Our Shirley Valentine Summer: Lizzie Cundy, Nancy Dell’Olio, Melinda Messenger and a host of over-40 celebrity single ladies jet to Greece to find the men of their dreams in new series

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It's being pegged as Love Island for the over 40s.

And on Thursday, ITV will debut new series Our Shirley Valentine Summer, which will see a range of middle-aged celebrity women head to Greece in the hope of finding a lover.

The likes of former WAG Lizzie Cundy, Siân Lloyd, Annabel Giles and Melinda Messenger will feature on the show - which is based on the award-winning 1989 British romantic comedy-drama film, Shirley Valentine.

All the single ladies: On Thursday, ITV will debut new series Our Shirley Valentine Summer, which will see a range of middle-aged celebrity women head to Greece in the hope of finding a lover

All the single ladies: On Thursday, ITV will debut new series Our Shirley Valentine Summer, which will see a range of middle-aged celebrity women head to Greece in the hope of finding a lover

The movie followed middle-aged Shirley - Pauline Collins - in an unexpected discovery of herself when she traveled to Greece and rekindled her childhood dreams and youthful love of life.

And these eight celebrity singletons are hoping to channel the film and achieve the same.    

On Tuesday, Nancy Dell’Olio appeared on Loose Women to discuss her taking part in the series.

‘We were there for four weeks, there was eight of us. What the producer is trying to do is to get us to stay as open-minded as possible,' she said.

OUR SHIRLEY VALENTINE SUMMER: WHO ARE THE SINGLE LADIES?

On the hunt: Has Lizzie managed to find the man of her dreams? 

On the hunt: Has Lizzie managed to find the man of her dreams? 

LIZZIE CUNDY 

Age: 50

Known for? Media personality, radio host, model and former WAG 

Love life: Lizzie was married for 16 years to former Chelsea and Spurs defender Jason Cundy from 1994 until 2012. But since the demise of that marriage, she doesn't seem to have struck the right chord with anyone new, despite her ex re-marrying in 2015. Could this change on the show?

Unlucky in love? Lizzie was once linked to Hollywood actor Gerard Butler, but nothing ever came of it. After her marriage breakdown, she said: 'I've never been on my own and it's very frightening. I feel so betrayed. I've had panic attacks and I feel like my right arm has been cut off.' However, Lizzie's marriage produced two sons - now teenagers - Josh and James.

Kicking and screaming: Melinda had reservations about the show

Kicking and screaming: Melinda had reservations about the show

MELINDA MESSENGER 

Age: 47

Known for?  Model and TV presenter

Love life: In 1998, Melinda married boyfriend Wayne Roberts in Bali, Indonesia. This marriage produced three children: Morgan Kelly, 18, Flynn Jefferson, 16 and Evie Brooke, 15. The couple's marriage came under strain in 2008 and they separated. They reconciled within weeks, but four years later split for good. Melinda met professional free skier Warren Smith when she competed on The Jump in 2014, and they dated until recently.

Looking for? Despite admitting she was 'dragged kicking and screaming' on her first date on the show, she told The Express: 'I do want to get into another relationship but I’m not in any rush and it will be the right kind of relationship. It will organically happen when the time is right.'

She told Loose Women: 'It's about being with the right man at the right moment'

She told Loose Women: 'It's about being with the right man at the right moment'

NANCY DELL'OLIO

Age: 56

Known for? High profile lawyer, now a socialite

Love life: Nancy was the girlfriend of Gerardo de Gennaro, ex consigliere regionale of Puglia. They split, and in 1998 she met Sven-Göran Eriksson, whom she started dating. She moved to London with him in 2001 when he was made England's football manager. Sven cheated on Nancy with Ulrika Jonsson in 2002, and then again with the FIFA secretary Faria Alam in 2004. She forgave him on both occasions until they split in 2007. She dated Sir Trevor Nunn in 2011, for less than a year.

Looking for? She told Loose Women: 'I'm not looking for anyone, I'm looking for me. In my life it's about being with the right man at the right moment.'

Drama: Annabel's former break up was dubbed one of the most toxic celebrity splits ever. She then moved on with a woman

ANNABEL GILES

Age: 59

Known for?  TV and radio presenter, actress, panelist, novelist and model; she is now a fully qualified counsellor/psychotherapist as well

Love life: Annabel was married to 1980s Ultravox singer Midge Ure, with whom she has a daughter Molly, now 31. She then had another son, Ted, who was disabled, with a former lover whom she claimed walked out when Ted was only weeks old. She never publicly named him. Eventually, producer Paul Duddridge outed himself as the father but claimed the reality was very different to her story. It was dubbed one of the most toxic celebrity splits ever. Following this, Annabel had a relationship with a woman, which has since ended.  

