Joel Dommett is in high spirits as he steps onto the set of his brand-new ITV game show, In With a Shout, where players must shout at the TV to win the jackpot!
"I’m obsessed with quiz shows, so hosting this is a dream come true," beams The Masked Singer host Joel Dommett, dressed in a deep red suit and animal print shirt (smart but edgy, like his presenting style!).
"Growing up, I loved Challenge TV and I’d watch all of those old school game shows of the 1980s and 1990s, fronted by Sir Bruce Forsyth and Michael Barrymore, but I never saw myself hosting one. It’s been great fun helping plan the gameplay — I think we’ve got something viewers will love."
Here Joel reveals more about his dream gig…
How does the game work?
"It's very simple: contestants must shout at the TV to win money! There are 10 TV screens and, after choosing a category, players are shown a montage of four-second clips, one after another, related to that category, and have to shout out what’s on the screen. An example could be hairstyles, so you have to name the hairstyle as soon as you see it. Sounds simple but, at four seconds per clip, it’s fast-paced, which makes it difficult, competitive and fun."
How would you fare playing this game?
"I’ve learned that, while I love quiz shows, I’m terrible at playing them! I was on The Chase and won NO money! I'm not very good with time pressure, so I’d be terrible at this game. It’s like on The Masked Singer, I'm terrible at judging and terrible at guessing who’s behind the mask. So I'm so glad I'm the guy who just reads the autocue!"
How does this show compare to The Masked Singer?
"I think the fun of being a presenter now is trying different things, so it'd be wrong for me to do another Saturday night shiny floor show with celebs like The Masked Singer. I love working with everyday people on In With a Shout. I feel we went through a time where every show had celebrities on it and now we're coming back to seeing regular people on TV again. As a host, it’s fun meeting those real-life characters."
What makes a good game show?
"A good game show has warmth and an ability to laugh at contestants without insulting them. Quizzes like The Chase have gone on for so long because they really work. Hopefully, In With a Shout can get to 15 series, too!"
Who’s the greatest ever game show host?
"I’d say Bob Monkhouse. People knew him as a stand-up comedian first and he enjoyed a long, illustrious career hosting primetime TV shows well into later life. And he was loved. I'm not saying I'm loved in the same way but it’s hard getting to a certain point in your career, like I am, and even harder to stay there. That's where I take the advice of people like Ant & Dec, Jonathan Ross and Davina McCall, all incredible people who’ve been in showbiz for ages."
You’re also going to be hosting the BBC’s upcoming reboot of Survivor UK…
"Survivor is one of the most loved formats in the world - it’s on its 44th season in the US! When it first came out in the UK, the nation wasn't quite ready for something so competitive — but now we’ve had shows like The Traitors. Survivor is so different from In With a Shout and The Masked Singer — not least because the hosts of the global versions wear T-shirts and shorts, not these lovely suits!"
Will you do more stand-up comedy?
"The comedy will always continue underneath all these great shows; I’ll always be doing gigs and tours, because it keeps me sharp. I love doing, say, the National TV Awards [Joel hosted in 2021 and 2022], then the day after, a tiny little gig in the middle of nowhere to 60 people. It’s important to keep doing that — it keeps you grounded."
In With a Shout stars on Saturday, April 8 at 6 pm on ITV1.
