Gary Barlow is to front a new BBC One primetime Saturday night show featuring the music of Take That.
Presented by Graham Norton and Mel Giedroyc, Let It Shine (working title) will be searching for talent to create a band who will join the cast of a new stage show featuring the Manchester band’s songs.
Barlow will be joined by three mentors each week to find the very best talent the country has to offer. The winning group will perform the hits of the band in a nationwide musical stage show called The Band.
Barlow said: “Back in 1989, we were just a group of normal guys from Manchester who came together to become Take That. The secret to our success was that each of us brought something different to the group and that the five of us had real chemistry.
“Now with Let It Shine we’re looking for people from all walks of life to form another unique group who can recreate that magic. If you think you’ve got what it takes, we want to see it!”
Casting for the series is now open.
Norton said: “The combination of the BBC, everyone’s favourite band and Saturday nights made this an offer I simply couldn’t refuse. If I wasn’t a part of Let It Shine, I know I would be watching it at home – this way I just get the best seat in the house.”
The series has been commissioned by Charlotte Moore, BBC Controller of TV Channels and iPlayer, alongside Alan Tyler, Acting Controller of BBC Entertainment Commissioning, and Rachel Ashdown, Commissioning Editor for BBC Entertainment.
