\u201cI didn\u2019t realise it until my friend told me the other day. My friends are like, \u2018Every time I turn over, you\u2019re on something,’\u201d the comedian tells me over Zoom from NBC\u2019s Tottenham Court Road offices.<\/p>\n
Since posting his sketches on social media whilst working at Levi\u2019s Covent Garden shop back in 2017, Gilligan has turned into one of TV\u2019s biggest stars. He\u2019s picked up two BAFTAs for his Channel 4 chat show The Lateish Show with Mo Gilligan, hosted the BRIT Awards and appeared on Celebrity Gogglebox with friend Babatunde Al\u00e9sh\u00e9 \u2013 resulting in the latter getting the call-up for I\u2019m a Celebrity\u2026Get Me Out of Here<\/a> this year (more on that later).<\/p>\n It\u2019s all the above that caught the eye of US late-night juggernaut Jimmy Fallon, who asked Gilligan to front BBC One\u2019s version of That\u2019s My Jam \u2013 a game show where celebrities compete in musical challenges, many of which came from viral moments on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a massive honour to be working with the BBC. But I think also occupying that Saturday entertainment spot is even bigger,\u201d Gilligan says. \u201cAnd it comes on at Christmas time. Obviously the weekend is great, but that kind of Christmas time where everyone can sit down with the family and have that escapism while the show launches is going to be really cool.\u201d<\/p>\n Gilligan hadn\u2019t actually met Fallon \u2013 who rose to fame on Saturday Night Live in the \u201990s before becoming a big-name presenter \u2013 when the chat show host reached out. \u201cIt was one of those moments where I was like, \u2018He knows who I am?\u2019 When we met he was like, \u2018Hey man, I\u2019ve seen your sketches. I\u2019ve seen your stuff on Netflix and whatnot.\u2019 He was quoting back some material, which was really nice.\u201d<\/p>\n With Fallon hosting the original version of That\u2019s My Jam, he asked Gilligan to record a UK pilot in LA \u2013 and while taking on a role also held by the entertainer, who has racked up over 16 billion views on YouTube, would be a daunting prospect for any presenter, Gilligan says the American host told him to put his own spin on That\u2019s My Jam.<\/p>\n \u201cJimmy said, \u2018Hey, man. Do it your way. I want to see your twist on it,\u2019 which was really cool. Meeting Jimmy was a big deal for me. I was like, \u2018You\u2019re literally Mr Saturday Night Live!\u2019 So yeah, that was such an honour.<\/p>\n \u201cWe got to properly hang out a bit more when we filmed series 1 (of the UK version). He\u2019s telling me stories of some of his famous friends, which is kind of blowing my mind. \u2018Yeah man, I was hanging out with Keanu Reeves and Dolly Parton.\u2019 I was like wow, these are some massive names. Jolene and Neo from The Matrix.\u201d<\/p>\n The California filming location explains That\u2019s My Jam\u2019s eclectic mix of (mostly American) celebrities, from NSYNC\u2019s Joey Fatone and comedian Reggie Watts to Aloe Blacc and Glee\u2019s Amber Riley.<\/p>\n While viewers can expect to see familiar faces like Alesha Dixon (\u201cshe does this thing called the Musical Medley Challenge and does her version of Stormzy\u2019s Shut Up but as a Disney Princess\u201d), it must be a BBC first to have Selling Sunset\u2019s Chrishell Stause and Mary Fitzgerald belting their hearts out.<\/p>\n \u201cMary and Chrishell, they were fantastic and they really get into it. I\u2019m just like, \u2018Wow, you guys are really good. If this whole selling houses thing doesn\u2019t work out, Broadway might just be calling up after the show.’\u201d<\/p>\n Unsurprisingly, Gilligan also invites on Brits who\u2019ve defected to the US \u2013 like actor and fan-magnet Tom Ellis, who is now better known for playing The Devil on Lucifer than his breakout role on BBC One\u2019s Miranda. \u201cHe was so cool. He was just like the ladies\u2019 favourite. Every time he said something, people just whooped.