A former contestant on The Crystal Maze has shared his experience of appearing on the show, including his impression of host Edward Tudor-Pole when the cameras stopped rolling.
Contestant's recollections
Iqbal Hussain, now 54, competed on the Channel 4 programme during Edward Tudor-Pole's run as host in the 1990s, when he was 24 years old. Speaking to Heart Bingo Online, he described Edward as "wonderfully bonkers and eccentric" as his predecessor, Richard O'Brien.
"I seemed to recall he remained in character off-screen and on, which was great as you always knew what you were getting. He was lovely - and I'm sure must have struggled hard at times to not roll his eyes at how inept we were," Iqbal shared.
On-set moments
Iqbal also mentioned that Edward sometimes offered clues to help the team, though it often did not prevent them from running out of time or getting locked in. He reflected on his team's performance, admitting they were "absolutely useless" and that he has never been able to watch himself back on the show.
The Crystal Maze originally aired from 1990 to 1995, with Richard O'Brien hosting the first four series and Edward Tudor-Pole taking over for the final two. The show was revived in 2017 with Richard Ayoade as host, but was cancelled after three series due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with the last episodes airing in 2020.
