Freddie Flintoff is like the cat that got the cream as he discusses his latest gig hosting Bullseye, which returns to screens this Sunday for a brand-new four-part revival of the iconic darts game show.
The former England cricket captain first fronted a Christmas special of the cult favourite last year and says he didn’t hesitate when asked to return. The festive one-off, which aired last Christmas, proved a surprise hit with viewers and paved the way for the new four-part run.
“I did it last year and I’d not done much television recently,” he said. “I really like darts, it’s one of the few sports I actually like, and I used to watch Bullseye back in the 80s on Sunday nights. It’s become such a cult show, hasn’t it? I never thought I’d get the chance to present it. I always wanted to be a cricketer, I didn’t want to be Jim Bowen.”
For Flintoff, the show’s enduring appeal is rooted in nostalgia. “Back then everyone gathered around the telly on a Sunday night. The prizes weren’t always brilliant — a nest of tables or something daft and then a speedboat at the end. But people really invest in the contestants. You just get behind them and want them to win. Everybody remembers Bullseye.”
The 47-year-old still vividly recalls watching as a kid. “From Bully mooing to Jim Bowen counting the money before the ad break, I remember it all,” he laughed. “It was filmed in one go and there’s something really nice about that. At the end of the day it’s fun, a bendy Bully and a game of darts.”
He admits he still plays from time to time. “My boys play too,” he added. “A lot of the cricketers play, we used to play on tour in hotel rooms. I’ve commentated at tournaments and been to most of them. It’s just fun. People turn up dressed as all sorts, some are watching the darts, some are just singing.”
This new series will see Flintoff joined by some of the sport’s biggest names, including teenage sensation Luke Littler, who also appeared in last year’s Christmas special. “Luke’s back and there’s such a confidence about him now,” Flintoff said. “Everyone loves seeing a 17-year-old world champion. Stephen Bunting was a highlight for me too, he’s from near where I’m from and just a lovely fella. He was messaging me after the Christmas special saying, ‘Get us on Bullseye!’ I think all the darts players want to do it, it’s like a feather in the cap.”
Flintoff also praised co-host Richard Ashdown for helping to recapture the show’s old-school warmth. “He’s brilliant. He loves darts, knows all the players and looks the part every night with his dinner suit and red bow tie. He’s such a nice man and it rubs off on everyone.”
And while he struggles with one of the show’s most famous lines — “Have a look at what you could have won” — he insists some traditions have to stay. “You don’t want to rub it in when they lose, but it’s part of the show, isn’t it?” he smiled. “My favourite is still, ‘Keep out of the black and in the red, nothing in this game for two in a bed.’”
The prizes might be a little better these days, but the charm of Bullseye remains delightfully old-school and that’s exactly how Freddie Flintoff likes it.
Bullseye starts Sunday at 8pm on ITV1, ITVX, STV and STV Player.