<\/p>\n \u201cWe had Patsy Palmer on there and Tom Grennan, Becky Hill as well. One of my favourite moments was when I made up this thing on a keyboard on the floor. I made up a rhythm on it, and then Tom Grennan started rapping. [Lord of the Rings star] Billy Boyd started rapping and that just happened purely by me being like, let me just have a go. No one\u2019s seen a hobbit rap, so those kind of moments are really quite fun.\u201d<\/p>\n As for whether he was starstruck by any of his guests, Gilligan says he was in awe of Donny Osmond. \u201cBefore the show I\u2019d always meet everyone and Donnie, he got the collar of my blazer and straightened it out and said, \u2018Hey, how you doing kid, nice to meet you \u2013 Mo Gilligan right?\u2019,\u201d the comedian says, launching into an American accent.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2018Man, love your stuff. It\u2019s gonna be great!\u2019 Then he finger-pointed, like old-school showbiz stuff. I was like, \u2018Woah, I\u2019m like friends with Donny Osmond.\u2019 I think the one for me though has to be Boyz II Men on the show. We also had Salt-N-Pepa. The child in me that used to listen to my sisters\u2019 RnB and hip-hop Black CDs as a kid was like, \u2018This is such a full circle moment.’\u201d<\/p>\n Turning our attentions to season 2, Gilligan wants to go even bigger. \u201cWe\u2019ve got to get someone like Dwayne \u2018The Rock\u2019 Johnson on the show. I think if we\u2019re going British, let\u2019s try and go high again. I say we go Adele, maybe Stormzy will be quite good.\u201d He pauses before adding: \u201cHey, maybe even Barry from EastEnders. I\u2019ve seen he\u2019s got some pipes on him.\u201d<\/p>\n Gordon Ramsay\u2019s name is swiftly added to the list (\u201cWe\u2019d have to bleep out the show a lot\u201d) but when I ask whether he\u2019ll recruit Babatunde Al\u00e9sh\u00e9, his Celebrity Gogglebox co-star who recently placed eighth on I\u2019m a Celeb, Gilligan reckons he won\u2019t be able to book him.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s probably the most in-demand man once he gets back. I feel like everyone\u2019s gonna want him on every single show. With Baba, you\u2019ve seen him in the jungle when he had to sing Bob Marley so I wouldn\u2019t put it past him. I would not put it past him at all.\u201d<\/p>\n Like a good friend, Gilligan did tune into the show although he missed the launch show, which saw Al\u00e9sh\u00e9 shout the infamous line, \u2018I\u2019m a celebrity, get me out of here!\u2019 in the season\u2019s first heights-based challenge.<\/p>\n \u201cI had so many people messaging me like, \u2018What\u2019s going on with your mate?\u2019 I\u2019m like, do you know how hard it is? He\u2019s scared of heights. So it was great to see him redeem himself and earn some stars for camp. He\u2019s done a great job, he really faced his fears.\u201d<\/p>\n As for how he found watching Al\u00e9sh\u00e9 in the jungle with Matt Hancock, the presenter takes a leaf out of Fallon\u2019s book and beats around the political bush(tucker trial). \u201cI think it was always weird to see [Al\u00e9sh\u00e9] in the jungle. This guy is scared of everything. I\u2019m just sitting there praying like, \u2018Please win some stars for your team!’\u201d<\/p>\n Pivoting back to That\u2019s My Jam, Gilligan says in earnest that it is \u201cprobably close\u201d to his career high point. \u201cIt was a really massive \u2018pinch me\u2019 moment when I got to do this show. I feel like names are really made within UK weekend TV that just go on to become successful forevermore.<\/p>\n \u201cWhether it\u2019s people from The X Factor or Ant & Dec or Bruce Forsyth or Claudia Winkleman \u2013 these are names that just roll off the tongue and everyone knows who these people are, so the fact that I\u2019m in that conversation, it feels like an honour. I don\u2019t think it\u2019ll sink in just yet until the show actually launches.\u201d<\/p>\n However, as we\u2019ve seen over the last few month, Saturday night names can fall just as quickly as they rise, with David Walliams recently apologising over \u201cinappropriate\u201d comments he made whilst filming Britain\u2019s Got Talent in 2020<\/a>. On the morning of our chat, Gilligan is the frontrunner to replace Walliams on the ITV talent show, with odds of 5\/2.