ITV shelves popular annual show after bosses were unable to recruit celebrities to take part

The Real Full Monty normally aired annually, and has done since 2017. The hit show saw celebrities train to take part in a Full Monty-esque strip tease in front of a live theatre audience to raise awareness of cancer checks.

Previous stars to take part in previous editions of the show include TOWIE stars Pete Wicks, Megan McKenna and Gemma Collins, Christine McGuinness, Duncan James and Coleen Nolan among others. However, bosses are said to be struggling to sign celebs up to get their kit off.

A source told The Mirror: “Getting celebrities to agree to take off all their clothes in front of not only a live audience, but millions more thanks to the cameras, is no small task. Even Coleen Nolan, who has been involved for many years, has told how absolutely terrifying she finds it.

“So the decision has been made to give it a break. It does not mean it will never come back, but there are no plans in the pipeline at this point.”

Diversity member and Dancing On Ice judge Ashley Banjo was a part of every series of the show, choreographing the celebrities through their performances, which would see them strip down to nothing at the end of the show to encourage other to check their bodies for lumps. Many of the celebrities who took part previously have either been affected by cancer themselves or have been impacted by the disease through a family member or a close friend.

An spokesperson for ITV said: “The Real Full Monty has taken a number of guises over the past few years from the original men-only line-up, to a version on ice, in order to raise awareness around cancer. We are resting the format this year.”