Paul O’Grady’s Saturday Night Line Up is AXED by ITV after failing to wow audiences 

Paul O’Grady has had a rare flip side with his primetime ITV show Saturday Night Line Up.

The show, which evolved from a pilot in 2019 to six episodes and a Christmas special last year, is not coming back.

The concept was that familiar faces should be in the order in which the public would place them, in response to questions such as: who is the richest? And: who would they like to go on a date with?

Unfortunately, the game failed to strike a chord with the public. Saturday night shows are notoriously hard to get right. The masked singer and dancer have taken off, but dozens of others have failed.

O’Grady, one of the funniest (and nicest) guys in the business, is still making For The Love Of Dogs for ITV, where it’s in its tenth series.

Off screen, he has agreed to star as Miss Hannigan in a touring production of the musical Annie.

One to watch: The concept was for famous faces to line up in the order the audience would ask them in response to questions (pictured with Joan Collins)

It comes after he opted out of his last Radio 2 show in August after 14 years behind the microphone, revealing that he was “not happy” to be sharing his slot with Rob Beckett.

Earlier this month, O’Grady revealed how he once found himself in a precarious situation, only to be interrupted by an over-enthusiastic fan.

Speaking to Richard Eden of the Daily Mail, Paul explained that the hilarious incident happened during a short break from pantomime rehearsals.

“I was in pant costume like the Evil Queen and put on sweatpants to get something to eat,” he explained.

“But the elastic went and they fell down. So I’m in the middle of the road with my pants around my ankles when that guy yells, “Hey Paul, can I have your autograph?”

“I gave it to him, but he had to wait for my sausage roll first!”

Stage Star: Off-screen, he has agreed to star as Miss Hannigan in a touring production of the musical Annie (pictured in Cinderella)