Jeremy Clarkson will have to answer questions himself if contestants use a newly introduced fourth lifeline in the forthcoming episodes of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?
The game show, hosted by newcomer Clarkson for a run of 20th anniversary episodes, will now include an Ask the Host lifeline that contestants can use alongside the existing lifelines – 50/50, Phone a Friend and Ask the Audience.
The additional twist may give competitors an extra helping hand as the former Top Gear star will have to say if he knows the answer to a question, or share his opinion to what it might be.
Phone a friend, it's back. Who Wants To Be A #Millionaire? Saturday 5th May @ITV pic.twitter.com/MzSHBos4D7
— ITV (@ITV) April 25, 2018
Clarkson said: “If the contestant chooses that lifeline, they get to ask me if I know the answer. God help them.
“Anyone who doesn’t win £1 million is bound, at some point, to ask me if I know the answer. And if it’s 1970s prog rock music, I probably will. If it’s anything other than that, I probably won’t.”
Another new element to the popular programme, which was originally hosted by Chris Tarrant, will allow contestants to set their own second safety net amount.
As a person answers questions higher up the scale to reach £1 million, they have a fixed net of £1,000 – once they reach that point after answering five questions correctly, they will take that home as a minimum.
The second safety net was originally £32,000, but in the seven new episodes, each contestant is allowed to determine their own after passing the £1,000 mark, between £2,000 and £500,000.
Clarkson said the second new twist requires “balls of steel”.
He added: “To go beyond, say £32,000, when you’re going to drop back to £1,000 if you get it wrong. To say, ‘no I’ll set it at £64,000 and risk losing £63,000 if I get it wrong’ – balls of steel.”
Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? starts Saturday May 5 at 9.15pm on ITV, and will then continue nightly throughout the week at 9pm for a further six episodes.