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ITV has reportedly cancelled high-octane reality series The Summit after just one season.
Hosted by This Morning presenter Ben Shephard, the series followed a group of contestants who came together to face the daunting challenge of climbing a mountain.
A source claimed to The Sun: “Competition is fierce out there right now, and even shows with big budgets and big-name presenters are not a guarantee of success.
“And unless they make an impact, quite quickly execs have to weigh up whether the cost of making these shows is worth the ratings, and therefore the advertising revenues, to make it worthwhile.
“Everyone is looking for ‘The Next Big Show’. Unfortunately, The Summit wasn’t it, even though commentators remarked on the fact it did seem to try to tap into some of the energy of The Traitors.”
Radio Times understands there are no current plans for a new series of The Summit.
With 14 days to reach the summit, and an equal share of the prize fund in their backpacks, the contestants faced the treacherous terrain, wild conditions and extraordinary challenges – set by the mysterious Mountain’s Keeper – that blocked their path to the peak.
The series was filmed in the Southern Alps in New Zealand, which Ben Shephard was excited to return to after travelling there when he was 19.
He told Radio Times and other press at the time: “So to go back in this extraordinary backdrop and to film a show that’s all about adventure and challenges, and these 14 remarkable people, just ordinary people facing this extraordinary challenge.
“It was an absolute thrill. Every step of the way was jaw-dropping, not least for the contestants or the contributors, but for the backdrop, for the challenges, for the drama and the way that Matt and Andy [and] the team had put this show together.”
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The Summit is available to watch on catch-up on ITVX.
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Authors
Katelyn Mensah is the Senior Entertainment Writer for Radio Times, covering all major entertainment programmes, reality TV shows and the latest hard-hitting documentaries. She previously worked at The Tab, with a focus on reality TV and showbiz news and has obtained a BA (Hons) in Journalism.
