Comic in new ITV reality show

Comedian Ninia Benjamin is looking for love on a Greek island for a new ITV reality show dubbed ‘Love Island for the over-40s’

Our Shirley Valentine Summer takes its cue from the 1989 romcom in which Pauline Collins’s titular character has a middle-aged holiday romance with a Greek tavern owner played by Tom Conti.

The stand-up will be joining fellow singletons Melinda Messenger, Sian Lloyd, Nancy Dell’Olio, Aggie MacKenzie, Lizzie Cundy, Annabel Giles and Ingrid Tarrant on the island of Naxos.

Each has a personal goal, such as overcoming a marriage breakdown, losing weight, building self-confidence - and many of them will be going on dates.

On the show, 50-year-old Benjamin reveals that her last long-term relationship was 20 years ago.

The 3 Non-Blondes star has previously appeared on the reality shows Total Wipeout, Cirque de Celebrité, Celebrity Scissorhands, Celebrity MasterChef and Hole in the Wall.

The primetime series launches on ITV on July 19.

Published: 8 Jul 2018