Romesh Ranganathan is to host a rebooted version of the TV quizshow The Weakest Link, formerly presented by Anne Robinson.
The 43-year-old comic will present the series, which is said to be returning to the BBC in a Saturday night slot, and will see celebrity contestants take on quick-fire general knowledge questions.
In a statement, Ranganathan said that it was “an honour to be asked to bring what is basically a TV institution back to our screens”. He added that Robinson was “an amazing host and to step into her shoes is an anxiety-inducing privilege. I’m hoping we’ve found a way to make both the fans of the show happy as well as bringing a new audience to it. If not, accept this as my apology.”
Kate Phillips, director of entertainment for the BBC said that the show “has always been a firm favourite with audiences and Anne Robinson was a terrific and formidable host. I can’t wait to see Romesh bring his own unique style of presenting to one of TV’s most memorable role”. Suzy Lamb, managing director of entertainment and music at BBC Studios, added that it would be “incredibly funny and as fiery as ever”.
The Weakest Link originally aired from 2000 to 2012 on BBC Two and BBC One in the UK, with a Children in Need special broadcast in 2017. Its huge success led to international spin-offs including a US version which Robinson also presented in trademark acerbic fashion. Actor Jane Lynch currently presents the US version of the series, which was rebooted in 2020.
Known to audiences as the host of travelogues including The Misadventures of Romesh Ranganathan and comedies such as Judge Romesh and The Ranganation, Ranagathan is also a Guardian Weekend columnist.
Meanwhile, this week sees Robinson join Countdown, taking over from Nick Hewer as the host of the Channel 4 series. Although she was dubbed ‘the Queen of Mean’ for her scathing comments towards contestants on The Weakest Link, Robinson recently told the Guardian that “it wasn’t my original intention to be horrid – I just didn’t want to be a cheesy gameshow host … if viewers at home were saying “Why is she so fat?”, I might as well say it too”.
