Channel 4 has announced a new quiz show hosted by Bradley Walsh in which contestants will risk their own money for a chance to win up to £1 million, a concept that has drawn criticism from anti-gambling charities.
The government-owned channel has promoted the show, billed as a "UK first", as a "nail-biting brand-new one-off quiz event in which three plucky contestants step up for the chance to win up to £1 million". Channel 4 has said that the stakes will be "raised higher than any quiz show in history" as contestants will be "risking their own money to be in with a chance to win".
How the show works
Contestants are said to be required to bring their own bank cards as they bet cash according to how confident they are in their answers to general knowledge questions. Each question gives them the opportunity to win Bet Balls with a monetary value, which they are able to either cash out or risk by firing into the Million Pound Shot Machine in a bid to win £1 million.
Host Bradley has also promised a "big twist", which could be that the quiz show is actually a satirical documentary in line with Gregg Wallace's TV hoax The British Miracle Meat. In 2023, the former MasterChef presenter hosted a half-hour programme about a new development in food which was "engineered human meat". The programme prompted horror and disgust from viewers, and was later exposed as a spoof inspired by Jonathan Swift's A Modest Proposal. The documentary was still slammed by MPs who accused it of being in "poor taste".
Criticism from anti-gambling charities
Anti-gambling charities have criticised the concept, with Nick Harvey, spokesperson for the Coalition to End Gambling Ads (CEGA), telling the Mirror: "This sounds like nothing more than gambling dressed up as a gameshow."
He added: "Despite millions being harmed in the UK every year, gambling has become so normalised that someone at a tv channel thought this was a good idea. I just hope that – unlike the gambling industry itself – they’re prioritizing the contestant’s welfare and mental health."
Channel 4's promises and host's comments
Channel 4 further promised viewers: "There are more twists to unfold throughout, as this brand-new show presented by Bradley promises a night of drama unlike anything he’s hosted before, bursting with tension, big moments and huge curveballs."
Speaking about the concept, Bradley said: "This programme is unlike anything we’ve seen on British TV before, and when I heard about this format I thought it was one of the most original and surprising quiz shows I’d ever encountered. Alongside playing with their own money, there are more twists and turns along the way – I’m excited for everyone to see how it plays out."
He continued that contestants will need to take "big risks" and "back themselves to the very end". Bradley added: "This game is all about confidence and bravado. Putting your money where your mouth is will not be simple when it’s your own cold hard cash. So the contestants are going to have to be cool, calm and willing to take a risk. The game is always in their control and I’m hoping for confident, bright players with a good breadth of general knowledge and a sense of fun."
Bradley Walsh’s Million Pound Shot will be available to watch and stream on Channel 4 at 9pm, Sunday 1st November.
