BBC celebrates daytime revival

BBC chiefs are celebrating a daytime TV ratings turnaround after ditching their "sofa celebrities" Nick Owen and Anne Diamond last year.

The Good Morning With Anne and Nick stars were dropped after ITV's Richard and Judy became runaway successes, with almost double the audience for their This Morning show. Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan accused their rivals of copying them and claimed they deserved to fail. Diamond (pictured) and Owen were dropped last May, with Diamond refusing to accept a bouquet of flowers sent by BBC Controller Alan Yentob, now Director of Television. But BBC1 daytime ratings have now moved back into contention and are neck- and-neck with ITV.