Chris Tarrant quit Millionaire due to a lack of brainy celebrities

By David Hollingsworth
( What's on TV )
published

Chris Tarrant says running out of celebs brainy enough to play Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? is one of the reasons he decided to quit the famous quiz show.

The 67-year-old, who'll soon front a live celebrity episode before a final further two pre-recorded shows will be shown next year, tells TV Times it feels the right time to end the long-running quiz show.

"I just felt that we'd done Millionaire to death," says Chris. "The world has been on it - George Michael, Sir Tim Rice, Stephen Fry - the calibre showed how all people love a quiz. But whilst it's cool to be sat opposite Simon Cowell, it's less fun opposite David Gest!

"That's one of the reasons I'm leaving. I'm not saying we've run out of celebrities, but there are [only] so many intelligent ones. We're not going to go that step down, like so many other shows, and go the TOWIE or Geordie Shore route. It might work in the jungle, but it doesn't on Millionaire because it's about intelligence." 

 

David Hollingsworth
David Hollingsworth
Editor

David is the What To Watch Editor and has over 20 years of experience in television journalism. He is currently writing about the latest television and film news for What To Watch.


Before working for What To Watch, David spent many years working for TV Times magazine, interviewing some of television's most famous stars including Hollywood actor Kiefer Sutherland, singer Lionel Richie and wildlife legend Sir David Attenborough. 


David started out as a writer for TV Times before becoming the title's deputy features editor and then features editor. During his time on TV Times, David also helped run the annual TV Times Awards. David is a huge Death in Paradise fan, although he's still failed to solve a case before the show's detective! He also loves James Bond and controversially thinks that Timothy Dalton was an excellent 007.


Other than watching and writing about telly, David loves playing cricket, going to the cinema, trying to improve his tennis and chasing about after his kids!