East Lancashire Radio 1 DJ, Jordan North, is to host a new BBC Three TV show that features Jason Derulo.

Jordan, from Burnley, said he is “excited” to be part of Project Icon which is six-part music competition from MultiStory Media and ITV America.

The series invites eight aspiring recording artists to compete against each other to see whether they have got what it takes to transform from a bedroom singer into an all-round music star in just a few weeks.

 

Jordan said: “I'm well excited to be the host of Project Icon, there is so much fantastic talent in the UK!

“At Radio 1, it’s no secret that we love to champion and find fresh musical talent, so I can’t wait to be part of show that is hoping to uncover the next big music star.”

The show is inspired by Derulo’s own career story, which took off when he realised that the music industry had changed and he reinvented himself to be more than just a great singer.

He rebuilt his profile on social media and on films, gained a new legion of fans and his popularity soared.

Now, he wants to share his formula with eight rough diamonds and give one the chance to follow in his footsteps.

Jason and his long-term manager, Frank Harris, will act as mentors, alongside singer Becky Hill.

They will mentor the newcomers and put them through their paces with a number of real world challenges.

The artists will all have a track record of posting about their music exploits on their social platforms but they haven’t broken into the mainstream, yet.

The series experts all know what it takes to make it in the cutthroat world of music, and the high-stakes challenges that the artists will be participating in all reflect the realities of the modern music business.

Each week someone will be eliminated before the final three go through to a nail-biting finale.

At the end of the series, the winner will receive a US music deal with Jason’s label Future History, a collaboration with Jason Derulo, and a live performance at BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend in 2023.

Jason Derulo said: “The world of music has changed and being a superstar with staying power today requires a lot more than just singing. Project Icon is the first TV show that will challenge contestants on all realistic skills an artist today should have for a real shot at being an Icon.”

Becky Hill, said: “As somebody with first-hand experience of a TV talent show, I know the struggles and stigma that surround trying to make it in the music industry.

“I want to change that narrative for other artists and show them that success in the music industry is about talent, but also and mostly about hard work.

“I feel like Project Icon is a bootcamp for artists, showing them the fun parts of this life, but also the real work that goes in to becoming a true icon. This is the training I wish I had all of those years ago.”

Frank Harris said: “We couldn’t be more thrilled to be in partnership with the BBC and MultiStory Media on this exciting and unique project.

“There is so much incredible talent in the UK and we look forward to finding and creating the next generation of musical superstars.”

Fiona Campbell,  controller at BBC Three, said: “This new series has all the ingredients we look for in a show for BBC Three.

“Big talent, super creative individuals and challenges that take inspiration from real-life trends and amplifies it.

“We have high hopes for it an we’ll be looking for aspiring artists from all over the country.”

Ana de Moraes, MultiStory Media’s chief creative officer, said: “It’s been fantastic to work with Derulo and Harris from the very early stages of development of this idea, and help turn their vision into reality by bringing together a first in class production team to deliver the series for BBC Three.

“We hope it will be the next turn of the dial in talent shows.”

Project Icon will air on BBC Three and iPlayer in 2023.