Reality TV
Show
“ The Match ”
Leo Ihenacho has been booted out of the Celebrity squad in The Match following the first of five daily votes.
The Streets star lost out in a public vote against rugby legend Martin Offiah and former Neighbours actor Blair McDonough.
The trio had all been nominated by manager Graham Taylor to sit on 'The Bench' - a process where one player is initially saved by the vote of fellow squad members with the remaining two at the mercy of the public. But in a twist, there was a tie in the players' vote between McDonough and Offiah as they polled eight votes each. In a portent of later events, Ihenacho secured just two votes with the players basing their decisions on purely footballing reasons.
A healthy 60% of the public voted in favour of McDonough before Ihenacho discovered his fate.
Missing out on a place in the squad, 'Leo The Lion' said he was "gutted... it would have been a dream come true." Referring to the earlier training session he admitted that "everything I tried, I wasn't pulling it off." Upon hearing of the measly two votes in his favour, he joked - "I was thinking these were my mates!" - but later predicted a 3-1 winning scoreline to his side.
Four more players will be removed from the squad to reduce its number to 16 before the Celebrities face up to the Legends this Sunday at St James's Park.
The Streets star lost out in a public vote against rugby legend Martin Offiah and former Neighbours actor Blair McDonough.
The trio had all been nominated by manager Graham Taylor to sit on 'The Bench' - a process where one player is initially saved by the vote of fellow squad members with the remaining two at the mercy of the public. But in a twist, there was a tie in the players' vote between McDonough and Offiah as they polled eight votes each. In a portent of later events, Ihenacho secured just two votes with the players basing their decisions on purely footballing reasons.
A healthy 60% of the public voted in favour of McDonough before Ihenacho discovered his fate.
Missing out on a place in the squad, 'Leo The Lion' said he was "gutted... it would have been a dream come true." Referring to the earlier training session he admitted that "everything I tried, I wasn't pulling it off." Upon hearing of the measly two votes in his favour, he joked - "I was thinking these were my mates!" - but later predicted a 3-1 winning scoreline to his side.
Four more players will be removed from the squad to reduce its number to 16 before the Celebrities face up to the Legends this Sunday at St James's Park.
More: Reality TV, The Match
More Reality TV News
Tube Talk
'Bedlam': On set for the new seriesTube Talk takes a trip to the Bedlam set and speaks with star Lacey Turner.
TV Interviews
'Mike and Molly' Reno Wilson Q&ADigital Spy chats to Reno Wilson about Mike and Molly's wedding and beyond.
TV Ratings
'The Apprentice' final hires nearly 7mEarlier, the BBC's coverage of the Diamond Jubilee entertains more than 10m.
TV Recaps
'Homeland' finale: Have your sayHomeland's incredible finale is reviewed by Digital Spy. Share your verdict.
