Take That on telly: First it was Gary Barlow in Miranda, now Jason Orange in Shameless

The "Could It Be Magic" singers are making cameo appearances in some of our best-loved TV shows

Matilda Battersby
Friday 11 January 2013 13:18 GMT
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Yesterday we saw the first pictures of Gary Barlow having a snog with Miranda Hart; today comes the news that Jason Orange will be trying out his new hoodie on the Chatsworth Estate. Take That, it seems, are all over British television. But they aren't performing any of their greatest hits.

Barlow, who has already dominated ITV1 as a judge on the X Factor, will make a guest appearance on hit BBC comedy Miranda as a new love interest for the hap-hazard title character.

New pictures show the pair in a clinch in episode 5 of the new series which will be broadcast on BBC1 on 21 January at 9pm.

Meanwhile Barlow’s bandmate Orange has been making a foray into the world of acting on Channel 4 show Shameless.

He will play a DJ called Scouse Mouse in the final episode of the long-running series which will also see the return of Anne-Marie Duff (Fiona Gallagher).

The 11th, and final, series of Shameless is due to end in spring.

Orange, who is a fan of the show, was reportedly “nervous” during filming, but got on well with the rest of the cast. He popped into the Jockey pub for a pint with Frank Gallagher afterwards.

Miranda hardly needs the appeal of a Take That star to attract audiences having won the battle of the Christmas television ratings with a Boxing Day score of 9.5m watchers.

In the episode filmed in November Barlow fends off the advances of both Miranda and her on-screen mother, played by Patricia Hodge.

Off-screen Orange dated another BBC funny woman Catherine Tate, but the couple split last February after nearly a year together.

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