EXCLUSIVE: Pete Wicks’ heartbreaking admission ahead of starring in brand new reality TV show (Mirror)

Pete Wicks is embarking on a new reality TV venture alongside some fellow famous faces, with the former TOWIE star admitting his past stints on TV haven’t always shown him in the best light

Pete Wicks has made a heartbreaking admission about his career as he prepares to star in an exciting new TV show, saying he feels like he’s been a “w****r”.

The former TOWIE star has teamed up with Love Island 2019 winner Amber Rose Gill, Celebrity Gogglebox star Nick Grimshaw and Geordie Shore legend and Queen of the Jungle Vicky Pattison for a brand new reality TV show due to hit our screens later this month – but there’s a twist.

The Underdog: Josh Must Win features a group of fun, confident people who think they’re competing to be the top favourite in a contest hosted by former Radio 1 DJ Nick. But whilst the challengers, like Josh, think they are aiming to be the most liked for a cash reward, what they aren’t aware of is their celebrity neighbours next-door, strategizing their own game play to ensure that it is materially Josh.

The series, produced by E4, sees Pete, Vicky, Amber and Nick given the mammoth task of secretly running the show and doing whatever they can to manipulate things and make sure underdog Josh – an unlikely reality TV contestant – is crowned the winner.

The celebrity experts on The Underdog: Josh Must Win are no stranger to reality TV – with Pete previously appearing on shows like TOWIE, Celebs Go Dating, Celebrity Island with Bear Grylls, Celebrity Circle, Celebrity MasterChef and more. Speaking to the Mirror and other press, Pete reflected on his past TV stints and the public’s perception of him.

Chatting about how The Underdog: Josh Must Win is a kinder reality TV show, compared to more brutal productions like Love Island and Geordie Shore, Pete and his all co-stars all agreed the upcoming E4 series will make people think about how they treat other people. “It made me think of the times I’ve been an arsehole,” Pete confessed. “We’ve all made mistakes and have done things where we’ve gone overboard. It made me feel like a bit of a w**ker if I am honest with you.”

Pete’s co-star Vicky also shared a plea to potential viewers ahead of The Underdog: Josh Must Win premiering. “I would just like to ask everybody to be a bit kind when watching it and see if for what it is, which is entertainment and see it for they are seeing it as, which is a very small snap shot into what a person is,” the veteran reality TV star said. “People really didn’t me for a long time and I’m quite nice.”

Continuing to chat about the brand new series, she added: “It’s nice to be part of something in its infancy. It’s very exciting and the content is different. You think to yourself ‘Oh gosh, everything has been done’ but all of a suddenly something comes along like this which is new, fresh and exciting and you think ‘This is going to grab everyone by the short and curlies’.

“We lived this experience for about two weeks and I cannot tell you how obsessed and invested we became. We filmed 18 hours a day and we’d jump in the same people carrier home and we’d talk about it all the way home because we couldn’t help ourselves. It got under our skins and I think it’s going to get under viewers’ skin as well. The whole world is excited about it.”

*The Underdog: Just Must Win starts Monday 25^th March at 9pm on E4. Stream on Channel 4.

Josh Must Win’s Vicky Pattison shares emotional reason she signed up to new ‘Underdog’ reality show (Virgin Radio UK)

Josh Must Win is the upcoming reality series with a major twist, and for one of its stars, it allowed them to be the reality telly producer they always wanted to be.

Radio star Nick Grimshaw, reality TV stalwart Vicky Pattison, The Only Way is Essex’s Pete Wicks and Love Island winner Amber Gill are at the helm of E4’s spin on the traditional format, with the panellists having to ensure their secret underdog, Josh, wins a popularity contest called The Favourite.

The celebs, all hidden away in a secret room, have the ability to control what the contestants do in a bid to make sure Josh is voted The Favourite. Every time he’s found to be the ‘Least Favourite’ the prize pot loses £10,000, but if he lands at the top of the Favourite list, that £10k gets added back on.

I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! winner Vicky has experienced her fair share of reality TV shows, having starred in Geordie Shore, Ex on the Beach and Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins, so it’s no wonder she jumped at the chance to be in control of another social experiment.

Speaking to virginradio.co.uk and other press ahead of the release on Monday 25th March, Vicky admitted she felt “empowered” taking on a role that was more behind-the-scenes.

She explained: “I have been out of control of my own life for the most part. I started on reality TV when I was 21. For those first five years, I just felt completely at the mercy of whatever any producer decided.

