I am gutted! Andrew Lloyd Webber has confirmed that he will not be taking part in any BBC talent shows in 2009 due to his other work commitments.

Speaking to Closer magazine Webber revealed:

“I’ve been asked to do another Saturday show, but I think this year I need to give the casting show a rest.”.

“I have my own musical in Phantom two to get on with and bits and pieces to do in America.

“There will not be another custom show with the BBC next year – [not] with me anyway. But I will do the search in 2010 to find Dorothy and possibly Toto the dog,” he added.

“The problem with Phantom two is I can’t produce the show in full. So I can’t commit to a BBC show until 2010.

“I can’t just do them – I need to be involved in producing it and you need a team, a theatre and everything else. And Phantom two is my first concern right now.”

Lloyd Webber also commented that he didn’t think this year’s show, ‘I’d Do Anything’, connected with the public as well as previous shows because he wasn’t as involved in the production.

“I think Oliver! didn’t connect half as well with the public because neither had I wrote Oliver! or was I producing it.

“I think the public like the thought of my head being on the block so to speak. That it’s a risk. The BBC can’t be seen to be promoting my work.

“I enjoyed doing Oliver! and there were good kids that came out of it. But I don’t think it had quite the same range of appeal.”