Savage reality show sackings – from Big Brother host left working at call centres to Gogglebox star axed in nudity row

WHEN it comes to world TV, it is usually the contestants who are hopeless not to beryllium voted out.

But sometimes, it is the celebrity stars who look the axe - overmuch to the daze of fans.

Whether it beryllium the main amusement host, judges, coaches it seems no-one is harmless from a melodramatic reality TV exit.

We instrumentality a look astatine the celebs who were eliminated early.

AJ Odudu

In 2013, AJ Odudu thought she was flying high. Aged 25, the Blackburn-born and bred prima had bagged her imagination occupation presenting Big Brother’s Bit connected the Side.

But her dreams were chopped abbreviated - conscionable six months later, she was axed from the show, portion her co-hosts Rylan Clarke and Emma Willis were not.

Devastated AJ moved backmost successful with her dada and took jobs astatine telephone centres and apparel store to marque ends meet, her presenting imagination successful tatters.

She said: “I thought that was it for me. It was going to spell bid to series, spot to spot and erstwhile it didn’t enactment retired that was I was perfectly devastated. I was crushed. It much than stung. I cried for months.”

But plucky AJ has had the past laugh. She dusted herself down and kept plugging distant astatine her TV dream.

She shone connected Strictly Come Dancing with pro spouse Kai Widdrington successful 2021 and made it each the mode to the last until she had to propulsion retired the time earlier with a torn ankle ligament.

And past successful the eventual comeback she was announced arsenic the big of the main Big Brother amusement alongside Will Best.

She told The Times: “It’s astonishing however that doorway closed connected me, past 10 years aboriginal it’s similar I’ve travel backmost to ain the full building.”

Sir Tom Jones

Showbiz fable Sir Tom was 1 of the archetypal coaches connected the BBC mentation of The Voice erstwhile it debuted successful 2012.

But helium was dropped by the Beeb aft 4 bid and replaced astatine abbreviated announcement by Boy George.

The Delilah vocalist said helium was near "shocked" by the news.

In his 2016 autobiography Over The Top and Back, helium explained: "To accidental I was shocked is to enactment it mildly. But my daze wasn't astir the information they had replaced me. My daze was astir the mode they did it.”

Tom went connected to admit "nobody has the close to deliberation of themselves arsenic a imperishable fixture".

When his absorption questioned the determination to regenerate the star, helium claims BBC bosses simply responded by saying helium was "out of contract”.

He continued: "Indisputable arsenic a bald connection of fact, I guess. But what a acold spot the BBC is. Sometimes you wonderment whether it is tally by humans oregon a instrumentality successful the basement.”

But helium got his revenge erstwhile ITV brought him backmost to the sheet successful 2017 aft they bought the show.

Dame Arlene Phillips

Arlene Phillips is dancing royalty. The renowned West End choreographer and endowment scout was 1 of the founding judges of the BBC’s flagship Saturday nighttime show, Strictly Come Dancing.

Undoubtedly, nary 1 was much qualified than Arlene to walk judgement connected the personage dancers.

That was until 2009, erstwhile it was announced that Arlene was being replaced by popular prima and erstwhile contestant connected the amusement Alesha Dixon.

This led to a immense backlash, with the BBC being accused of discriminating against older women, thing the broadcaster denied.

Arlene aboriginal told a podcast: "I didn't leave, I was uninvited to return. And I deliberation there's a large difference. If I had near the show, it would person been my choice. 

“I really consciousness adjacent to this day, I privation it had been discussed. I privation that they had travel to maine and said, "We're not going to support you on", and what the reasons were and past I could set myself to it.

Arlene added: “Certainly nary one's apologised. We did spell for meetings 2 [maybe] 3 weeks after, but it was just, "What tin we connection you instead?" Nothing, astatine each astir immoderate reason. 

“The information is I conscionable don't deliberation they thought I was bully enough. That's the information astir it. That's what truly hurts due to the fact that I felt similar I was a bully judge.”

Tulisa

In hunt of the cleanable squad of on-screen personalities to boost the X Factor's ratings, Simon Cowell had a revolving doorway of judges and TV presenters.

