Virgin Media has added Ideal World back to its channel list, months after previous owner pulled the plug over cost.
- Channel was pulled in June without warning, but is back under new ownership.
- However, viewers don’t appear to be impressed with what’s on offer.
- Virgin Media currently the only traditional TV platform to offer channel in HD.
Ideal World has this morning returned to Virgin Media in the UK, where it’s available on channel 747.
The shopping channel was pulled without warning from Virgin Media in June, an early sign that things were not going well at the channel.
A month later, Ideal World collapsed into administration. In September, the owners of TJC stepped in to save the channel brand and brought the channel back to life on Sky, Freesat and Freeview.
A number of its former presenters have also returned to the channel.
Viewers unimpressed
While the loss of Ideal World resulted in a surprisingly high surge of online comments sorry to see the channel go, the new incarnation of the channel doesn’t appear to be going down well with viewers.
Its Facebook page has been inundated with complaints about its presenters and product ranges, which include walking sticks and a dolls house. Additionally, it seems viewers aren’t turned on by the perfume range sold by Ideal World and its parent TJC. It seems the brand – Gammon – doesn’t tick the right boxes.
HD exclusive
Uniquely, Virgin Media is currently the only traditional TV platform that offers the channel in HD.
Ideal World lost its Freesat and Sky HD slots during the period it was in administration. As a result, on these platforms, the channel is SD only.