Channel 4 has said that the stakes will be ‘raised higher than any quiz show in history’ as contestants will be ‘risking their own money to be in with a chance to win’.
A new Channel 4 quiz show fronted by Bradley Walsh has sparked concern as contestants will be risking their own money for a chance to win up to £1million.
Billed as a “UK first”, the government-owned channel has promoted the show as a “nail-biting brand-new one-off quiz event in which three plucky contestants step up for the chance to win up to £1 million”.
Channel 4 has said that the stakes will be “raised higher than any quiz show in history” as contestants will be “risking their own money to be in with a chance to win”.
Contestants are said to be required to bring their own bank cards as they bet cash according to how confident they are in their answers to general knowledge questions. Each question gives them the opportunity to win Bet Balls with a monetary value, which they are able to either cash out or risk by firing into the Million Pound Shot Machine in a bid to win £1million.
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Anti-gambling charities have criticised the concept, with Nick Harvey, spokesperson for the Coalition to End Gambling Ads (CEGA), telling the Mirror: “This sounds like nothing more than gambling dressed up as a gameshow.
“Despite millions being harmed in the UK every year, gambling has become so normalised that someone at a tv channel thought this was a good idea. I just hope that – unlike the gambling industry itself – they’re prioritizing the contestant’s welfare and mental health.”
However, host Bradley has also promised a “big twist”, which could very well be the fact that the quiz show is actually be a satirical documentary in line with that of Gregg Wallace’s TV hoax The British Miracle Meat.
In 2023, the former MasterChef presenter hosted a half-hour programme about a new development in food which was “engineered human meat”. Unsurprisingly, it prompted horror and disgust from viewers, which only mounted as Gregg interviewed a 67-year-old woman who claimed to have reluctantly donated as she struggled with the cost of living crisis.
At the end, the programme was exposed as a spoof inspired by Jonathan Swift’s A Modest Proposal. However, the documentary was still slammed by MPs who accused it of being in “poor taste”.
Whether this new show, which appears to promote gambling, lies in a similar vein remains to be seen. Channel 4 further promised viewers: “There are more twists to unfold throughout, as this brand-new show presented by Bradley promises a night of drama unlike anything he’s hosted before, bursting with tension, big moments and huge curveballs.”
Another question to be raised, if the show is legitimate, would be what happens to the contestants’ own money that is gambled away. Will it go to Channel 4? The main prize pot?
Speaking about the concept, Bradley said: “This programme is unlike anything we’ve seen on British TV before, and when I heard about this format I thought it was one of the most original and surprising quiz shows I’d ever encountered. Alongside playing with their own money, there are more twists and turns along the way – I’m excited for everyone to see how it plays out.”
He continued that contestants will need to take “big risks” and “back themselves to the very end”.
Bradley added: “This game is all about confidence and bravado. Putting your money where your mouth is will not be simple when it’s your own cold hard cash. So the contestants are going to have to be cool, calm and willing to take a risk. The game is always in their control and I’m hoping for confident, bright players with a good breadth of general knowledge and a sense of fun.”
Bradley Walsh’s Million Pound Shot will be available to watch and stream on Channel 4 at 9pm, Sunday 1st November
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