Mel C to judge Superstar live shows
Mel C has become a last-minute addition to the judging panel for the Superstar live shows. The former Spice Girl, who is already a mentor on the ITV1 show to find the star for a new arena tour of the musical Jesus Christ Superstar, and who is set to star as Mary Magdalene alongside the winner, will now join Dawn French, Jason Donovan and Andrew Lloyd Webber as a judge on the live shows, which start on Sunday. Mel reportedly proved such a hit with fans as a mentor in the first week of shows that Lloyd Webber persuaded her to sign up and The Sun reports that producers struck a last-minute five-figure deal to get her on board. Mel said: "I am absolutely delighted. It's been an incredible experience so far and I just can't wait for the nation to decide who will be playing Jesus in the amazing arena tour of the production." The singer recently told the Press Association she wants Jesus to have "a very powerful voice and a great acting ability" as well as "real charisma". She added: "I'm quite happy that it's in the hands of the public to decide, because it's really difficult. "Of course I do have my favourites... But to be honest with you, of the final 10 - they're all fabulous."
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Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix.
An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.