Game show contestants are frequently overlooked when it comes to acknowledging and celebrating the changing face of entertainment simply because of their lack of creative input. Throughout the nineties when Saturday night television still ruled the schedules, a gorge of shiny floor entertainment would be packaged together as BBC and ITV went head to head in a fearsome ratings war and one show would always triumph over every other. Writer and broadcaster Ortis Deley made his television debut as a contestant on the Saturday night juggernaut game show Blind Date in 1995. As a 22 year old pharmaceutical student, this was a million miles away from his reality and he was able to enjoy some of the luxuries of being a contestant on such a phenomenon of a show which promptly laid the foundations for a career in broadcasting.
Meeting the legendary Cilla Black was an unforgettable experience for the student who perfected that frequently vicarious balance between fulfilling expectations and keeping her distance. It was here that Ortis had an insight into the meticulous discipline that went into making Cilla Black one of the most influential entertainers in the history of British television and he remains extremely grateful of the experience which Blind Date offered. At this stage he had no idea what the future had in store and a career in broadcasting seemed far from his radar. Having witnessed the dignified professionalism of the legendary Cilla Black, it was here that her energy and enthusiasm became the shorthand for the show.
Making his broadcasting debut on the satellite station Trouble, Otis became the presenter of the satellite equivalent of CBBC. Despite being unable to attract the viewers of mainstream television, Trouble was the first network to realise the change in regional dialect and reflected this in its content. Britain’s multicultural landscape was evolving rapidly and with it became new voices and dialects which required embracing. With emotive drama which echoed the world that children identified with and presenters who each represented a changing society, it felt like Trouble was in touch with the nineties zeitgeist.
While at Trouble, Ortis was honoured to present The Smash Hits Roadshow which saw him introducing the biggest pop stars of the day to perform live in a festival of pure unadulterated pop. Introducing The Backstreet Boys and Nsync to perform to thousands of screaming fans was a surreal experience for the former pharmaceutical graduate. For a time, Ortis became one of the brightest young presenters in the country and the popularity of Trouble helped other networks to think big.
This success put Ortis on the radar of many TV executives and in 1999 he joined CBBC to front the consumer affairs programme Short Change which introduced children to the concept of customer rights and gave them the tools to make informed decisions about what they were buying. Of all the shows he was involved with at CBBC, Short Change remains one which he is most proud of as it actually made a significant difference in making children aware of their own rights. Way ahead of its time, the show never talked down to its audience and instead offered them advice on budgeting and keeping children safe when shopping. This was really public service broadcasting at its very best and Ortis is proud to have been a part of such an important programme.
Being at the BBC, Ortis was in prime position to become part of the long legacy of faces who were synonymous with Saturday mornings. Growing up in the seventies and eighties he had been an avid fan of Saturday morning television in its various guises throughout the years and now to be a tiny part of this legacy was a dream come true. Being at the BBC in this period offered Ortis an insight into a smooth working establishment and despite being difficult to get to, he recognised that Television Centre was the place to be and Live and Kicking would have never been as successful in any other building. The in-house resources which were available rivalled any studio in the world and Ortis is proud to have this on his cv.
In 2009 Ortis joined Suzi Perry and Jason Bradbury as the new presenter of Channel Five’s The Gadget Show. Originally a BBC production, the series profiled and celebrated emerging technologies which were either soon to be or currently on the market. From Smartphones to tablets, The Gadget Show remained on the forefront of our ever changing media habits and became a barometer on which we measured technological advancements. Surviving in its many guises until 2023, the show introduced us to devices that became a staple of our lives. Fondly remembered for its extravagant giveaways, The Gadget Show was the first to feature prize bundles of technology worth a considerable amount of money and set the benchmark for interactive competitions hereafter.
In 2023 the changing times signalled the end of The Gadget Show as review based content found a new home in the form of bloggers and content creators on YouTube and similar platforms. The pandemic followed by an economic downturn had impacted on our disposable income and people were being forced to change their shopping habits to reflect the modern age of austerity. Shop Smart, Save Money unites Ortis with the TV icon and friend of Beyond The Title; Gaby Roslin as they help technology addicts find gadgets that are both affordable and effective. People are now more responsible with their money as a result of needing to make it last and this series is a reflection of this. In many ways, Ortis feels like his career has now come full circle on a show surrounding consumer affairs which is similar to what he was doing at CBBC all those years ago and remains proud to still be doing a job he loves. It was a pleasure to welcome the all conquering Ortis Deley to Beyond The Title and it’s exciting to see what awaits this broadcast titan next!
Beyond The Title