RI:SE ain't shining

Channel 4 boss Mark Thompson has admitted the channel’s ailing breakfast show RI:SE is still a “disappointment” despite a much-heralded revamp.

The programme was relaunched at the beginning of the year in an attempt to boost audience figures.

But new presenting duo Iain Lee and Edith Bowman proved an even bigger turn-off for viewers.

At one stage the show sunk to a new low when fewer than 50,000 people tuned in - earning it the humiliation of a zero rating.

Bowman quit last month and the programme has limped on with Big Brother winner Kate Lawler as her replacement.

Discussing the future of RI:SE, Thompson said: “Breakfast is one of the areas which isn’t working as well as we would like.

“We are continuing to work on RI:SE to strengthen it but so far it has been a disappointment.”

Thompson claimed all hope was not lost for the show, which once attracted 250,000 viewers when it launched as a replacement for The Big Breakfast.

He said: “We can strengthen the performance of some programmes – look at Richard and Judy, which is performing very well.

“We haven’t got RI:SE where we want it at the moment but we are continuing to work on it.”