Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? has confirmed two new twists for its revival – with one allowing contestants to ask presenter Jeremy Clarkson for help.
The iconic ITV gameshow is known for its three lifelines – ‘Ask The Audience’, ’50:50′ and ‘Phone a Friend’.
Now, the show’s comeback series will feature a brand new option: ‘Ask The Host’.
As the name suggests, it enables players to ask host Jeremy Clarkson if he can provide or help with an answer they’re stuck on.
The Grand Tour frontman will have no prior knowledge of what questions will be asked – a prospect he’s very nervous about.
“If the contestant chooses that lifeline, they get to ask me if I know the answer,” he explained.
“God help them. Anyone who doesn’t win £1,000,000 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.”
Ask The Host will sit alongside the classic lifelines, so there are now four on offer.
It is not an original idea, having previously been used in the Thai version of the show.
Meanwhile, contestants will also have more control over their potential winnings thanks to another new twist, the ‘Second Safety Net’.
Previously, when they passed £1,000 and £32,000 milestones, they’d be guaranteed to leave with those amounts.
Now, once they cross the £1,000 mark, they will be able to choose which amount acts as their second milestone.
“They can choose where it goes. So they choose how much they are going to lose at any given moment, which is a very clever idea,” Jeremy commented. “That requires balls of steel.”
It has already been revealed that the show will return to its original fifteen-question format. A change in 2007 had reduced the number of rounds to twelve.
ITV is bringing back Millionaire to celebrate its 20th anniversary, with Jeremy replacing Chris Tarrant as its frontman.
The new series will feature seven hour-long episodes airing stripped across one week.
It kicks off tonight, Saturday 5th May at 9.15pm, then continues every night at 9.00pm until Friday 11th May.
