Jeremy Clarkson’s ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?’ Coming Back to ITV

By Stewart Clarke

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – After a run of twentieth anniversary specials, ITV has handed Jeremy Clarkson-fronted “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” a new ten-episode order.

Clarkson is best-known as the former host of BBC motoring series “Top Gear” and one of the current presenting team on Amazon’s “The Grand Tour,” alongside James May and Richard Hammond. He sat in the quiz-master’s chair on U.K. broadcaster ITV’s “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” earlier this year. He told Variety at the time that he would do more if asked.

That call has now come and the famously outspoken host will return to the show for its 2019 run. The ten episodes will be stripped, ITV said, without disclosing when they will launch. The series is produced by Sony Pictures Televison-backed Stellify. Sony owns the format and distributes it internationally.

“I absolutely loved hosting the anniversary shows and cannot wait to spend a few precious hours away from James May and Richard Hammond, making the new ones,” Clarkson said.

The producers tweaked the classic format for its return to British TV, with a new “ask the host” lifeline. Clarkson got several questions wrong when ask the host was used, to widespread public amusement. Matthew Worthy, joint managing director of Stellify Media said: “Ask The Host is back. And a quick tip for future contestants: don’t use it on questions about fine art, haute cuisine or the scouting association.”