DailyMail
11:09am 5th January 2006
Showbiz queen Cilla Black today said her imminent return to primetime television was like "going home".
The former Blind Date presenter will return to our screens on Friday night as one of the judges on new ITV entertainment show Soapstar Superstar.
The two-week show, which has been likened to celebrity Fame Academy, will see 10 soapstars, past and present, competing for a £50,000 cash prize for the charity of their choice.
Every night the contestants will sing for survival and the public vote. The two who face the chop will not find out their fate until the following evening's programme.
Speaking at the launch of Soapstar Superstar in Manchester Cilla, who famously walked out on Blind Date in 2003, said she could hardly wait for the show to start.
She said: "I'm really looking forward to it, I'm very excited. The reason I'm looking forward to it is because I haven't worked with professional people in a long, long time, The people I have worked with recently have all been punters, members of the general public. This time they're stars in their own right.
"It all came about after I went to several celebrations for ITV's 50th birthday and they gave me my own star in Covent Garden which was really nice.
"It's like going home, like I've not left, and I haven't been there for nearly years since Blind Date. They just made me feel so welcome, so when the opportunity came up to do this show I thought it would be a nice way of easing myself back into television.
"If I don't enjoy myself I won't do any more, but let's just see how it goes. I think it'll be great."
The soapstars appearing in the show are Shobna Gulati (Sunita), Wendi Peters (Cilla) Richard Fleeshman (Craig) and Andy Whyment (Kirk) from Coronation Street, Roxanne Pallett (Jo), Lucy Pargeter (Chastity) and Sammy Winward (Katie) from Emmerdale.
They will be joined by former EastEnders stars Nicholas Bailey (Dr Trueman) and Michael Greco (Beppe), and Lee Otway, who played Bombhead in Hollyoaks. Cilla, who will be joined on the judging panel by American talent manager Billy Sammeth and former Top of the Pops producer Chris Cowey, said she was not biased but did have a soft spot for a couple of the contestants.
She said: "I don't have any favourites but god, have you seen the boys? They're so good. Michael Greco I think is lovely, he's really very lovely. I also have a soft spot for Wendi Peters."
She added: "When I'm judging I can only be me, I can only be Cilla, I can't be Mrs Nasty. I'm going to be constructive rather than destructive. I have two guys on either side of me I'll be having more goes at them than the artists themselves."
Singing in the shower
Shobna Gulati, who has recently left Coronation Street, said she was more used to singing in the shower than singing in front of an audience.
She said: "I've done nothing like this before. I sing in the shower, in the bath, around the house and in my car, much to the amusement of everyone who drives by.
"I feel nervous, a lot nervous, and a little bit excited because it's going to be fun. I came back from India two days ago, saw the adverts on TV and thought that looks like a good show. Then I realised, I know it sounds crazy, that I was in it."
Michael Greco said although he has performed in musicals Soapstar Superstar would be out of his "comfort zone". He said: "I did Chicago in the West End and I've done a couple of other musicals but this falls out of my comfort zone.
"Even though I'm used to a live audience on stage this is a live audience to the nation, which is very different to working on TV. I'm a bit nervous, but very excited. I'm looking forward to it, I've been working hard and I can't wait for the first show."
Richard Fleeshman, who is hoping to raise money for the Kirsty Howard Appeal, said the show was going to be a bit different to his day job.
He said: "It's not quite like walking down the cobbles is it? It's going to be a real shock to the system when I walk out on Friday night with the cameras and the audience.
"The whole idea of the show is to create your own superstar self, working with stylists, choreographers and vocal coaches to really get the whole package together.
"We'll be doing lots of songs from different artists from different genres. We really will be taking every aspect, improving it and doing as well as we can."
