A fresh wave of viewer complaints has hit ITV this week, as the broadcaster's new game show Millionaire Hot Seat caused major disruption to the primetime schedule. The faster-paced spin-off of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?, presented by Jeremy Clarkson, aired at 7.30pm on Monday, January 12, pushing the popular soaps Emmerdale and Coronation Street back by half an hour.
Social Media Backlash Over Schedule Change
Disgruntled fans quickly took to social media platform X to voice their frustration at the scheduling decision. One viewer wrote angrily: '#MillionaireHotSeat What the hell is this s**t? Where's Emmerdale?' The sentiment was widely echoed, with another demanding: '@itv will you move #MillionaireHotSeat to after the soaps. It's so boring and repetitive and not needed EVERY DAY.'
The complaints highlighted a strong attachment to the traditional soap opera slots. A third user commented: '#MillionaireHotSeat in place of #Emmerdale... Getting used to the new schedule!!! But already missing #CorrieDale focus!!' while a fourth was more blunt, labelling the show 'absolute s***e' and urging ITV to 'sort it out... no one is watching it.'
Format Frustrations and Clarkson's Response
The new format, which sees six contestants vying for a chance to win up to £1 million, has also drawn criticism for its pace. Despite being marketed as fast-paced, viewers have complained about contestants 'waffling' and wasting their 30-second time limit to answer questions when in the hot seat.
One viewer posted: 'Wouldn’t you have thought that the time constraint would have cut out all this waffling,' with others calling the chatter 'annoying' and 'frustrating.' Host Jeremy Clarkson, 65, directly addressed these complaints, stating defiantly: 'I do [tell them to stop nattering]. Before the show every time.'
A Strategic Move for ITV
The launch of Millionaire Hot Seat represents a strategic play by ITV to capitalise on the enduring popularity of the Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? brand. The channel announced the show in July 2025, confirming Clarkson would return as host. Katie Rawcliffe of ITV noted the main show had reached 18 million viewers on ITV this year alone, making a spin-off a logical step.
Matthew Worthy, co-CEO of producers Stellify Media, described the show as the 'cheeky younger sibling' of the original, promising 'more Jeremy, enjoying more money-ladder moments - but with a whole new tone, pace, and feel.' The ruthless rules see a wrong answer ejecting a player and decreasing the top prize, while passed questions are handed to the next contestant.
Despite the backlash, some viewers admitted to liking the change. Millionaire Hot Seat continues to air on ITV1 and is available for streaming on ITVX.
