Two Scots – Carol Smillie and Andrea McLean – are to help 'fly the flag' for women presenters in a new ITV show which launches on Monday …and sets out to prove ageism has no role in television.
Forty-nine year-old Smillie and McLean, 41, are the youngest women presenters on the new ITV1 daytime show, 3@three, which will run from 3-4pm.
Other members of the presenting team are Gloria Hunniford, 70, Penny Smith, 51, and Fiona Phillips, 49.
According to the Scottish Daily Express, which has had an inside track on the story, ITV spent several weeks screen-testing a roster of 18 presenters to find their dream team.
The Scottish Daily Express reported that an ITV insider had told it that one of the main aims of the 3@three show is to give mature presenters a voice on network television.
The insider told the SDE: “We really did our homework on this and found the best team of presenters. We tested them in a 15-minute show, each time playing different roles. The script was the same – covering a range of topics from heavy to very lightweight subjects.
“Topics ranged from Iraq, to charging for toilets on Ryanair, to Speedos making a comeback. We are aiming for a modern day ‘That’s Life’ with vox pops about the topics. The team involved is very competent. No one can accuse ITV of ageism.”
An ITV spokeswoman told allmediascotland: “Our presenters each day will debate the issues of the day and invite members of the audience to express their opinions plus provide a platform for hero campaigners to voice their wishes on how to make Britain better.
“3@three will feature topical chat, consumer advice, celebrity and human interest interviews; discussing the issues that matter, alongside a daily guide to what’s on, what happening, and what’s in the news.”
3@three is an ITV Studios production for ITV1 and comprises a run of ten, 60-minute programmes. The executive producer is Karl Newton.
