Danny Dyer has hit back at critics who say his new TV show, Nobody's Fool, which premieres on ITV this Saturday, is too similar to the BBC's The Traitors fronted by Claudia Winkleman.
The 48-year-old actor has teamed up with his Rivals co-star Emily Atack, 36, to present the new game show. The programme will see ten contestants from across the UK live in a 'Smart House' and take part in daily tasks to prove their intelligence, competing for a potential prize pot of up to £100,000.
In a clever twist, contestants are allowed to lie to get ahead and make out they are smarter than they are in order to avoid being labelled the 'weakest' by the group and voted out. Ultimately, it all comes down to who has the best poker face.
Though the format does sound reminiscent of The Traitors, former EastEnders star Danny insists Nobody's Fool has its own energy. He told The Chris Evans Breakfast Show on Virgin Radio: "I actually watch it unfold on the television and I would sit back and, you know, it's a different kind of thing." Admitting there are some similarities with its BBC rival, the TV legend continued: "It does sound a bit like The Traitors … but it's got its own energy."
This is not the first time ITV has tried to create a similar game show to The Traitors. The Genius Game, hosted by Rivals co-star David Tennant, was axed last year after just one series and was reported to be ITV's "most expensive flop in years." The show reportedly cost £2.5 million to produce and attracted only around 600,000 viewers.
Recently, Graham Norton's The Neighbourhood, which aired earlier this year, was reportedly axed days after the finale due to disappointing ratings. Meanwhile, Fortune Hotel, fronted by Stephen Mangan, was a success but was cancelled after two seasons because of high production costs and the prize pot. So hopes are high that Danny and Emily can turn things around when Nobody's Fool begins this weekend.
Danny is certainly a fan. Calling it "a blinder of a TV show," he said: "It's unlike anything I've seen before. Emily and I had a brilliant time making it and, much like the audience at home will be, we kept guessing right until the very end."
Emily added: "It's so exciting to be part of something this new and fresh. The chance to work with Danny again was a no brainer for me. We had such a laugh. Can't wait for everyone to watch, it's an absolute must see."
Explaining the premise in more detail, Richard Cowles, MD, and Tom Gould, Director of Entertainment and Formats at Lifted Entertainment, said: "Nobody's Fool takes a simple premise - How do you really determine how smart someone is? Trust your preconceptions and judgement or what they tell you? - and turns that into a high stakes reality game show with up to £100k up for grabs. There is drama at every turn but with Danny and Emily on hosting duties, the fun and laughter is also never far away."
Nobody's Fool premieres on ITV1 and ITVX this Saturday, 23 May from 9pm.
