TV makers say a "life-changing" amount of money is up for grabs in gameshows which are currently on the lookout for new contestants.
ITV is seeking potential candidates in and around Newcastle for two of its popular shows - Moneyball and Sitting On A Fortune - which both have been recommissioned for a second series. And anyone picked will find his or herself meeting the famous football legend host of the show - Ian Wright and Gary Lineker respectively - and playing for big bucks.
The joint North East call-out for new players comes from ITV Studios labels Potato - which also produces the likes of The Chase and Ninja Warrior UK - and Possessed who here act as co-producers on the programmes. A casting spokesman said: "We are currently looking for contestants from Newcastle to apply for both shows, where they will have the chance to win a life-changing sum of money."
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News that both shows will back for a second series has delighted their hosts. Gary Lineker said: "I am absolutely thrilled that Sitting on a Fortune is back.
"It's an incredibly exciting show to host with so much drama and tension right from the word go. I'm looking forward to bringing the thrill of the game to people's screens again.
"With so much riding on every single question, there really is nothing else like it on TV.” The tense game, which features six players and six chairs, has a top prize of £100,000.
The chance to win applies only to whichever person is in a particular 'money seat' when it counts. Securing it long enough to win - thereby 'sitting on a fortune' - can prove nerve-wracking as one wrong answer will see that player relegated to the back of the queue, with the next in line moving into the hot seat.
Moneyball, which has Ian Wright at the helm, is described as a similarly nail-biting game show. Here the chance to win big money rest entirely on the roll of a ball, the 'moneyball' of the title, which is the last played after contestants have had the chance to build up a pot of cash by correctly answering a series of questions. If they choose to play to this point, they risk losing all if they then fail to land this final ball in the win zone.
Wright said: “I loved filming the first series. Our guests are winning and losing life-changing amounts of money so every time I entered the studio it was a real emotional rollercoaster for me.
"I get really invested in every contestant’s story about what they will do with the money so to be back knowing we’ll get a few more winners, is great. More than anything, this show is pure entertainment and we have a lot of fun making it."
Katie Rawcliffe, head of ITV Entertainment Commissioning, said: “Having both Ian and Gary return with their compelling gameshows is a real treat.”
Anyone interested in applying for an opportunity to take part in either new series can apply online. Moneyball is looking for pairs of contestants and Sitting On A Fortune is seeking individuals; all of whom must be aged at least 18.
To apply for Moneyball see here and for Sitting On A Fortune apply here. The closing date to enter is May 20. In recent months new Channel 4 quiz show One Question, with Claudia Winkleman, was also on the lookout for North East entrants while BBC's Interior Design Masters, whose current series showcased a North East applicant, was also inviting interest in the next series.
