Norton’s alarm over TV clash with Cowell’s show

Graham Norton fears his BBC show Over The Rainbow will lose viewers after going head-to-head on Saturday nights with Britain's Got Talent.

The presenter believes the contestants of Andrew Lloyd Webber's search for a new Dorothy to star in a West End production of The Wizard Of Oz will suffer as a result.

The ITV1 reality show, featuring Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden and Piers Morgan, attracted 10.6 million viewers for its launch on Saturday. Over The Rainbow has been achieving an average of seven million.

Norton says only the show's diehard fans will stay tuned. He said: "Britain's Got Talent is gargantuan. I know we'll be beaten by it. Britons love it and we're aware they'll switch over. It's a pity the shows were put head-to-head."

He claimed that girls on his show who had to wait until the second half of the programme to perform, which is when it clashes with BGT, could be at a disadvantage.

"I feel sorry for our girls as they've worked so hard. The ones on before BGT starts will be seen by more people. Those on after 8pm are hard done by. It's not really fair.

"We know only our diehard fans will stick with us. Talent's so big they don't have to worry about anyone else."

The audiences for BGT are expected to rise. Its opening at the weekend was its biggest on record, and last year 20 million tuned into the final.