Judges Announced For Let It Shine

BBC One has unveiled the celebrity judges who will join Gary Barlow as part of its new Saturday night entertainment show, Let It Shine.

Barlow, a member of Take That, will be joined by Amber Riley, Dannii Minogue and Martin Kemp. Throughout eight weeks of competition, Let It Shine will put talented individuals through their paces, to create a band who will join the cast of a brand new stage show featuring the music of Take That.

Let It Shine will have three stages of competition. Musical theatre star Amber Riley, who rose to fame as Mercedes Jones in Glee, joins the first stage of the competition to give her opinions to the budding stars.

Further announcements about stages two and three of the competition will be made in due course.

Graham Norton and Mel Giedroyc will co-host the series.

Commenting on the appointments, Gary Barlow said: "Dannii, Martin and Amber all bring so much to this panel with the breadth of experience in music, acting, stage and TV. I can't wait to get started – it's going to be epic!"

Dannii Minogue said: "I'm so excited to be returning to the UK and joining the judging panel of Let It Shine. To be a performer you must have a burning desire to perform, then you train at all the skills you need to shine. This show gives everyone that chance. I can't wait!"

Martin Kemp added: "I'm so thrilled to be a part of the BBC's Let It Shine and taking on a role where I will be able to pass on a little of my 45 years' worth of experience, in music, television and film, to young people just starting out on their journey. It's a chance to find not just the most talented, but also those who have that something extra special called charisma, that literally will 'shine' from the stage. I won't just be judging, but trying to give a constructive thought that will help them towards winning that incredible final prize."

Amber Riley commented: "One of the unique things about Glee was the covers of popular songs. They became the soundtrack to people's lives, as well as the characters on the show. I am so excited to see what the UK talent has to offer and share some of my experience on the stage to help them reach their full potential. I'm not just looking for the biggest voices or the biggest personalities, but those who have what it takes to make it on TV and on stage."

The series is commissioned by Charlotte Moore, BBC Director of Content and BBC Entertainment Commissioning.

Let It Shine is a BBC Studios Entertainment Production, overseen by Guy Freeman, Editor of Formats and Special Events and Executive Producer Andrew Cartmell. The Commissioning Editor for BBC Entertainment is Rachel Ashdown.

www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre

(JP/MH)