ITV drops primetime show after just one outing

A summer of discontent for ITV descended into major embarrassment yesterday when the broadcaster was forced to ditch a new prime-time entertainment show after just one episode.

It's Now or Never, presented by Phillip Schofield, who has just signed a two-year deal with ITV, invited members of the public to make a special announcement in the style of a musical. But it was put out of its misery yesterday after its first edition last Saturday night was watched by just 1.7 million viewers.

The show featured a man proposing to his girlfriend while singing "A Million Love Songs" by the boy band Take That. The second episode, in which a girl was set to tell her best friend how much she means to her, faces an uncertain future as the slot has now been filled by It'll be Alright on the Night.

The decision compounds the embarrassment of last summer when ITV was forced to pull three reality shows, all thought to have prime-time potential: Celebrity Wrestling, The Real Good Life, and Fat Families.

An ITV spokeswoman said a new time slot would be found for the show: " As a commercial broadcaster, ITV is occasionally forced to take decisions like this to protect the schedule."