‘It took an hour to stop laughing’

Mel Giedroyc, 49, and Sue Perkins, 48, are fronting a new version of BBC1’S The Generation Game for Easter…

What can you tell us about the new Generation Game?

SUE: Four words: Clay, sausages, Danny Dyer. How does it feel to be bringing back the show? MEL: It’s a privilege. This is one of the most cherished entertainment shows of all time and we don’t take that lightly. SUE: We’ve stayed true to the spirit of the original – we meet great families and we try to give them the best night of their lives. What were your favourite moments during filming? SUE: We don’t want to spoil the surprise, but we witnessed some of the most graphic teapot spouts ever made on television. So graphic, some of the contestants needed counselling afterwards. It took us about an hour to stop laughing. Did you try any tasks yourself? SUE: We tried all of them because, essentially, we behave like toddlers and love to get our hands dirty. MEL: After the recordings there was barely a surface of the set that hadn’t been smeared, smashed or gunked by us. Do you have a fave Generation Game moment from the Sir Bruce Forsyth days? SUE: We grew up with Brucie, and they don’t make them like that any more. He was the only entertainer we can think of who not only had a catchphrase, but a personalised silhouette – that bent leg, fistto-forehead stance… MEL: As soon as you saw that, you knew you were in for a good night. He was a one-off, a legend and an utter gentleman. How many items do you think you could remember from The Generation Game conveyer belt? SUE: Out of 20? We think we could safely remember four. MEL: Anything after the heated towel rail and the mind goes blank to be honest. SUE: We love a heated towel rail. If you could choose just one prize from the conveyor belt, what would it be? MEL: It’d be too easy to say the cuddly toy... SUE: In truth, we’d be tempted by the fondue set, having always wanted to be those people who sit around dipping a courgette into hot cheese.