England football legend tipped to join Dragon’s Den as judge gushes ‘he’s prepared to invest’

EX-footballer Gary Neville is tipped to become a full-time TV Dragon.

He impressed as a guest investor on the new series of BBC One’s Dragons’ Den, to be shown next year.

PAGary Neville is tipped to become a full-time TV Dragon[/caption]

The Sky Sports pundit and former Man Utd defender has millions invested in property and Beeb bosses want him to join the entrepreneur series on a more permanent basis.

Show regular Deborah Meaden said: “You’d think he had been a Dragon his entire life. He instinctively asked the right questions.

“He’s got a really good business brain on him. He was fantastic, I’m not kidding you, and he’s prepared to invest.”

Meanwhile, Deborah will appear on Taskmaster’s New Year Treat on Tuesday but isn’t worried the madcap Channel 4 show may affect her reputation.

She said: “I didn’t get these laughter lines through sitting in a chair and being grumpy.”

Em’s a UK TV buff

NAKED ATTRACTION has made its way to Hollywood – or to actress Emma Stone’s living room in the States, at least.

The star, who will join Graham Norton on the telly sofa for the New Year’s Eve special of his chat show, admits she enjoys tuning in to British programmes when relaxing between filming.

PAEmma Stone will join Graham Norton on the telly sofa for the New Year’s Eve special of his chat show[/caption]

PAGraham will also be joined by Mark Ruffalo, Claudia Winkleman, Rob Brydon and the Ezra Collective[/caption]

But it’s far from high-brow viewing for Emma, who stars with Mark Ruffalo in new film Poor Things.

In fact, she prefers a lighthearted reality and dating fix.

Emma jokes: “My foray into it began with The Only Way Is Essex, and then I learned about Naked Attraction and Gogglebox.

“I became completely crazy about it and, in America, the two shows are a double feature. They are back-to-back. So it’s cosy family viewing followed by nakedness.

“I love that!”

As well as his A-list film star guests, king of the sofa Graham will be joined by TV host Claudia Winkleman and actor Rob Brydon, plus jazz band the Ezra Collective.

And Gavin and Stacey star Rob will reveal that Emma’s not the only actress from across the pond who is a big fan of British telly.

He adds of being cast as Sugar Daddy Ken in Barbie: “It was bizarre, but I ended up in it apparently because Margot Robbie is a fan of Gavin and Stacey. I think that’s how it came about.”

RU PAUL’S Drag Race UK Versus The World is to return on BBC Three for a second series early in 2024.

The queens from this year’s British series are competing with Drag Racers from across the globe to be crowned the ultimate winner, and for the first time will receive a cash prize.

David: My childish question

JUST because Sir David Attenborough has been studying natural history for more than eight decades doesn’t mean he’s stopped asking schoolboy questions.

On BBC One’s Attenborough And The Giant Sea Monster, to be shown on Monday night, the broadcaster learns all about the long-extinct ocean predator pliosaur, after a fossil is found in Dorset.

PASir David Attenborough hasn’t stopped asking schoolboy questions[/caption]

But when he sat down with an expert, Sir David asked how the sea creature would fare in a fight with T-rex.

He said: “I asked the expert perhaps a rather childish question, because pliosaur was very big – it’s bigger than Tyrannosaurus Rex by a long way.

“My schoolboy question was, ‘Supposing a Tyrannosaurus rex met this pliosaur, who would win?’.”

EASTENDERS have confirmed tough-guy actor Alan Ford will head to Walford and take on the role of Billy Mitchell’s dad Stevie.

As I exclusively revealed earlier this year, the Snatch star will turn up unannounced at the funeral of Aunt Sal.

His scenes for the BBC One soap air in the New Year.

ANT and DEC have become more like exam invigilators for the new series of their quiz show Limitless Win.

The duo, who return to ITV1 on Saturday with a third outing, admit they have had to check contestants entering the studio to make sure they are not sneaking answers in.

Ant said: “Contestants are coming with proper research, spreadsheets and things written down on bits of paper. We’ve had to check their arms.”

Dec added: “People have really been doing their research and coming prepared.”