Jeremy Clarkson is returning to the host seat of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? and its spin-off Millionaire Hot Seat for a further 35 episodes, ITV has confirmed – just months after the 66-year-old revealed he had been diagnosed with “aggressive” prostate cancer.
Clarkson disclosed the diagnosis in the most recent episodes of his reality show Clarkson’s Farm, saying it had been discovered early. In a subsequent interview with The Sunday Times, he confirmed that a PSA test two months ago showed no indication of cancer and that he is in remission.
“Jeremy Clarkson returns to host two Millionaire shows after revealing aggressive prostate cancer, now in remission.”
ITV announced on Monday that Millionaire Hot Seat, the newest addition to the franchise which debuted earlier this year, has been recommissioned for 20 more episodes with Clarkson at the helm. He will also host a further 15 episodes of the flagship quiz show Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?.
The hot seat format sees contestants sit in a queue around a chair facing Clarkson, answering questions to climb the money ladder. A wrong answer means they are kicked out and the value of the top prize drops. Contestants can pass and stay in the game, but they go to the back of the queue, risking not returning to the hot seat where they must be sitting to win.
In the most recent series, a retired IT analyst became the seventh person to win the £1 million jackpot.
Katie Rawcliffe, ITV’s director of entertainment, reality and daytime commissioning, said: “The Millionaire brand continues to deliver for ITV audiences and Millionaire Hot Seat has brought an exciting new energy to the format. The combination of Jeremy Clarkson’s hosting and the high-pressure gameplay has proved a winning formula, so we’re delighted to be bringing both Millionaire Hot Seat and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? back for more episodes.”
The new episodes will film later this year and air on ITV and ITVX.