The debut of Jeremy Clarkson's new quiz show spin-off has sparked a fierce backlash from disappointed viewers, with many branding the programme an 'awful rehash' of the classic format.
What is Millionaire Hot Seat?
Millionaire Hot Seat launched on ITV on Tuesday night, hosted by the familiar face of Jeremy Clarkson, 65. The show presents a radically accelerated version of the long-running Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? formula. Instead of a single contestant pondering questions at leisure, six players rotate through a 'hot seat' under intense time pressure.
The core rule change is stark: contestants have just 15 seconds to answer, a dramatic shift from the original's unlimited thinking time. A correct answer allows them to stay in the seat and climb the money ladder. An incorrect answer, however, sees them ejected from the game and sent to the back of the queue.
The stakes are continually high, as a wrong answer also causes the top available cash prize to drop. Each player gets one 'pass', but passed questions must be answered by the next contestant. Failing a passed question results in permanent elimination.
Viewer Backlash Erupts Online
Almost immediately after the show aired, fans took to X, formerly Twitter, to voice their scathing complaints. The common theme was frustration with the breakneck pace, which many felt removed strategy and rewarded guesswork.
One furious viewer raged about contestants not adapting to the new rules, writing: 'These people all like the sound of their own voices.....or think they're on regular WWTBAM...' Another bluntly posted: 'Can't they just answer the b****y question and stop talking sh**e all the b****rd time!'
Criticism was levelled at the fundamental format. 'It's bloody awful. Just turns it into a guessing game without any strategy and decision making,' one user stated. Another predicted a short lifespan for the series: 'How many nights is this on? Awful rehash of the show. I give it one series.'
Further comments labelled the show 'horrendous' and one user quipped it was 'the quiz show version of speed dating'. Clarkson's own description of the show as 'pure concentrated Who Wants To Be A Millionaire juice – no lifelines, no hesitating' did little to appease these critics.
Brutal Gameplay and a Winning Guess
The premiere episode demonstrated the format's harsh nature. A contestant was instantly and permanently eliminated after incorrectly answering a passed question about the ingredients of a Caesar salad, prompting Clarkson to exclaim, 'What a brutal game! It's so brutal.'
Despite the criticism, the first show did produce a winner. Simon Williams, a firefighter from London, won £20,000 with what he admitted was a 'total guess'. He correctly identified which character had not appeared in a Ridley Scott film, choosing Paul Atreides over Hannibal Lecter, Rick Deckard and Ellen Ripley.
Williams plans to spend his winnings on a family holiday, a trip to the Maldives for his girlfriend, and a football season ticket for his son. A handful of viewers online also admitted they 'quite liked' the new, faster pace.
Millionaire Hot Seat continues on ITV1 and is available for streaming on ITVX.
