Harry Hill has said he had one condition when it came to fronting the return of Stars In Their Eyes – that he could “fool around” with the format.

The show, originally on from 1990 to 2006, is returning to ITV with Hill replacing the likes of Leslie Crowther, Matthew Kelly and Cat Deeley, who fronted the series over the years.

And he said he was given the green light to make the changes.

Harry Hill
Harry Hill is hosting the new Star In Their Eyes (ITV)

“They were up for it, because they realised you couldn’t just bring it back as it was, so we’ve been trying to work out how much of it we need to preserve,” Hill said.

The funnyman, who appeared as Morrissey in a celebrity version of the show in 1999, said that there was one element of the format he definitely wasn’t changing – the dramatic transformation when the contestant walks through the doors as smoke billows around them to reappear as their chosen singer.

“That’s the most important bit to preserve. We have to let them do their thing and not mess about with that too much,” he said.

Unlike shows like Britain’s Got Talent and The X Factor, there’s no phone vote for viewers, or recording contracts.

“It’s not going to change your life, and it’s not going to ruin it,” the TV Burp star said. “It’s really for people to have fun with and to have a kick out of dressing up.”

:: Harry Hill’s Stars In Their Eyes begins on ITV on Saturday January 10.