“As I’ve grown, I’ve done sort of different reality TV, arguably nicer reality TV. But to be on the other side of it was really empowering. It also gave us the chance to be the type of producers that I kind of wish I’d potentially encountered when I was younger.”

Vicky did confess to feeling slightly “drunk on power” with her fellow celebs, but they also exercised “compassion and empathy” for everyone on The Favourite, not just Josh.

“I know what it’s like to desperately want to make a good impression to try and be true to yourself, but also be what the producer wants,” she continued. “We were mindful of that. So yes, there were a lot of conflicting feelings going on, but desperately just getting Josh to win.

“But we also had one key objective, and that was to make sure everyone had a really nice time, and got as much money as they possibly could. I felt a whole host of things, but it was just feel good vibes the majority of the time.”

The Underdog: Josh Must Win starts Monday 25th March at 9pm on E4. Stream on Channel 4.

(Originally posted on Virgin Radio UK, Tue 19th March 2024, 10.04 GMT)

Vicky Pattison: ‘Reality TV is ready for something new – Josh Must Win’ (RadioTimes.com)

Get ready for a spin on the reality TV genre as you know it.

Get ready for a new kind of series that is ready to take the reality TV genre by storm.

The Underdog: Josh Must Win is a brand new reality series that sees a group of confident contestants compete in a popularity contest, with all of them under the assumption they are on a series called The Favourite.

As viewers will see, the contestants have to vote for whoever is their favourite and as will become apparent, Josh is far from your stereotypical reality TV star, but it’s down to Pattison and co to ensure he becomes the most popular within the group.

The group will do everything and anything they can to influence the game, but must ensure they don’t get caught. This includes introducing format twists, setting tasks and mastering the art of manipulation, and Pattison can’t wait for viewers to tune in.

By Katelyn Mensah (originally published by RadioTimes.com, Tue 19th March 2024, 00.01 GMT)

Nick Grimshaw wants his own chat show (Yahoo)

Nick Grimshaw wants his own chat show.

The 39-year-old star is best known for his work with BBC Radio 1 but left in 2021 after 14 years on air and has now admitted that because he “loves” talking to people, he would love to host his own television programme.

He told Metro newspaper’s SixtySeconds column: “I enjoy talking to people, so I would love to do some sort of chat show. Having time away has made me love radio even more and I do miss it.”

Meanwhile, the ‘Celebrity Googlebox’ star – who will soon be seen hosting ‘Josh Must Win’ for Channel 4 alongside ‘Geordie Shore’ legend Vicky Pattison, ‘Love Island’ winner Amber Gill and Pete Wicks of ‘TOWIE’ fame – will celebrate his milestone 40th birthday in August and admitted that he is “excited” about it all but revealed that his mother is twice his age and she is always the one who is away partying.

He added: “I feel excited about getting older. It’s not like you turn 40 and you’ve got to – I don’t know – get a shed and sit in it [laughs]. My mum is 81 and I can’t get hold of her. She’s so busy, always doing something, girls’ holidays… she goes to Ibiza with her friends. Forty is not anything to worry about at all!”

Away from the spotlight, Nick has been engaged to long-term boyfriend Meshach ‘Mesh’ Henry since 2022 and had intended to tie the knot relatively soon after the proposal without making the engagement their whole “personality” but joked that that has become the case.

He said: “When we got engaged, I was like, ‘Let’s not be them people who talk about getting married for five years and it’s their personality and that’s all they can talk about. Now, we are them people!”

By BANG Showbiz (originally published on Yahoo.com, Wed 20th March 2024)

Channel 4 combines The Traitors and Big Brother with Josh Must Win (Yahoo)

Channel 4 is combining ‘The Traitors’ and ‘Celebrity Big Brother’ into new show ‘Josh Must Win’.

The broadcaster has created a blend of both programmes with a new psychological strategy gameshow, which is centred around a fake reality show ‘The Favourite’, which sees a cast of larger than life ordinary people striving to be the most popular.

However, a second show – featuring host Nick Grimshaw and stars Pete Wicks, Amber Gill and Vicky Pattison – is actually happening away from the main group.

Across the eight episodes, the celebrities have to do whatever they can to make sure one man leaves ‘The Favourites’ as the winner.

E4’s commissioning editor Mel Bezalel said: “At E4, we’re completely obsessed with reality that drives viewing on All 4, and we’re excited about taking the genre in a completely (and sneaky) new direction.

“This is a show that engages celebrities in an entirely different way, using their unique skillset and experiences to manipulate gameplay – with entertaining and surprising results. This is a TV event not to miss.”