<\/p>\n Would he want to join the BGT panel? \u201cOh man, that\u2019s a lovely honour. I think whenever you\u2019re linked to any show, it\u2019s just flattering.<\/p>\n \u201cI was also linked with Big Brother and a few other stuff, so the fact that I was even in the conversation is super flattering. I\u2019m a fan of the show, the show is a fantastic show but if I\u2019m completely honest, I don\u2019t know if I\u2019ve got the time, man. It\u2019s mad to be booked and busy.\u201d<\/p>\n However, Gilligan pauses and cheekily asks: \u201cWhat are the odds on that?\u201d Perhaps we\u2019ll be seeing the comedian take over even more Saturday night real estate in the New Year after all.<\/p>\n That\u2019s My Jam airs on Saturday 17th December at 9:35pm on BBC One.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Looking for something else to watch? Check out our\u00a0TV Guide<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0Streaming Guide<\/a>, or visit our\u00a0Entertainment<\/a>\u00a0hub for the latest news.<\/strong><\/p>\n The Christmas double issue of Radio Times magazine is on sale now<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0<\/strong>subscribe now<\/strong><\/a>. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to the\u00a0<\/strong>Radio Times View From My Sofa podcast<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div> <\/body><\/html>\n By Lauren Morris Published: Friday, 16 December 2022 at 12:00 am There aren\u2019t many TV personalities who can say they\u2019ll be starring on three of the biggest British TV broadcasters this festive period, but comedian and presenter Mo Gilligan is one of them. From returning to the panel of The Masked Singer for season 4 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":27325,"template":"","categories":[1,5],"acf":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/12\/mo-gilligan-on-new-show-thats-my-jam-chrishell-stauses-singing-and-bgt-rumours.jpg",620,413,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/12\/mo-gilligan-on-new-show-thats-my-jam-chrishell-stauses-singing-and-bgt-rumours-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/12\/mo-gilligan-on-new-show-thats-my-jam-chrishell-stauses-singing-and-bgt-rumours-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/12\/mo-gilligan-on-new-show-thats-my-jam-chrishell-stauses-singing-and-bgt-rumours.jpg",620,413,false],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/12\/mo-gilligan-on-new-show-thats-my-jam-chrishell-stauses-singing-and-bgt-rumours.jpg",620,413,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/12\/mo-gilligan-on-new-show-thats-my-jam-chrishell-stauses-singing-and-bgt-rumours.jpg",620,413,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/12\/mo-gilligan-on-new-show-thats-my-jam-chrishell-stauses-singing-and-bgt-rumours.jpg",620,413,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"By Lauren Morris Published: Friday, 16 December 2022 at 12:00 am There aren\u2019t many TV personalities who can say they\u2019ll be starring on three of the biggest British TV broadcasters this festive period, but comedian and presenter Mo Gilligan is one of them. From returning to the panel of The Masked Singer for season 4…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/27324"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27325"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27324"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27324"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"""\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2022\/12\/410603-bd62227.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>![\"""\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2022\/12\/410618-dfce584.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>![\"""\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2020\/05\/69615_7_S16_Ep7_Celebrity-Gogglebox-For-SU2C-2-e691625.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>![\"""\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2022\/05\/Mo-GIlligan-712dc6b.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"