Anne never showed a moment’s weakness

We look back to the launch of The Weakest Link when host Anne Robinson earned the title Queen of Mean

‘YOU are the weakest link. Goodbye.” – Anne Robinson offered no sympathy for the losing contestants on The Weakest Link as they were forced to make their walk of shame departure.

The quiz launched on the BBC 20 years ago on August 14 and saw Anne firing questions against the clock with a contestant making their exit each round.

The former Watchdog consumer presenter took no prisoners and her withering putdowns became a large part of the show’s appeal.

“In the Lord’s Prayer, what word beginning with H meaning blessed comes before ‘be thy name’? she asked one contestant. They replied “Howard”.

Early working titles included Money Chain and The Missing Link before producers finally settled on The Weakest Link.

They hoped viewers would accept a female presenter being rude to the contestants more readily than a man and Anne was an inspired choice.

Her trademark parting shot of “You are the weakest link, goodbye” was even used by

Tony Blair in the House of Commons.

The quick-fire quiz featured celebrity specials and themed shows that included celebrity lookalikes, soap actors from EastEnders and a puppet version with Roland Rat and Soo from The Sooty Show introduced by a puppet Anne Robinson.

Anne also presented an American version of the show and said: “I knew I’d conquered America when Mike Tyson told me I was one mean lady.”

Anne was also the voice of the deadly Anne quiz host droid on Doctor Who. The droid simply killed contestants who were the weakest link.

The Anne droid also made a brief guest appearance in a Doctor Who themed special of The Weakest Link – until the real Anne pulled the plug on her metal counterpart.

Anne Robinson – always smiling, but never short of a pithy putdown

Anne Robinson could be pretty harsh but at least she never zapped contestants like her sci-fi counterpart, the Anne droid