ITV is investigating investment opportunities with both Ant & Dec’s Gallowgate production firm and Graham Norton’s So Television in an effort to boost its in-house production wing, ITV Studios and gain greater control over some of its principle formats.

Mooted options are thought to include buying a stake in each or even taking over one or both outright.

So Television presently produces the Graham Norton Show for the BBC, potentially meaning that the Corporations flagship talk shows would be being produced by a rival broadcaster.

Gallowgate meanwhile is responsible for bankable ITV hits including Saturday Night Takeaway and a Vernon Kay hosted quiz called Beat the Star.

ITV has a warchest of around £1bn to invest in boosting its own production arm.