BBC row Noel set for Deal to return

BBC row Noel set for Deal to return

The bearded presenter famously fell out with his former BBC bosses 13 years ago after they dumped his beloved Noel’s House Party after ratings tanked.

But after what insiders described as a “campaign of heavy-duty flattery” by BBC1 boss Danny Cohen, Noel, 63 â€" who worked for the BBC for 30 years before leaving in 1999 â€" has agreed to front the pilot show for planned new Total Wipeout replacement, The Bodyguard.

We revealed last month how the new show will see members of the public become celebrity bodyguards and given a series of madcap challenges.

The pilot will be filmed later this month at Elstree Studios in Hertfordshire where The Voice was made.

Beeb chiefs have high hopes for the show made by Endemol, which makes Noel’s Channel 4 show, Deal Or No Deal â€" hence Cohen’s personal involvement.

A pal of the star said: “Noel back on Saturday nights is obviously a big draw for the BBC â€" and to be fair it’s a big deal for Noel too. He has softened in his view of the Beeb and all the House Party stuff was a long time ago now.

“Noel wasn’t sure he wanted to do it. He is busy with Deal Or No Deal and a lot of baggage comes with him returning to the BBC. He’s enjoyed working in the commercial sector and doesn’t need the money. But he has agreed to do this and we all hope it will work out. But the BBC should probably not count their chickens yet.”

Noel dipped his toe back into the BBC pond six years ago when he agreed to front a one-off National Lottery show.

At the time the BBC hoped a new era of collaboration with Noel had begun.

This proved to be false and the next time Noel appeared on the Beeb it was on BBC News in 2008, when he attacked the “threatening” way the Corporation insisted on collecting the licence fee.

He stopped paying for his own licence, seething: “There are too many organisations â€" and the BBC is a fabulous organisation â€" that seem to think it’s OK to badger, hector and threaten.”