RDF Television, part of the RDF Media Group, is delighted to announce two new appointments for its Bristol office RDF Television West. RDF Television West has hired Jane Lomas as Executive Producer and Serena Kennedy as Head of Production.

Lomas joins RDF from Diverse where she has been executive producer on Man vs. Wild (Discovery/Channel 4), Mission Everest (Discovery/Channel 4), Tribal Wives (BBC Two) and Mission Africa (BBC One). Prior to Diverse Lomas was at BBC Bristol from 1998 to 2004 with credits including; DIY SOS (BBC One), The Bachelor (BBC Three) and Flog It! (BBC Two). She will report into Mark Hill, Head of RDF Television West.

Kennedy also joins RDF Television West this month from Touch Productions. Prior to Touch she was Head of Production for Maverick Television from 2005 until 2007 covering both the London and Birmingham production offices and programmes such as; 10 Years Younger (Channel 4); How to Look Good Naked (Channel 4); Madness of Modern Parenting (BBC) and Who Will Age Worse? (UKTV). She will report into Mark Hill and RDF Television’s Director of Production Jane Wilson.

Mark Hill, Head of RDF Television West, said: “These new senior appointments are very much a reflection of RDF Television West’s rapid expansion over the last 12 months, with over 200 hours in production this year with Channel 4, ITV1 and the BBC. Both Jane and Serena bring impressive track records and reputations and I’m sure both will help us to sustain our growth.”

As part of RDF Television West’s expansion strategy they will be looking to make further senior appointments in the coming months. Further details to be announced in due course.

ITV1 has commissioned a second series of the popular daytime cookery contest, Rosemary Shrager’s School for Cooks from RDF Television West.

The 40 x 60’ episodes will once again be filmed at Rosemary’s renowned cookery school in the stunning setting of Swinton Park in Yorkshire.

Adam MacDonald, ITV1 Controller of Daytime says: The first series equalled the performance of Countdown on Channel 4 in opposition and won the 15.00 slot against the other terrestrial channels.

Across the run the series saw a good increase in viewers and improved upon the slot with upmarket viewers. Colourful, passionate chef and Ladette to Lady star Rosemary Shrager hosts this knockout competition which gives aspiring amateur cooks the chance to win real training jobs as chefs in some of Britain’s top restaurants, with one ultimate winner.

Amanda Fidler is Series Producer & Mark Hill, Head of RDF Television West, is Executive Producer. An RDF Television West production for ITV1.

RDF Television, part of the RDF Media Group, is currently in production with another edition of Celebrity Wife Swap.

The next Celebrity Swap will feature 80’s songstress and X-factor star Sinitta, and actor Bruce Jones, famed for his long running role as Les Battersby in Coronation Street. Viewers can expect to see the brand new Celebrity Swap later in the year.

X-Factor star Sinitta will spend a week living with actor Bruce in his Cheshire home, while Bruce’s wife Sandra will move to London to live with Sinitta’s husband Andy. Sinitta and Sandra will have to live by each other’s rules before the tables are turned on rule change day.

The last episode of Celebrity Wife Swap featured page 3 pin-up Sam Fox and notorious comedian Freddie Starr and attracted a peak audience of 2.7 million viewers.

The current series of Wife Swap is running on Channel 4 at 8pm on Sundays and RDF Television is currently in production with the next series of Wife Swap, and Wife Swap: The Aftermath for E4. Celebrity Wife Swap and Wife Swap have been commissioned by Dominique Walker, the Commissioning Editor for Factual Entertainment at Channel 4, and are produced by RDF Television, part of the RDF Media Group. The executive producer is Tayte Simpson and the series producer is Anoushka Cecil. RDF Rights holds all rights to the new series and format.

Over five million people in Britain today can't read or write well enough to cope with the demands of modern life, from dealing with bills and letters, to helping their kids with homework.

Channel 4’s Deputy Head of Documentaries, Simon Dickson, has commissioned Can’t Read, Can’t Write, a 3 x 60 minute series from RDF Television, part of the RDF Media Group, which will highlight the issue of adult literacy.

The announcement follows a week in which Dickson’s commissions have had high profile success, with Meet The Natives winning Best Documentary Series at the Broadcast Awards, and the launch episode of Cutting Edge: A Boy Called Alex securing an audience of 2.8m, exactly double the number of viewers Cutting Edge launched with last year and nearly 90% up on the last series average.

