Jeremy Clarkson revs up for Who Wants To Be A Millionaire return

JEREMY CLARKSON will be back in the driving seat when Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? returns for a new series in 2019, it has been confirmed.

The former Top Gear and now The Grand Tour presenter hosted a week-long series of 20th anniversary specials of the popular gameshow back in May, taking over the role from Chris Tarrant, who hosted from 1998 to 2014.

But now a new 10-episode series of the hit programme, in which contestants have to answer 15 questions to win a cool £1million, has been announced by ITV for next year.

Fans can rest assured that all the usual features — Ask The Audience, Phone a Friend and 50:50 — will return, as well as new lifeline Ask The Host, giving Clarko a chance to exercise his scathing side, no doubt.

But contestants might want to be wary of using that lifeline as he couldn’t answer a simple driving question, about the shape of a stop sign, in one of this year’s episodes, saying ‘stopping is for other people’.

In another special Clarkson was incorrect about a number of questions and even wrongly told a contestant they had answered correctly, without checking the answer first.

As one of his bosses, Matthew Worthy, said today: ‘Ask The Host is back! And a quick tip for future contestants: don’t use it on questions about fine art, haute cuisine or the scouting association!’

For his part, Clarko is revved up about returning to the role.

‘I absolutely loved hosting the anniversary shows and cannot wait to spend a few precious hours away from James May and Richard Hammond, making the new ones, he said.

■ The application process to be a contestant on the show is open at itv.com

Author: Anna Thomson