He’s started so he’ll carry on – John Humphrys is set to sign a new contract to continue presenting hit BBC quiz Mastermind.
The Today presenter is also due to do another collaboration with Radio 1Xtra following the success of a hip-hop version of Mastermind last year.
Humphrys has hosted Mastermind – dubbed Britain’s toughest quiz – ever since it returned to BBC2 in 2003.
He is understood to have been offered another deal to carry on posing the questions to contestants facing him in the infamous black chair.
Meanwhile it has emerged that Humphrys is also due to another special spin-off of Mastermind.
Last year there was a hip-hop crossover special featuring Semtex, DJ Target, Lethal Bizzle and Amplify Dot, which went out on both the iPlayer and Radio 1 Xtra.
BBC entertainment north managing editor Kieron Collins said: “We’re going to do another collaboration with Radio 1Xtra later this year. It’s another radio and iPlayer crossover, which will take John Humphrys and the Mastermind format and put it in a surprising environment.
“I think John is fantastic. He was cautious about doing hip-hop Mastermind, he knows nothing about hip-hop. By the end of it – it’s not going to be his music of choice – but he just loves to learn about things and he loves to have new experiences. He was absolutely fascinated by the culture behind hip-hop and being in that world for that day.”
Collins also oversees other BBC hits such as the popular long-running sports show A Question of Sport and Dragons’ Den, which did a special collaboration with CBBC series Horrible Histories.
When asked if there might be more cross-fertilisation between BBC shows, Collins said: “We’ll always look at that with Mastermind, Question of Sport or Dragons’ Den for that matter where there are opportunities to take those formats or take that talent and put them in surprising places.”
A BBC spokesman said: “Mastermind has been recommissioned and John’s contract will be renewed in due course.”