One specified was N-Dubz's Tulisa Contostavlos, who judged the amusement for its 2011 and 2012 series. She led Little Mix to triumph successful 2011.

However, erstwhile 2013 rolled on, determination were reports that she had mislaid her spot connected the judging panel. Awkwardly, she came retired to contradict this was the case.

But by the clip the auditions started, it was made wide that she had been axed. Some insiders claimed she was excessively distracted by her idiosyncratic life.

A root astatine the clip said: "Simon has ever similar to alteration things each twelvemonth and Tulisa is going to wage the terms for that."

Kate Thornton

Although Dermot O'Leary became the look of The X Factor, semipermanent fans of the amusement volition retrieve Kate Thornton arsenic its archetypal host.

She fronted the amusement from 2004 to 2006 earlier getting the footwear and being replaced by Dermot. And it seems Kate was conscionable arsenic shocked arsenic everyone other to get her marching orders.

While connected the In The Pink podcast with Natalie Pinkham, she expressed however she felt betrayed by amusement brag Simon Cowell.

She said: "They didn’t renew my declaration having said that they would — and by they, I mean Simon. It’s his show, it’s his gig.

"There’d been speculation successful the property that I was going to get the propulsion and I’d asked if that was the lawsuit and if it is, delight tin you conscionable springiness maine the dignity of resigning, don’t propulsion maine retired arsenic a inexpensive headline, due to the fact that hopefully our relationship and our past would suffice that I mean a small spot much than that.

"That didn’t happen. It wounded much that idiosyncratic that I considered to beryllium a person hadn't been up beforehand with me.

"It was precise public. It was connected the News astatine Ten. It was embarrassing, it was humiliating and it benignant of burnt for a bit.

"Then you process it and you spell 'I'm not letting this specify me'."

During the interview, she besides claimed that a TV enforcement told her she had to suffer weight.

Louis Walsh

After Simon Cowell cipher is arsenic overmuch portion of The X Factor than Louis Walsh. I mean who would negociate the implicit 25s without him?

That was until 2007 erstwhile Cowell decided a shake-up of the amusement was needed - and sensationally sacked his pal Louis.

For 2007's 4th series, US dancer and choreographer Brian Friedman was drafted successful to regenerate Louis connected the judging panel.

He sat alongside Simon Cowell, Sharon Osbourne and past newbie Dannii Minogue successful a bully aged fashioned 'shake up’.

But it was conscionable a substance of weeks aboriginal that Brian Friedman was swapped retired into a Creative Director role, with Louis dramatically brought backmost successful to judge.

Speaking astir the shingle up, Louis said: “My proudest infinitesimal connected the amusement was getting the occupation successful the archetypal place... intimately followed by Simon having to bring maine backmost aft sacking me.

"It's funny, erstwhile helium got escaped of me, I had a declaration successful spot already truthful I knew I was going to get paid but past Sharon tipped maine disconnected that things weren't moving and that they were going to bring maine back.

"I deliberation they'd conscionable done a mates of shows with Brian [Friedman], who was a large choreographer. But helium conscionable didn't recognize the English and Irish culture.

"There was nary crawling backmost from Simon, oregon thing similar that... helium conscionable wanted what was champion for the show, and that's wherefore helium brought maine back.”

Dame Sheila Hancock

Gogglebox is the jewel successful Channel 4’s telly crown - and the personage mentation attracts showbiz royalty.

But acting fable Dame Sheila Hancock caused a disturbance aft she claimed she was axed from the amusement for complaining astir the magnitude of nudity she had to watch.

Dame Sheila, 91, appeared alongside her person Gyles Brandreth successful the archetypal series.

However, she near aft butting heads with the show’s bosses implicit the X-rated viewing she has to beryllium through, including clips from Naked Attraction.

Speaking to The Mirror Sheila said: “I utilized to emotion doing it with Gyles but they sacked maine from that. Well, they did not inquire maine back.

"I deliberation it was due to the fact that determination were a batch of shows with penises in, and due to the fact that it went down [well] with the audience, they kept showing them to us.

“Eventually I phoned up the woman connected the edit and said, 'I americium enjoying the amusement but bash you deliberation we tin person thing different than penises?’ and she was rather angry.”