Just the ticket! ITV to show Lotto draw

IT is no stranger to making ordinary people very rich.

Now ITV – which used to screen the quiz Who Wants To Be A Millionaire – is to be the new home for the National Lottery’s live draws.

Clutching a lottery ticket in front of the television was once a Saturday evening fixture for most viewers.

But BBC1 stopped screening the draw live some 15 months ago.

Since then, the only way for lottery ticket holders to watch the winning balls being drawn was via the BBC’s digital iPlayer service.

ITV1’s decision to revive primetime live draws will see it broadcast at 8.15pm on Saturdays during a 90-second slot in Britain’s Got Talent, which starts its new series tomorrow.

The first draw will be hosted by Stephen Mulhern, who has landed the role a week after his star turn on Saturday Night Takeaway. The show will reveal a new promotion, to begin the following Saturday, in which viewers can win cash prizes, according to National Lottery operator Camelot.

Magician Mulhern, 41, said it was a ‘privilege’ to take over the live draw, which was shown on BBC1 from 1994 until January 2017.

‘The National Lottery is an iconic institution and I’m hugely excited to be part of its return to primetime Saturday night TV,’ he said.

‘I feel privileged to be bringing those lucky numbers to the nation but also being able to show players how the money they’ve helped raise has made a difference to communities across the UK.’

The first live National Lottery results show, in November 1994, was presented by Noel Edmonds and attracted an audience of more than 20million.

But the Corporation dropped the draw from primetime television schedules last year as audiences dwindled to little more than three million.

The draws traditionally appeared alongside a game show, with concepts which changed over the years. In the hour-long original, 49 contestants competed to become the first person to start the draw.

The show’s presenters down the years have included such household names as Anthea Turner, Dale Winton, Carol Smillie, Terry Wogan and Ulrika Jonsson. Hosts for the final live show included Kate Garraway and Gaby Roslin.

The Wednesday night draw also used to be shown live, but this was ditched in 2012 and replaced by a results bulletin.

Since its launch 24 years ago, the National Lottery has given away more than £65billion in prizes, created more than 4,750 millionaires and raised around £40billion for good causes.

Simon Daglish, deputy managing director at ITV commercial, said: ‘The National Lottery has been a big part of Saturday nights since 1994 and we’re delighted to be bringing the Lotto results to viewers during ITV’s flagship Saturday night entertainment shows.

‘ This new partnership is a natural fit to make our biggest audiences aware of the National Lottery’s work.’