Take Me Out fans devastated as show is axed after 11 years

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Paddy Take Me Out
(Image credit: ITV)

‘No likey, no lighty’ will be no longer…

Smash hit ITV dating show Take Me Out has been axed after 11 years on our screens.

The ultimately cheesy Saturday night enteratinment saw single men emerge from a lift, revealing themselves to a horde of eligible bachelorettes - only to be harshly turned down by a sea of turned off lights if they failed to impress.

When the lad looking for love’s options had finally been whittled down, he’d choose one lucky lady to jet off for a romantic date to the fictional Isle of Fernandos.

Now, it has been confirmed that the iconic programme, famously hosted by comedian Paddy McGuinness, has been cancelled after more than 100 episodes.

Let the celebrity see the Love Lift! In the first of two specials, the Saturday-night favourite features three male celebs trying to impress 30 girls (from previous series) as Paddy McGuinness plays matchmaker.

The dating show has been a telly favourite for many for over a decade. (Image credit: ITV / Thames / Fremantle)

Speaking on the news, that has no doubt left lovers of the corny series devastated, an ITV spokesperson said, “We’ve decided to say goodbye to Take Me Out.”

Meanwhile, a telly source has reportedly told The Sun, “ITV and Paddy have done all the specials you can eke out of a dating show, so it’s been decided it’s time for it to go.

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“As with many shows, ratings have slid a bit in recent years. But it will go down as a big success — it’s had more weddings than Blind Date.”

While he’ll no longer star in Take Me Out, the Manchester funny man can still be found on screens, co-hosting BBC’s Top Gear, alongside sportsman Andrew Flintoff.

Take Me Out

The show has been cancelled after drops in ratings. (Image credit: ITV / Thames / Fremantle)

Reacting to the news of Take Me Out’s cancellation on social media, one disappointed fan suggested that the rise of ITV’s Love Island may have had a hand in the show’s decline.

‘Oh that’s sad, I think it’s because we have love island which imitates Take me out. Paddy is such a nice guy 😊.’

‘Noooooo I actually loved take me out on a Saturday night 😩what will us mums watch now!’ mourned another.

A third emotional fan penned, ‘ITV just axed take me out nobody speak to me for the next couple of days this is traumatic,’ but not every one is so upset by its departure.

‘Take Me Out has finally been axed so I can now live a pain free existence once and for all,’ joked one.

‘About time. Poor ratings and no longer funny,’ agreed a second.

Caitlin Elliott
Caitlin Elliott

Caitlin is Junior News Editor for woman&home, covering all things celeb, fashion, beauty and lifestyle. 

Having set her sights on becoming a magazine journalist when she was a child, Caitlin took on work experience stints at local papers and titles such as Cosmopolitan, Now, Reveal and Take a Break while studying for her Multimedia Journalism degree and has interviews with celebs, reality stars and the Archbishop of Canterbury under her belt (of course, she couldn't resist asking him about Meghan Markle and Prince Harry). After leaving uni, she dabbled in fashion PR as a Press Assistant for Topshop before becoming a part of the Now team at Future for her first real job in the world of online journalism, joining the ranks as a Digital Writer in 2019. Caitlin went on to add the likes of Woman, GoodtoKnow, WhatToWatch and woman&home to her writing repertoire before moving on to her current role. 

When she's not working you'll find Caitlin sipping bubbles at brunch with her besties, thinking about her next iced coffee, trying to close the rings on her Apple Watch, scrubbing up on her royal family knowledge or scrolling through the Zara app, trying to resist tapping 'check out' again.