News comes days after BBC revealed a similar show

Jonathan Ross is to host a major new stand-up show for ITV.

Each episode of Jonathan Ross’ Comedy Club will feature four comedians, with a promise to mix up-and-coming talent with more established names.

The show is set to be recorded this summer, adhering to Covid guidelines, for broadcast in the autumn.

TV insiders say the aim of the 30-minute shows, to be made by Ross’s production company Hotsauce, is to plug the gap left by the closures of comedy clubs.

Ross said: 'Apart from the excuse to wear make-up, my favourite part of this job has always been giving exciting new talent a platform to show off their skills. The excitement and joy in seeing a new face come out and deliver memorable comedy is a wonderful feeling, and we want to make sure as many people as possible get to experience it.

'There’s so much incredible comedy talent around at the moment with all too few opportunities to do what they do best. I’m very much looking forward to giving these acts the exposure they deserve, having a good laugh and finally leaving my front room.'

Executive producer Tom Barrett added: 'Not only are we incredibly excited about giving our finest emerging comedians the exposure they deserve, we’re also looking forward to giving our viewers a taste of the excitement, anarchy and fun of a night out at an intimate comedy club.'

The news comes just two days after the BBC also announced it was making  a new stand-up series to support grassroots comedy talent hammered by the coronavirus crisis.

BBC Presents: Stand Up For Live Comedy will start filming this summer in six British cities.  Shane Allen, the controller of BBC Comedy said of its commission: 'It’s been the roughest time for live comedy on record and finally we can be the first broadcaster to bring audiences and comedians together in the same place again as nothing beats the magic of shared laughter.’

However, the regular September recordings of Live At The Apollo have been shelved, with the BBC Two series not now returning until next year.

Made by: Hotsauce TV Production for ITV
Executive producer: Tom Barrett
Commissioning editor for ITV: Joe Mace.

Published: 23 Jul 2020