THE Martin Lewis Money Show has been accused of covering up Angelica Bell’s shock exit from the BAFTA-nominated series – after secretly sacking the star “without any warning”.
The Sun can reveal the former CBBC presenter readily returned to film series 13 of the hit series last month, only to be unceremoniously dumped by jittery bosses.
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Angelica Bell at the 2023 British Academy Television Awards Credit: Andrew Sims – The Times
A few days before filming, Angelica Bell was told that she would no longer be needed in the program.
Producers claimed her decision to appear on Channel 5’s The Gadget Show – which was recently rebranded as Shop Smart, Save Money – represented a conflict of interest.
However, insiders insist The Sun bosses were aware of Angellica’s decision to take part in the show, including the rival programme’s name changes, throughout the process.
Instead of announcing her exit through a statement, the program has yet to mention the earthquake.
Angellica has been with the series since 2017 and helped the program earn a TV BAFTA nomination.
A source close to the show said: “Everyone is stunned by the move – no one saw it coming.
“Angelica has been an integral part of the show since 2017, so it’s crazy that they kicked her out of the program without warning.
“The staff have of course spoken and find the whole thing really unpleasant and unfair, but Martin is trying to stay out of it because it wasn’t up to him.
“Bosses say the rebranding of The Gadget Show to Shop Smart, Save Money raised concerns about editorial conflicts, but in reality the decision had nothing to do with Angellica.
“Many staff feel that at the very least, bosses could have given her a warning or given her the option of which show she wanted to continue with.”
A series insider added: “Angelica was a valued part of the team joining in series seven but, given the importance of maintaining a distinct, individual and distinct identity for the series, it was felt that her new role meant she would not be offered a new contract for continuation of the Martin Lewis Money Show live.
“The Martin Lewis Money Show live production team were unaware that Angelica’s new show would be called Buy Smart, Save Money until the program was announced to the media at the end of September, and filming for it featuring Angellica had already begun before then.
“A friendly conversation was held with her about the situation.”
While Angelica’s relationship with The Martin Lewis Show is now thought to be “strained”, her relationship with ITV remains strong.
Neither party involved has officially commented on Angelica’s departure, which only added fuel to the internet fire with fans taking to social media to question her absence.
One fan wrote: “Where is @angellicabell? Bring her back!”
Another added: “It wasn’t the same without @angellicabell.”
A third chimed in: “So sad to see you leave the Martin Lewis Show. Thanks for all your hard work, we’ll miss you.”
A fourth confused viewer wrote: “Strange that nothing was mentioned on the show.”
“@angellicabell why aren’t you in the new series of @itvMLshow?” asked another.
Angelica was replaced by former Olympian Jeanette Kwakye.
In a statement at the time, Martin said: “Jeanette will be a great addition to the series.
“This is such an important series because we are far from out of the cost of living crisis – energy bills will be higher this winter than the last terrible one, car insurance renewals are up more than 60%, interest rates have soared.
“I need a great host with me in the studio to keep me in line and on track so I can squeeze as much information into the hour as possible, so who better to join the show than a former Olympic sprinter with her quick feet on the ground.”
ITV representatives Martin Lewis and Angellica Bell have been contacted for comment.
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The Martin Lewis Show is one of the biggest programs on ITV. Credits: ITV
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