Time to settle down? Sian has dated businessmen and MPs galore

Time to settle down? Sian has dated businessmen and MPs galore

SIAN LLOYD

Age: 60

Known for? Weather girl and TV personality

Love life: Sian mingled with the elite after she met Mark Cavendish, a relative of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, at university. They split after 14 years. She began dating MP Lembit Öpik in 2002 and were due to marry in 2006, but split. She met motor racing entrepreneur Jonathan Ashman in 2007 and he proposed less than a year later at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. They were married within the same month but split after eight years. 

The ex files: Ingrid was married to presenter Chris Tarrant

The ex files: Ingrid was married to presenter Chris Tarrant

INGRID TARRANT 

Age: 63

Known for? A high-profile divorce from Chris Tarrant and a subsequent TV career

Love Life? Mother-of-four Ingrid was married to Tony Walsh between 1980 and 1985, before marrying Chris Tarrant in 1991. This ended in 2007.

Looking for? In 2014, she wrote for Femail: 'I haven't made love since Chris left me seven years ago. Do I miss it? No... I've never felt more liberated!' Has this changed since then? 

19 years: Aggie's marriage lasted nearly two decades 

19 years: Aggie's marriage lasted nearly two decades 

AGGIE MACKENZIE

Age: 62

Known for? How Clean Is Your House?

Love life: Scottish Aggie was married to architect Matthew Goulcher who she divorced in 2012 after 19 years of marriage. She has two children from the marriage. She famously fell out of love with her 'work wife' Kim Woodburn after their cleaning-themed TV series came to a close. 

The time is now? Ninia hasn't had a relationship for 20 years 

The time is now? Ninia hasn't had a relationship for 20 years 

NINIA BENJAMIN

Age: 50

Known for? Comedienne

Love life: Ninia - who has appeared several times at the Edinburgh Festival as well as on 3 Non-Blondes, Total Wipeout, Cirque de Celebrité, Celebrity Scissorhands, Celebrity MasterChef and Hole in the Wall - last had a relationship 20 years ago.

 

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Love Island for the over 40s? [L-R] Ingrid Tarrant, Aggie Mackenzie, Lizzie Cundy and Siân Lloyd in Our Shirley Valentine Summer

Love Island for the over 40s? [L-R] Ingrid Tarrant, Aggie Mackenzie, Lizzie Cundy and Siân Lloyd in Our Shirley Valentine Summer

‘I'm not looking for anyone, I'm looking for me. And it's not about age, I have no concept of age. That relates to women and to men. In my life it's about being with the right man at the right moment. When they asked me about age I said from 30 to 75.'

She went on to say: 'Every experience in your life is a moment when you're spending time with new people, not only to get to know them, they get to know more about me.

'Sometimes we fear something that's not necessarily going to happen. I knew that I had some reserve before accepting to do the show, but it was an incredible experience, we had fun and it was hard work.'

Of her fellow celeb singletons, the former lawyer said: 'I never read about anyone, I like to guess spontaneously and to get to know people. I'm very girly, I have much more fun with women.

Nancy Dell'olio told Loose Women: 'I'm not looking for anyone, I'm looking for me. And it's not about age, I have no concept of age. That relates to women and to men. In my life it's about being with the right man at the right moment'

Nancy Dell'olio told Loose Women: 'I'm not looking for anyone, I'm looking for me. And it's not about age, I have no concept of age. That relates to women and to men. In my life it's about being with the right man at the right moment'

On the lookout: Melinda Messenger and Lizzie Cundy are looking for love

On the lookout: Melinda Messenger and Lizzie Cundy are looking for love

Kicking and screaming: Melinda had reservations about going on dates on the show

Kicking and screaming: Melinda had reservations about going on dates on the show

'I like to spend a lot of time on my own, but I was very pleased to be with women. Sometimes we were too many at the same table.'

Comparing British culture to her native Italian culture, she mused: 'Because it's part of the culture - this kind of carry-on - it used to be more about sex than it is.

'Women tend to be looking like men to be taken seriously, in Italy they are much more about celebrating women. There's always something to learn from a woman.'

Co-star Lizzie was married for 16 years to former Chelsea and Spurs defender Jason Cundy from 1994 until 2012.

But since the demise of that marriage, she doesn't seem to have struck the right chord with anyone new, despite her ex re-marrying in 2015. Could this change on the show?

Love lookout: Ninia Benjamin and Ingrid Tarrant will appear on the show

An insider told The Sun, when the series was announced: 'It may sound like a cross between The Golden Girls and Love Island, but this is about a group of world-wise women who are just looking for some kind of epiphany.

'If that comes in the form of a man then that’s a bonus.' 

David Clews, creative director, said: 'We can’t wait to take our brilliant cast of Shirleys over to Greece.

'Their summer in the sun will be a jam-packed experience - discovering new passions and rediscovering themselves as they get to grips with local life and the local dating scene.

'This is going to be a wonderfully warm, funny and heartfelt adventure. Hopefully with some romance too.   

Our Shirley Valentine Summer debuts on ITV at 9.30PM on Thursday.  

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