BBC show scrapped under mysterious circumstances leaving TV insiders scratching their heads
HE’S one of the most famous “surrogacy fathers”, so it seemed a great idea for Olympic champ Tom Daley to make a BBC documentary on the subject.
But the show, which drew on his experiences of starting a family with husband Dustin Lance Black, has now been scrapped under mysterious circumstances.
It was announced amid much fanfare in 2018.
Yet diver Tom claims he did not have enough time to complete the show as he was in training for the Olympics in 2021, where he won Gold.
The couple have a son, Robbie, born via a surrogate in 2018.
A TV insider said: “There’s been some scratching of heads among observers as it was strange to unveil plans only for them to be shelved.
READ MORE ON TOM DALEY
“Tom would have had some idea what is involved in making a documentary and training. After all, he has competed at the Games in 2008, 2012 and 2016.
"But producers understood there was a time limit in which the documentary could be made.”
Tom made two other documentaries for BBC1 — Tom Daley: Illegal To Be Me and Tom Daley’s Hell Of A Homecoming, which both aired in 2022.
But the diver and Dustin gained attention last year after an “altercation” with a member of the public at a bar in central London and the police were called.
Most read in News TV
One of the issues that was going to be tackled in the documentary was the laws surrounding surrogacy in the UK at the time.
A BBC spokeswoman said: “Due to Tom’s sporting commitments in the run-up to the 2020 Olympics, he was unable to film.
"Given the topicality of the subject and its exploration of the arguments for and against a change in the law, he agreed with the BBC it would have been impossible to complete the film in a satisfactory way that would have accurately reflected the situation at the time.”
DAV: TOO BUSY FOR MY DVDS
DAVINA McCall admits she hasn’t got time to follow her old workout routines these days – as she’s too busy.
The Masked Singer judge made a fortune out of fitness DVDs in the Noughties.
Now she opts to fit ordinary exercise into her everyday schedule, even between meetings.
She said on her Spinning Plates podcast: “Who’s got time for that? Spinning too many plates.
“But I do try to work out a minimum of three times a week. I try to have active rest days.
“For example, I went to Shoreditch today and they were like, ‘Do you want to get a car’. I said, ‘No, I want to go by Tube’ so I did a brisk 15-minute walk to the place I was going to, a brisk 15-minute walk back and I ran down the escalator.”
She added: “I just try to be active wherever I go. I always think this might not be in a gym, but it’s certainly exercise.
“If I was on a treadmill, these are good calories I’m burning here.
“I try to be active on my rest days because it is all exercise, right?”
Well, I get my exercise by walking to Greggs and back each day.
Lemon aided by millions
LEIGH Francis had a “bang tidy” year with cash despite two of his shows being axed.
The comic, whose alter ego is telly host Keith Lemon, is worth just over £4million.
That’s according to new figures for his two main companies, Pretty Good Productions and Bang Tidy Productions.
Leigh has seen his biggest shows, Celebrity Juice and The Fantastical Factory of Curious Craft, culled during the past 12 months.
A source said: “Leigh may have experienced a disappointing year but he’s certainly shrewd with his cash. He can afford to take a break, if needs be, to work on new material, which is a luxury a number of creatives are unable to do.”
Read More on The Sun
In other good news for Leigh, Pretty Good made £1.42million last year.
I revealed last month the Yorkshireman was hoping to bring back Bo Selecta in a new format, 13 years after Channel 4 took it off air.
AUF GAGS BACK ON BRITBOX
STREAMING service BritBox is bringing back the uncut version of Eighties classic Auf Wiedersehen, Pet.
The move comes after there was an outcry when UKTV screened the comedy drama and removed all the gags, which were deemed archaic.
That anger was shared by Tim Healy, one of its best-known stars, who played Dennis Patterson.
He was leader of the “magnificent seven” builders who left Blighty to work in West Germany.
The other actors included Kevin Whately, Timothy Spall and Jimmy Nail.
Geordie Tim made his feelings plain at the time, saying: “It’s such a shame all the gags have gone, so the rhythm of the scenes have become stilted and awkward.”
Fortunately, somebody now appears to have listened to him.
Cheers, Pet.