Spicks and Specks set to return with rumoured new host

SPICKS and Specks fans rejoice the show is ready for its return complete with rumoured new host Josh Earl and captains Ella Hooper and Adam Richard.

SPICKS and Specks fans, rejoice, the ABC music trivia show is finally ready for its return to the small screen, complete with rumoured new host Josh Earl and team captains Ella Hooper and Adam Richard.

The search to replace originals Adam Hills, Alan Brough and Myf Warhurst has taken Aunty longer than she expected, after the public broadcaster teased it would be part of their 2013 slate.

Earl, with all the boyish charm of Rove and a CV which includes working as a school librarian, is expected to be introduced to media at the 2014 programming launch on November 26.

The much-loved series and its original line-up farewelled audiences in 2011, with Hills kicking on to his own talk show Adam Hills Tonight (where Earl appeared in June this year).

Confirming its revival, an ABC publicist said: "The format will be refreshed including new games."

Hooper is the former Killing Heidi singer, while Richard starred in ABC1's comedy series, Outland.

An air date is yet to be announced.

ADAM'S GIRL IN RACING VISIT

SO that's why Adam Garcia was such a dribbling mess on Dancing With The Stars on Tuesday night.

Meet the reason, his gorgeous girlfriend Nathalia Chubin who flew in to visit her man and made a surprise appearance at Flemington.

Dancing With The Stars judge Adam Garcia with girlfriend Nathalia Chubin.

A smitten Garcia - who has been plagued by "is he gay?" questions or wrongly linked to his co-star Kym Johnson - revealed he hadn't seen London-based Chubin "for about six weeks, which is not an achingly long time, but certainly long enough without her. She's here until Sunday, then has to get back to London for work. I'll head back in about three weeks."

Garcia gushed that it was great being at the races with her. "She looked amazing. The girl really does know how to race, and thanks to Gucci, they really know how to do a pants suit."

STEFANOVICS IN SUMMER SWAP

PETER Stefanovic will replace his brother Karl, as part of new summer pairings confirmed by Today's executive producer Neil Breen.

He will team with newsreader Sylvia Jeffreys for six weeks, while Wendy Kingston will also make a four-week appearance before she begins maternity leave.

Ben Fordham will work up until December 20 then take a five-week break, while Georgie Gardner will do double duty and also read the 6pm bulletin over the holiday period.

BOTTOMS UP FOR BREAKFAST?

STILL on the breakfast battle, how long before Karl, Kochy and/or the new boy James Mathison go bum up for the good of TV ratings?

The clock is ticking on which channel will steal the lead of the US Today show, which is in its own struggle to regain lost ground to Good Morning America and so are making Matt Lauer and Al Roker drop 'em and take a deep breath in by having their prostate checked on air.

It's not a new idea, with TV chat host Katie Couric pioneering the morning show medical check, after losing her husband to cancer.

AFTER THE ROSE CUE CATFIGHT

FAKE tans topped up and talons sharpened, the women of this year's Bachelor series will reunite - and spill their guts - during a 90-minute special, After The Final Rose.

Viewers will have learned if Tim Robards found love the night before, but it's when contestants return to pick over the rotting corpse of their own relationship with him that creates this kind of wincingly awkward TV.

Or as the Ten press release spins it: "Expect drama. Expect tears. Expect hundreds of lit candles in the background. But most of all, expect to believe in love again."

GUTEN TAG TO WENTWORTH

FOXTEL and Fremantle Media's gripping co-production Wentworth continues to have the world enthralled, with confirmation it will be adapted for German television.

Jo Porter, the series executive producer says it was an "incredible honour" especially in "one of the largest and strongest television markets in the world. To have the story of Wentworth resonate so strongly with producers is testament to the strength of the production as a whole, ably guided by series producer Amanda Crittenden. We're proud to take this unique story to the world stage."

Season two is currently in production in Melbourne, while the German commission will see 10 episodes go into production in Berlin in March.

VOICE ADDED TO UNCLE JED

AUSTRALIA'S Got Talent favourites Uncle Jed have revealed a collaboration with The Voice season one runner-up Darren Percival. Mr Percival, as the crooner is known on Twitter, has been jamming with lead singer Laura Stitt "for years" and added his dulcet tones and production skills to the family trio's self-funded EP.

Stitt was encouraged to enter the reality talent contest by former Australian Idol alumni Jessica Mauboy with whom Stitt toured as the Sony diva's back-up vocalist.

ONE TO WATCH:

HE has found A Place To Call Home on Seven's local drama next year and tripped around other Aussie productions - from Bed Of Roses to Dance Academy. Now Matt Levett is creating plenty of buzz ahead of Foxtel's much-anticipated drama series, The Devil's Playground. The WAAPA-graduate stars alongside Simon Burke, Don Hany and Toni Collette in the Matchbox production about abuse in the church. He has also just wrapped the lead in feature film Drown.

TV GOSSIP:

KEITH Urban'sreturn to the judging panel of American Idol has got off to a smooth start, with reports the chemistry is working quite nicely between the Aussie country star, pop diva Jennifer Lopez and jazz crooner Harry Connick Jr. Whether "just nicely" rates better than the televised catfight last year between Mariah Carey and Nicky Minaj is the million dollar question for this US franchise which will be fast-tracked here and air on Eleven

MUST WATCH:

IF we weren't already gaga for The Graham Norton Show, tonight's episode clinches it, with the return of pop star Lady Gaga, with Eastenders actor June Brown (who plays beloved Dot Cotton). Gaga reveals her mother's only objection to her weird and wonderful showbiz antics was over a nose piercing. "Isn't that ridiculous, of all the things I did. I was like, 'Mom, really? I'm naked in every magazine!" The Graham Norton Show, tonight, 9.30pm, Ten