching the TV on and watching.
“But if you’re just starting Ramona in episode one, she just creates instantly, incredible TV.
“Matt, it was a complete change for him because he’s a nurse in the real world, but then he became a Ruler and found that quite hard.
“Then Jack’s romance with Sydney has been remarkable - first episode, they start snogging and everyone’s like, is this Love Island?!
“Everyone is hyper aware they’ve only got a few days left to rise to The Penthouse and work out how to steal the prize fund.
“I will be running the final, and there’s a few final twists that happen. It’s going to be explosive.”
- Catch up now at All 4 or tune in at 10pm tonight on Channel 4.
ANTON’S CRAVING VARIETY
SINCE his BBC One travel show Adventures In Sicily with co-host Giovanni Pernice ended last week, Anton Du Beke has been thinking about his one big ambition – to perform for royalty.
The Strictly judge told me: “My favourite programmes when I was growing up were A Question Of Sport and The Royal Variety Performance.
“I’ve been on A Question Of Sport and had a magical time, so that just leaves The Royal Variety.
“I’d love to do a musical turn on it, where I sang and danced like my hero Bruce Forsyth. Not necessarily with the other Strictly judges or with a dance partner – maybe on my own.”
Consider that a come and get me plea, King Charles.
HIDE ’N’ SPEAKMANS
MOST contestants on Channel 4’s Hunted skulk in bushes and hide in quiet locations – not Nik and Eva Speakman.
This Morning’s life experts hid in very plain sight while on the run by having an interview with Jamie Theakston and Amanda Holden on Heart Radio.
Eva laughed: “We were promoting our book, Upgrade Your Life, and had got in the diary an interview on Heart Radio in London’s Leicester Square.
“So we turned up. Nobody recognised us.”
The duo have got off to a great start on the Stand Up 2 Cancer celebrity version, but there were some early mishaps.
Nik told me: “On the day of the escape, I had a really bad fall. I thought I broke my hip because it was just so black.
“I’d banged my mouth and we ended up going to the dentist on day two.”
Eva revealed: “He refused to go to hospital.”
Nik added: “I was like, ‘Do I get immunity?’ They said, ‘You don’t.’ So I kept on.”
Celebrity Hunted continues Tuesday at 9pm.
HUGH’S AGATHA AGONY
IT sounds like Hugh Laurie went through the ringer on his ITV murder mystery, Why Didn’t They Ask Evans?
He directed and starred in the Agatha Christie tale about vicar’s son Bobby Jones, played by Will Poulter, and his pal Lady Derwent (Lucy Boynton) who try to uncover the meaning of a dying man’s last words.
Hugh said on the Full Disclosure podcast: “The genius of the idea of Why Didn’t They Ask Evans . . . Because I did care about it, I found it daunting.
I loved it as well, in a sort of agony – but blissful agony.”
Sounds like something for the doctor, Hugh.
You can stream the show now on ITVX.
