BULLDOGS AWARDS 2008
The Fountain Studios
LIGHT ENTERTAINMENT
Strictly Come Dancing

Winner

Strictly Come Dancing

October, BBC, (BBC Entertainment)

The fifth season of the BBC’s hugely popular celebrity ballroom dancing show presented by Bruce Forsyth and Tess Daly saw the ex Mis-Teeq singer Alesha Dixon join up with Latin dance specialist Matthew Cutler to waltz, cha-cha and foxtrot their way to the winning position. The Saturday night BBC1 show also featured celebrities including footballer John Barnes, actresses Letitia Dean and Stephanie Beacham, presenter Kelly Brook and snooker legend Willie Thorne. Strictly Come Dancing regularly garnered over 10 million viewers for its Saturday night edition and a decision to transmit another edition of the programme at peaktime on Sundays also paid rating dividends with nearly eight million viewers tuning in. The show also had its own successful spin off programme that went out every week night during the run on BBC2. The format is now being produced in territories around the world.

RUNNERS UP
The X Factor

2nd

The X Factor

August, ITV1, (Talkbackthames/Syco)

This year, the talent show of talent shows saw the addition of Danni Minogue to the judging panel and the reinstatement of Louis Walsh after his much publicised sacking. And it saw Big Brother’s Dermot O’Leary become the new host. It also saw Scottish crooner Leon Jackson pip Rhydian to the post as the final Winner amidst much anger from Welsh voters who reckoned their man had been robbed. Exec producer was Richard Holloway.

Britian's Got Talent

3rd

Britain’s Got Talent

June, ITV1, (Talkbackthames/Syco)

The gong show for the noughties proved a massive hit for ITV as the ubiquitous front man Simon Cowell took the reins as a judge again, this time joined by ex newspaper editor Piers Morgan and actress Amanda Holden. The contest, presented by ITV favourites Ant and Dec eventually crowned ex Carphone Warehouse manager and amateur opera singer Paul Potts as the Winner – and he’s already gone on to conquer the US. The exec producer was Richard Holloway.