Andrew Lloyd Webber names new judges for Over The Rainbow television competition

Published: 7:30AM GMT 19 Feb 2010

Previous of Images Next Charlotte Church has been named as one of the judges. Photo: PA Sheila Hancock has also been named as a judge. Photo: MARTIN POPE

The judges will analyse the competitors to help viewers decide which candidate is best suited for the role in an updated version of The Wizard Of Oz in London"s West End next year.

The BBC One show, which will be called Over The Rainbow and will air this spring, is to be hosted by Graham Norton. Auditions are already taking place.

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Lord Lloyd-Webber said: ""Each member of the panel brings something new and exciting which will take Over The Rainbow even further than the previous shows."

Partridge, who is known to EastEnders viewers as Christian Clarke in EastEnders, made his first appearance on stage in Lord Lloyd-Webber"s Cats, playing Rum Tum Tugger.

Hancock also has numerous musical theatre credits and is appearing in the stage version of Sister Act.

Church was catapulted to fame at a young age, with the release of her multi-million selling debut album Voice Of An Angel in 1998.

She said: ""My career started with Pie Jesu, which was of course written by Andrew, so it feels like I"ve come full circle.""

BBC One controller Jay Hunt said: ""It is hard to find a team of judges who can match Andrew Lloyd Webber in terms of enthusiasm, knowledge and a love of musical theatre but I think we have got them here they are going to be a huge asset to the show.""

Meanwhile, BBC sources strongly denied speculation that Denise Van Outen was not asked to be on the judging panel because she is pregnant.

Van Outen was involved in Lord Lloyd-Webber"s previous talent search Any Dream Will Do, where she met husband Lee Meade.

Van Outen and John Barrowman also took part in his hunt for Nancy and Oliver in the BBC"s I"d Do Anything.

A statement from the BBC said: ""Over The Rainbow is a brand new show for BBC One with a completely new line-up of judges.

""The panel has always been interchangeable and as a result neither Denise Van Outen nor John Barrowman nor any of the previous five judges will be panellists for this series.

""We are talking to Denise about being involved in the show in one of our contestant missions and next month she will be appearing on the panel of Let"s Dance for Sport Relief.""