# The Michael Ball Show

The Michael Ball Show is a British topical entertainment show broadcast on ITV in 2010. It featured entertainment, discussion and showbiz glamour with the occasional musical performance from Michael himself, often on the Friday edition of the show. It occupied the slot filled by The Alan Titchmarsh Show during its summer break in 2010.

## Format

Part one of the show featured Michael and four of the day's guests discussing a topic of the day. The guests were usually the two main guests along with the Cash for Questions quiz-master and either the musical guest or the chef of the day. The second part of the show featured an interview with a guest, who is unknown, not a celebrity, with a story which they tell before Michael and the day's chef cook a guest's favourite a dish which they serve to her or him.
Part three of the show was a brief chat with the musical guest who then performed. Part three also featured a chat with a special guest. The fourth and final part of the show started off with the viewer competition Cash for Questions. To finish off the show, Michael was joined by his final special guest of the day.
There was often a musical theatre theme to The Michael Ball Show, with guests such as Sir Cameron Mackintosh, Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber and Kerry Ellis, and performances from the casts of shows including Wicked, Billy Elliot and Love Never Dies appearing on the show.

### Cash for Questions

Each day, there was new question and the prize fund was determined by Cash for Questions, the viewer competition in which Michael himself takes part in answering questions given by the day's quizmaster. Each question was worth £100, and the amount in the fund after one minute was the prize for the viewer competition. The quizmaster was the same person on each week depending on the day, with the quizmasters remaining the same throughout the series. They were:
| Day | Quizmaster |
| Monday | Christine Hamilton |
| Tuesday | Mica Paris |
| Wednesday | Eve Pollard Trevor McDonald |
| Thursday | Penny Smith |
| Friday | Kim Woodburn Jacqui Joseph |

## Filming and broadcast

The show was pre-recorded at BBC Television Centre's studio TC3 in London. It was recorded on Wednesdays and Thursdays and broadcast Monday to Friday on ITV.
The show was originally commissioned for Summer 2010, to be shown whilst The Alan Titchmarsh Show was on its summer break. It is not yet known if a second series will be commissioned.

## Episodes

| # | Guests | Original airdate |
| 1 | Katie Price • Les Dennis • Kim Woodburn • Rachel Allen | 16 August 2010 (2010-08-16) |
| 2 | Katie Derham • Russ Abbot • The Saturdays • Jo Pratt • Mica Paris | 17 August 2010 (2010-08-17) |
| 3 | Joanna Lumley • Brendan Cole • Adam Garcia • Rachel Allen • Jacqui Joseph | 18 August 2010 (2010-08-18) |
| 4 | Christopher Biggins • Jennie McAlpine • Craig David • Jo Pratt • Penny Smith | 19 August 2010 (2010-08-19) |
| 5 | Konnie Huq • Omid Djalili • Christine Hamilton • Rachel Allen • Craig Phillips | 20 August 2010 (2010-08-20) |
| 6 | Colin and Justin • Jimi Mistry • Ellie Goulding • Jo Pratt • Christine Hamilton | 23 August 2010 (2010-08-23) |
| 7 | Suzanne Shaw • Bill Paterson • Joshua Radin • Mica Paris • Matt Tebbutt | 24 August 2010 (2010-08-24) |
| 8 | Cameron Mackintosh • Michael Aspel • Gareth Gates • Eve Pollard • Paul Rankin | 25 August 2010 (2010-08-25) |
| 9 | Vidal Sassoon • Jodie Prenger • Gabriella Cilmi • Penny Smith • Matt Tebbutt | 26 August 2010 (2010-08-26) |
| 10 | Whoopi Goldberg • Stephen Mulhern • Jacqui Joseph • Eve Pollard • Paul Rankin | 27 August 2010 (2010-08-27) |
| 11 | Jason Manford • Tony Hadley • Katie Melua • Matt Tebbutt • Christine Hamilton | 30 August 2010 (2010-08-30) |
| 12 | Rick Astley • Michelle Collins • Mica Paris • Paul Rankin • Hayley Westenra | 31 August 2010 (2010-08-31) |
| 13 | Alistair McGowan • Maxwell Caulfield • Juliet Mills • Cast of Billy Elliot • Eve Pollard • Paul Rankin | 1 September 2010 (2010-09-01) |
| 14 | Brian Conley • Kerry Ellis • Brian May • Jo Pratt • Penny Smith | 2 September 2010 (2010-09-02) |
| 15 | Amanda Redman • Olly Murs • Jacqui Joseph • Paul Rankin | 3 September 2010 (2010-09-03) |
| 16 | Terry Wogan • Arlene Phillips • Pixie Lott • Jo Pratt • Christine Hamilton • Katie Piper | 6 September 2010 (2010-09-06) |
| 17 | Jedward • Lynda Baron • Amy Macdonald • Paul Rankin • Mica Paris | 7 September 2010 (2010-09-07) |
| 18 | Alexei Sayle • Alesha Dixon • Eve Pollard • Jo Pratt | 8 September 2010 (2010-09-08) |
| 19 | Lulu • Bruno Tonioli • Tony Christie • Penny Smith • Clarissa Dickson Wright | 9 September 2010 (2010-09-09) |
| 20 | Andrew Lloyd Webber • Jackie Collins • Ramin Karimloo • Jacqui Joseph • Matt Tebbutt • Helen Newlove | 10 September 2010 (2010-09-10) |
| 21 | Simon Callow • Dom Joly • Sharon Corr • Clarissa Dickson Wright • Christine Hamilton • Frazer Hines | 13 September 2010 (2010-09-13) |
| 22 | Michael Gambon • Fiona Phillips • The Script • Mica Paris • Matt Tebbutt | 14 September 2010 (2010-09-14) |
| 23 | Richard Madeley • Judy Finnigan • Gareth Malone • McFly • Eve Pollard • Clarissa Dickson Wright | 15 September 2010 (2010-09-15) |
| 24 | Imelda Staunton • JLS • André Rieu • Penny Smith • Matt Tebbutt | 16 September 2010 (2010-09-16) |
| 25 | John Barrowman • Cast of Warhorse • Alan Davies • Kim Woodburn • Clarissa Dickson Wright | 17 September 2010 (2010-09-17) |
| 26 | Fern Britton • David Haig • Lee Mead • Rachel Tucker • Christine Hamilton • Paul Rankin | 20 September 2010 (2010-09-20) |
| 27 | Trinny Woodall • Susannah Constantine • Alex Reid • Scouting for Girls • Clarissa Dickson Wright • Mica Paris | 21 September 2010 (2010-09-21) |
| 28 | Carol Vorderman • Val Doonican • Cast of Jersey Boys • Eve Pollard • Paul Rankin | 22 September 2010 (2010-09-22) |
| 29 | Coleen Nolan • Nick Moran • Con O'Neill • Maroon 5 • Penny Smith • Clarissa Dickson Wright • PC David Rathband | 23 September 2010 (2010-09-23) |
| 30 | Nigel Planer • Monsters of Doctor Who • Helen Worth • Geraldine James • Paul Rankin • Kim Woodburn | 24 September 2010 (2010-09-24) |