From Romesh Ranganathan to Lee Mack, big-name standups are increasingly fronting quiz shows. What’s causing the glut of comics?Going from telling jokes about your sex life in a room above a pub to asking someone in a studio what the capital of Malaysia is might not seem like an obvious career transition. It is, however, increasingly common to turn on your TV and see a comedian fronting a gameshow. In recent times, Romesh Ranganathan has hosted The Weakest Link; Michael McIntyre has hosted The Wheel; Lee Mack has hosted The 1% Club; and Jason Manford has hosted The Answer Run. When there are so many other people who would be glad of the work – full-time presenters; actors; Nigel Farage – why is the male-standup-hosting-a-quizshow such a mainstay of modern TV?Joel Dommett is likely as familiar to the general public for his hosting as for his comedy. He thinks the snobbery that used to exist in the comedy industry about gameshows and adverts has subsided a little. “Comedians nowadays c...
The article discusses the trend of comedians hosting TV game shows, highlighting examples like Romesh Ranganathan and Michael McIntyre. This shift is attributed to reduced snobbery towards game shows in the comedy industry, allowing comedians to maintain their reputation. Comedians' skills in entertaining and reassuring audiences make them ideal hosts. Richard Bacon, a producer, notes that famous talent is easily marketable internationally, unlike comedy. Additionally, hosting offers practical benefits, such as no need for memorization or heckling, though it requires multitasking akin to stand-up. Thus, comedians are well-suited and motivated to take on these roles.
