[Amy]

... as long as she beats Claire Sweeney, Kaye Adams and Big Brother psychologist Dr Linda Papadopoulos to get Trisha Goddard's old job

VANESSA Feltz could be on the verge of one of TV's most extraordinary comebacks.

She looks favourite to take over from Trisha Goddard who quit her ITV daytime chat show over a contract row - just like Vanessa did six years ago.

An insider said: "We couldn't believe it when we saw Vanessa on the monitors and realised that it wasn't an old show but she was actually upstairs.

"She was doing a Trisha-style programme with members of the production team sitting in as the audience.

"Then throughout the day there was a steady trickle of others being tried out.

"Vanessa would be welcomed back here - there is a new generation of staff working on the show so her return shouldn't be a problem. She is the one with most kudos and it would be an interesting move for ITV to bring her back."

But she faces stiff competition from former Brookside actress Claire Sweeney, Loose Women's Kaye Adams and Big Brother psychologist Dr Linda Papadopoulos who have also had screen tests.

TV pundit Nina Myskow and relationship expert Jennie Trent Hughes are also said to be desperate to land the top job.

Vanessa, 42, went to the BBC after leaving ITV but was forced out when the Mirror reported that she had used fake guests on her show.

Trisha defected to channel Five last week for £3million after Granada refused to give her more say in producing her ITV programme.

Whoever lands her old job will go head-to-head with Trisha who starts her new slot early next year. ITV1 bosses were last week weighing up whether to scrap the Trisha show altogether or fill the slot with a different type of programme.

Vanessa would come full circle if she gets the ITV job.

The channel claimed it dumped her in 1998 after she demanded more money. But she said she decided not to sign a new contract because they wouldn't give her a prime-time series.

Vanessa said at the time: "It wasn't my chosen career to be there and it will be quite a relief not to have to defend victim-vision entertainment any more."

The Beeb axed her new show and her £2million contract after we found out that its researchers and producers were using phoneys supplied by an agency.

It caused an outcry with the Government ordering TV chiefs to clamp down on using fakes.

Article from Daily Mirror