ITV has revealed its plans to reboot the popular talent show set on finding new talent for West End shows. Any Dream Will Do was aimed at finding a new leading man to play Joseph in Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber's latest production.
The show was hosted by Graham Norton, who announced that Lee Mead was the winner following a public phone vote. Mead, who went on to play Joseph in the role for 600 performances until 2009, has had a very successful acting career on both stage and screen.
There have been four incarnations of the talent show, each having found successful stars in both winners and runners-up. The judging panel changed with each season, but experts have included Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber, John Barrowman, Denise Van Outen, and Cameron Mackintosh.
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It has been reported that Amanda Seyfried, star of the blockbuster musical movies 'Mamma Mia!' and 'Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again', who played Sophie Sheridan in the flicks, might have a place on the judging panel.
How do you Solve a Problem Like Maria (2006)
Connie Fisher, a 23-year-old star born in Northern Ireland, was crowned the winner and offered a performance run as Maria on the West End. She opened to excellent reviews and performed in the role until 2008.
She continued a career in music and theatre, appearing at the Royal Variety Show and releasing a solo album. In 2011, she was diagnosed with holes in her vocal cords and was told she'd never sing again.
After working with a renowned voice builder, the BBC broadcast a documentary about Fisher's journey to sing again. She has since appeared in Casualty and as a judge for Junior Eurovision in Wales.
Any Dream Will Do (2007)
After being crowned the winner of Any Dream Will Do, Lee Mead enjoyed a successful West End career. He has performed in leading roles in Wicked, Legally Blonde and The West End Men.
He has released four solo albums and from 2014, he joined the cast of Casualty and Holby City where he played Ben 'Lofty' Chiltern until 2019. On 9 November 2019 Lee sang Morning Has Broken at the Annual Remembrance Day celebration service at The Royal Albert Hall.
I'd Do Anything (2008)
This version of the talent show sought to find a new Nancy in the 2009 revival of Oliver! Of 12 potential Nancy's that took part, Jodie Prenger from Blackpool was crowned the winner.
After a run in Oliver, Prenger played her final performance in March 2010, briefly reprising the role for two one-off performances to fill in. Since then she has joined the touring production of Spamalot and Candy Cabs, and played Miss Hannigan in the UK tour of Annie.
A number of successful theatre roles followed, including in Street of Dreams, the Coronation Street Musical, and Fat Friends the Musical before turning her eyes to TV. She has recently begun playing Glenda Shuttleworth in Coronation Street.
Other notable names in the lineup of I'd Do Anything include Academy Award nominee Jessie Buckley, who came second and West End star Samantha Barks, who came third.
Over the Rainbow (2010)
The last instalment of the talent show looked for a new Dorothy for Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber's Wizard of Oz. After eight weeks of live shows, 18-year-old Danielle Hope was selected.
Since winning the show, Hope enjoyed a year in the role of Dorothy, alongside Michael Crawford before moving on to play Eponine in Les Miserables. She has played roles in a number of pantomimes and joined UK tours of the Sound of Music, Joseph, Grease and Rock of Ages.
Now performing across the pond, Hope was cast in an off-Broadway production of Kinky Boots. The show opened for previews on July 26 this year before enjoying its opening night on August 25 at Stage 42 in New York.
The new ITV series to find the next Mamma Mia star is set to air on TV screens next year.
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