The Summit has reportedly been axed is the latest setback for ITV’s reality plans.
The broadcaster has ended the Ben Shephard-fronted series after just one run, according to reports.
It comes after the big-budget format apparently failed to attract the audience ITV wanted. The show now joins other reality ideas that did not catch on quickly enough.
The Summit ‘axed’ by ITV
According to a source, ITV made the call because the ratings did not justify the cost.
The insider told The Sun newspaper: “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.”
That view matched ITV’s early hopes for the series. The channel reportedly expected The Summit to make a splash, but those expectations did not come through.
The insider added: “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.”
What is The Summit on ITV?
The Summit followed 14 strangers as they tried to climb the rugged Alps of New Zealand’s South Island. They competed for a share of a potential £200,000 prize.
Ben Shephard said he loved filming the series in February. He called it “an extraordinary experience” and praised the dramatic Southern Alps backdrop.
He said: “It’s right up my street – the adventurous nature of it and the epic challenge ordinary people face when they have never climbed a mountain before.
“Then throw in the twists and turns and the exceptional mental and physical focus they have to somehow try and draw on, to complete the challenges and deal with what’s going on around them. “I’ve never experienced anything like it as a TV show.
“And the backdrop of the Southern Alps in New Zealand, I challenge anyone to find anywhere more dramatic, inspiring or terrifying as that landscape. It was just extraordinary.”
Ben also said the production team designed the challenges carefully. He added: “We had an elite team setting these challenges. They were all extraordinarily, sort of brilliantly laid out by experts.
“But you look at it, and if it goes slightly wrong, it can go very, very wrong. And we had one very bad injury at one point.”
The Summit’s reported axe leaves ITV without a second series, despite the show’s ambitious scale and high-profile host.
ITV has been contacted for comment.
Series one of The Summit is available to watch on ITVX.
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