Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay is set to be the face of a new BBC game show called Bank Balance.
In a surprising move, Ramsay, best known for his restaurants such as Petrus and Bread Street Kitchen, is to host the new high-octane game show, which the BBC hopes will outperform its ITV rivals The Chase and Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.
The series kicks off on Wednesday 24 February in a prime-time slot of 9pm and will air three nights of the week across three weeks, a total of nine episodes overall. The show sees pairs of contestants compete to win a grand prize of up to £100,000 by answering questions against the clock. If they get the questions right, they then have to balance gold bars across an unstable pyramid structure, meaning one false move could see their dreams of winning big come to an end.
The rose gold themed Bank Balance set resembles a futuristic spaceship and speaking about the development of the show, Ramsay said one of his main aims was for it to look different to other game shows on the air: “I wanted something sort of cutting edge...if James Bond was ever to walk on to a game show, what would it look like?”
Doing press for the launch of the show, Ramsay also compared appearing on Bank Balance as similar to running a chaotic restaurant kitchen: “It’s packed with jeopardy because you’re up against the clock. If there’s one thing Bank Balance has taught me to be, it’s be decisive. Stand by your convictions.”
Bank Balance, hosted by Gordon Ramsay, airs on Wednesday 24 February at 9pm on the BBC.
Never been to a Ramsay restaurant? Check out our guide to all of Gordon Ramsay’s London restaurants to try when lockdown is lifted.