This reality competition is an inside look into what it takes to become a leading star in a hit musical stage show.
The show is fronted by two very familiar BBC presenters: Graham Norton, known best for his chat show; and Mel Giedroyc, one half of the former presenting duo on The Great British Bake Off.
Over eight weeks of competition, Let It Shine puts talented individuals through their paces to create a band who will join the cast of a brand new stage show featuring the music of Take That.
The singing and dancing competition will be led by head judge Gary Barlow, frontman of Take That. The other judges are singer and TV personality Dannii Minogue, former Glee actress Amber Riley and Martin Kemp, former EastEnders actor and member of 80s British boy band Spandau Ballet.
Amber Riley joins the first audition stage (Episodes 1-4) and singer, TV personality and actress Lulu joins for the second stage.
The judges are looking for a band that exudes the charisma, showmanship and stage presence that Take That became so famous for.
Since airing in the UK in 2017, the winners of Let It Shine have gone on to star in the musical The Band, currently touring across the UK.
Format
The Auditions: The Starway
In episodes one to four we meet the contestants for the first time. Each auditionee sings for the live studio audience and judges Gary Barlow, Dannii Minogue, Martin Kemp and guest judge Amber Riley.
After their performances, the judges independently award up to five stars each, without knowing how many stars their fellow judges have given. For the contestants this means they could score anything from a minimum of four stars up to a maximum of 20 stars.
The key number is 15: the performers must score 15 in order to make it through to the next stage of the competition.
A 'starway' of 20 stars trails from the judges' desk to the stage where the contestant stands on the 15th star. One by one, the stars light up moving towards the contestant. If the 15th star (the one they are standing on) lights up then they are successfully through to the next stage of the competition.
But if the shining stars fall short of the 15th star, then the singer's journey will be over.
The Group Stage: The Collaborations
In episode five, the boys who have been successful in the audition stages will take part in a showcase of vocals, dance skills and harmonies that set the scene for what's to come in the live shows.
By the end of this episode the judges will form five boy bands. But before that happens, the boys will be put into groups of eight and must perform together, to prove they can collaborate with each other and with famous pop stars.
Beverley Knight, Kaiser Chiefs, Melanie C, Busted and Olly Murs join as special guests, with each taking a group of boys under their wing for a performance of a medley of hits.
Will the boys freeze in the bright lights or seize their moment to shine?
After each performance the groups line up on stars and the judges decide which five of the eight have the right blend of talent, charisma and passion to create the best band. Those five names are revealed, with stars trailing from the judges' desk and lighting up one by one.
If the star that a performer is standing on lights up, they are in the band; sadly if their star doesn't light up, their time on the show is over.
The Live Shows: The Battle of The Bands
Twenty five boys will make it to episode six, the first of three live shows. For the first time, they will compete for viewers' votes. Each band has a name, a sound, a look and style of their own - they are now performing as boybands and the judges expect to see polished performances at a professional level.
The winning five boys will go on to star in The Band, a new stage musical featuring the music of Take That.
| CHANNEL |
BBC Brit (DStv 120) |
| PREMIERE |
21 January 2018 |
| TIMESLOT |
Sundays, 18h00 |
| REPEATS |
Saturdays, 08h45 |