A unique three part series, Can’t Read, Can’t Write will take nine people who have spent their lives unable to read and write and put them on a six month reading course. Although each spent over ten years in the school system, they failed to learn even the most basic reading skills. This course will be taught by inspirational teacher Phil Beadle, who demonstrated his ability to re-motivate reluctant secondary school kids in Channel 4’s The Unteachables. Over the course of the three programmes, viewers will see the intense struggles faced by Phil's class, with the goal clear throughout:-this is their last chance to gain skills which will quite literally transform their lives. At the end of the six-month course, Phil's determined that his class will take the government-approved Adult Literacy exams which will overturn his pupils' negative view of themselves.

Simon Dickson said “Can’t Read, Can’t Write is a highly emotional and politically significant documentary series. It will bring attention to the wider issue of adult literacy, and do so through the remarkable stories of the adults featured, who go from not being able to read a word at such a late stage in their lives, to the prospect of overcoming this enormous hurdle”.

Sky One today announces SHANE RICHIE as the host of new gameshow sensation DON’T FORGET THE LYRICS.

Richie, soon to be seen in the new series of Skins, will present the 12-part series where contestants attempt to win £250,000 by singing the missing lyrics from 10 songs. We all think we know the lyrics to the world’s most popular songs, but when there’s money at stake will the contestants keep on singing when the music stops? Or will they be at a loss for words?

Shane commented: “I managed to see the show when I was in the US with my family over the summer and was immediately addicted. It’s a fantastic format, so I was really excited to be able to bring the show to a UK audience. I’ve been concentrating on my acting lately and have some fantastic TV dramas lined up. Whilst I've turned other entertainment projects down, this opportunity was too much fun to pass up and I cannot wait to get in front of a live studio audience again.”

Steve Jones, Commissioning Editor, Sky One, Two and Three added: “Shane’s a born entertainer and the ideal presenter for this show – his enthusiasm and passion for music, combined with his rapport with people made him the natural – and only - choice. We’re thrilled to have him on-board and look forward to 12 weeks of top class entertainment to count down to the summer on Sky One.”

The series, already a smash-hit in the US where broadcaster Fox have green-lit a third season of the show, sees contestants climb a cash prize ladder and after each correct answer the singer must decide whether to ‘Stay and Play’ or ‘ Take the Money and Run.’ Along the way, three back-ups can help them out and if they sing nine tracks correctly, one final song and up to fifteen missing words stand in their way to the £250,000 jackpot. It’s that simple … providing you DON’T FORGET THE LYRICS.

Shane Richie first came to public attention on the stand-up circuit winning an award at the inaugural British Comedy Awards. He made his TV debut on the BBC Sketch Show You Gotta Be Jokin’ in 1991 and remained a household favourite presenting Caught In The Act, Win, Lose Or Draw and The Shane Richie Experience. Ritchie is best known for his role as Alfie Moon in EastEnders for which he won a Rose D’Or Festival Award and a National Television Award. He most recently starred in the drama What We Did On Holiday and as the voice of Sid in DreamWorks’ CGI smash hit Flushed Away.

DON’T FORGET THE LYRICS will launch in late March on Sky One. DON’T FORGET THE LYRICS will be Exec Produced by Steve Jones, Richard Woolfe, Director of Programming, Sky One, Two and Three and Peter Usher, RDF Television’s Head of Entertainment. The series producer is John Ireland.

DON’T FORGET THE LYRICS is an original format from RDF USA and RDF Rights hold all international rights and merchandising rights to the finished programme and format.

Following the success of Dickinson’s Real Deal on ITV1, RDF Television West, part of the RDF Media Group, has signed a two-year deal with the channel to produce a further 120 x 60 episodes of the popular daytime show.

Adam MacDonald, ITV1 Controller of Daytime says: “Dickinson’s Real Deal has now established itself as a core component of the ITV1’s afternoon schedule and I’m hugely excited at the prospect of The Duke entertaining our daytime viewers in his own brilliant style for the next two years.”

Dickinson’s Real Deal grew in popularity throughout its second series in autumn 2007 and was the best performing individual programme in its slot last year for ITV1. It is currently on air on ITV1 and the new episodes start filming in January at locations across the UK ahead of transmission later this year.

Amanda Lowe is the series producer, and has been recruited from Talkback Thames where she was responsible for Escape to the Country. Mark Hill Head of RDF Television West is the executive producer. RDF Rights holds all international rights to the finished programming and format.