The show has been described as a “buy-one-get-one free” format “unlike anything we’ve seen before”.

An insider told The Sun newspaper’s TVBiz column: “‘The Traitors’ has shown how something a little more intellectual, offering a twist on the standard reality genre, can really fly.

“Bosses hope Josh Must Win will similarly shake things up and capture viewers’ imagination.”

The stars involved will have to “do everything they can” to impact the game.

The source added: “The celebs will do everything they can to influence the game — by setting tasks, introducing twists and using all they’ve learnt about reality shows and popularity to ensure Josh’s triumph.

“Of course the bigger picture is a look at what it takes to be popular today.

“Is it the dry wit of ‘Big Brother’ winner Jordan Sangha? Or the baby-faced innocence of The Traitors’ Harry Clark?”

Other stars – such as Gemma Collins – will feature throughout the eight part run.

‘Josh Must Win’ is coming to E4 next month.

 

By Bang Showbiz (originally posted on Yahoo.com, Thu 8th February 2024)

Vicky Pattison opens up on ‘obsession’ with new reality TV show and asks fans to ‘be kind’ (Mirror)

The Geordie Shore legend has asked viewers to ‘be kind’ ahead of the launch of E4’s The Underdog: Josh Must Win

Vicky Pattison, a star known for her time on Geordie Shore, is urging fans to “be kind” as she takes part in a brand new reality show.

In The Underdog: Josh Must Win, produced by E4, Vicky allies with radio host Nick Grimshaw, TOWIE’s Pete Wicks and Love Island victor Amber Rose Gill. The twist of the programme is that this band of famous faces secretly run the show, manoeuvring a popularity contest believed by the competitors to be named The Favourite, led by Nick.

At a press event for the new show ‘Josh Must Win’, Vicky shared her thoughts: “I would just like to ask everybody to be a bit kind when watching it and see if for what it is, which is entertainment and see it for they are seeing it as, which is a very small snap shot into what a person is. People really didn’t me for a long time and I’m quite nice.”

She also said how thrilling it is to be part of a brand-new show: “It’s nice to be part of something in its infancy. It’s very exciting and the content is different. You think to yourself ‘Oh gosh, everything has been done’ but all of a suddenly something comes along like this which is new, fresh and exciting and you think ‘This is going to grab everyone by the short and curlies’.

“We lived this experience for about two weeks and I cannot tell you how obsessed and invested we became. We filmed 18 hours a day and we’d jump in the same people carrier home and we’d talk about it all the way home because we couldn’t help ourselves. It got under our skins and I think it’s going to get under viewers’ skin as well. The whole world is excited about it.”

Vicky, who became famous on MTV’s Geordie Shore in 2011 and later won ITV’s I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!, talked about her role behind the scenes of Josh Must Win. She shared: “To be on the other side of it was really empowering and it also gave us the chance to be the type of producers I kind of wish I potentially encountered when I was younger.”

She added that while they sometimes got carried away with their power, they tried to show kindness and understanding. “Yes, we sometimes got drunk on the power but we also expressed some empathy and compassion for the people there because I’ve been there and I know what it was like to make a good impression and try to remain true to yourself but also be what the producer want because it’s a lot for young people and we were mindful of that.”

Catch The Underdog: Just Must Win starting Monday, March 25 at 9pm on E4 or stream it on Channel 4.

By Dan Laurie (originally posted on Mirror.co.uk, Tue 19th March 2024, 04.22 GMT)

Nick Grimshaw: ‘I’ll always probably feel like an outsider’ (Metro)

Radio DJ, TV presenter and Podcast host, Nick Grimshaw is on a mission to prove that being yourself, really is the key to success.

In this weekend’s 60 Seconds, Grimmy, 39, talks about the new reality series The Underdog: Josh Must Win, what really makes someone popular, how he feels to be hitting 40, wedding plans and his embarrassing encounter with popstar Lizzo…

Tell me about your new show, The Underdog: Josh Must Win.

It is a show within a show following 10 housemates who are not actually in the show that they think they are. They’re part of a bigger experiment, which sees me, Amber Gill, Pete Wicks and Vicky Pattison try to make one contestant, Josh, win… to see whether an underdog, or someone who feels they may be an outsider, could win a popularity contest.

The great thing about this show is, Josh shines because he’s himself and kind – you can win at life from being yourself, and that it’s OK to be an outsider.

Do you think it redefines what being popular means?

