WHO Wants To Be A Millionaire? is one of the most successful game shows of all time, so it’s fair to say that its former host, Chris Tarrant, knows a thing or two about the genre.
And the telly veteran reckons it’s time lazy bosses stopped rebooting old classics.
Raging about the trend which has seen shows like Bradley Walsh-fronted Blankety Blank and Gladiators make a return, Chris said: “It’s desperate.
“TV executives ought to come up with something new instead of repeating the same old shows.
“I can’t believe we still run things like Family Fortunes.
“And then they come up with new ones like The Masked Singer, for God’s sake. What’s next, The Masked Cook? The Masked Knife Juggler? Can we make some new ones, please?”
Chris – who recently took in a family of Ukrainian refugees – stood down as Millionaire host in 2014 and the show returned four years later with Jeremy Clarkson in the hotseat.
But he still remembers his time on the show fondly and revealed the Ukrainian family have begun to watch old episodes.
Chris said: “I didn’t want them to, but suddenly this strange man in their house pops up on telly!
“They’ve watched repeats of Millionaire. There’s four of those on a night, you know.”
Chris has continued to support victims of the war in Ukraine by helping The National Lottery celebrate others who have shown huge kindness during the conflict.
At Liverpool’s Royal Albert Dock on Tuesday, he unveiled a projection depicting the story of Ukrainian caseworker Vladyslava Zhmuro, who has helped rehome more than 300 people.
Chris added: “The National Lottery is giving £30million a week to good causes. One of the things they’re concentrating on is exceptional people that are doing amazing things.
“Vladyslava is an amazing girl and deserves this tribute.”
