Totally Saturday axed by BBC?

Graham Norton's BBC One show Totally Saturday has been axed after being trounced in the ratings, it has been reported.

BBC bosses have apparently decided to pull the plug on the show after it attracted just 2.5 million viewers on Saturday night - while 3.7 million tuned into a repeat of Stephen Mulhern's Animals Do The Funniest Things over on ITV1.

Graham is understood to be unhappy with the show, which ends on July 18 - a week short of its intended run.

An insider told The Sun: "Totally Saturday has been totally disastrous. The BBC hoped it would be their answer to Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway on ITV.

"But viewers just don't seem to like it and even Graham is unhappy with it. He deserves much better than this turkey. It's got two more shows and then it's being consigned to the dustbin."

BBC chiefs are struggling to find new formats for Graham - who is due to sign another deal when his existing £6 million contract expires at the end of the year - following the success of shows like How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?

Graham's past flops for the channel include Strictly Dance Fever in 2006 and variety show When Will I Be Famous? in 2007.