We look at that throughout: is it Instagram followers? Is it your body? Is it how white your teeth are? Is it how loud you are? Is it how sexy you are? What we decide on as a panel is that what’s attractive, and what draws people to another person, is when they’re authentic. That’s what Josh is. He’s not the stereotypical reality star with a six-pack and spray tan.

In six months, he’ll have a whopping set of veneers…

Straight out the show to Turkey!

Could you see yourself in Josh at all?

I definitely felt like an outsider when I was at school. I felt like an outsider when I would be in very heterosexual environments. I felt like an outsider when I came to London and I was northern. I felt like an outsider when I joined Radio 1 – I’ll always probably feel like that somehow.

By Tom Stichbury (excerpt originally published on Metro.co.uk 23rd March 2024, 08.00 GMT)

The Underdog: Josh Must Win review – this sham reality show is like old-school Big Brother, but better (The Guardian)

Nick Grimshaw and his celebrity pals need to make sure an ‘underdog’ wins a fake reality competition. It’s a fun, canny spectacle that completely shakes up the genre

Primal and RoughcutTV Secure Third Series of Jerk From BBC3 and IPlayer

BAFTA nominated Tim Renkow (Live at the Apollo, Bobby and Harriet) to star in a third series of Jerk for BBC Three and iPlayer.

Co-written by Renkow and Shaun Pye (There She Goes, Frankie Boyle’s New World Order), Jerk is a black comedy that revolves around the character of Tim, a man who uses the fact that he has cerebral palsy to try and get away with anything. Tim makes people feel uncomfortable. He knows that because he does it on purpose. But that’s his problem, time spent taking aim at small targets means he constantly misses out on life’s bigger prizes.

Series 3 sees Tim further bulldoze the sensitivities of modern life with a lead role in a movie, a stint as a drug mule, a job advising government on disability and generally attacking anything that takes itself too seriously. Series 3 also charts a touching love story as Tim falls for a disability activist with an agenda. Is that the sound of wedding bells, as Tim finally meets his match…

Tim Renkow says: “They renewed us?! Really?!! Oh shit, I got to get to work.”

Alex Smith, Executive Producer & Head of Scripted at Roughcut TV says: “The great disruptor is back. Not Trump, but Renkow – and just as offensive. Roughcut are thrilled to bring 6 more episodes of Bafta nominated Tim Renkow – still scripted TV’s first and only disabled lead – to the BBC. This series promises to question the licence fee like no other has.”

Mat Steiner, Managing Director of Primal Media says: “It is great that the only person on earth who Elon Musk might actually ban from Twitter will ambush our screens again.”

Jerk has won the Representation of Disability Award at the Mipcom Diversify TV Excellence Awards.

Jerk is a co-production between Roughcut TV and Primal Media for BBC Three and iPlayer. It is co-created by Stu Richards, produced by Khaya Castagnoli and directed by Tom McKay. The executive producers are Tim Renkow, Alex Smith and Ash Atalla for Roughcut TV and Mat Steiner for Primal Media. The commissioning editor for the BBC is Seb Barwell.

Primal Media Sitcom Jerk Nominated for Rockie Award

Roughcut TV and Primal Media’s four-part scripted comedy Jerk, for BBC Three, starring Tim Renkow, has been nominated for a Rockie Award for Best Short Fiction Program

With a 43-year legacy, the prestigious Rockie Awards recognize excellence in global television and digital content. Entries from more than 55 countries compete each year, and winners are selected by an international industry jury of 150+ senior entertainment and media professionals.

The Rockies are open to all genres and platforms including drama, non-fiction, digital, kids, youth and podcasts. Category winners, including the Grand Jury Prize will be announced at a ceremony that will be presented in June 2022.

The series piloted as A Brief History Of Tim in BBC Three’s 2016 Comedy Feeds, showcasing emerging new talent, before its first series was commissioned and aired in 2019. Series one won a MIPCOM Diversify TV Excellence Award for its representation of disability and was described by Ian Hyland as “the sharpest new comedy I have watched in years” in a 5* Daily Mirror review.

Jerk series two recently aired on BBC One, and is available now on iPlayer.

Jerk (4×22’) is written by Shaun Pye and Tim Renkow, and is a co-production between Roughcut TV and Primal Media for BBC Three.  The Executive Producers are Ash Atalla and Alex Smith for Roughcut TV, and Mat Steiner for Primal Media. It is produced by Roughcut’s Rebecca Murrell, and the Commissioning Editor for BBC Comedy is Alex Moody.