RYLAN’S ON A CREST OF THE WAVE...

THE WAVE W, 8pm

AROUND of applause for the producers of this latest bizarre game show, who have achieved the impossible task of finding a brand new format. Whether it’s actually any good or not remains to be seen.

It’s a quiz like any other, except for the slight obstacle of the Atlantic Ocean. There is a fair amount of swimming in choppy waters and trying to avoid death by drowning.

“It’s sunny, it’s sexy and it’s funny,” raves the host Rylan Clark-Neal. “What more could you want?” A life jacket? Some arm bands? We can think of a few things.

The contestants in pairs (often couples) arrive on a Portuguese beach in swimwear. There’s a clumsy attempt to go all Love Island as cameras slow-mo one of them climbing into a tight wetsuit.

One swims out to six pontoons, that stretch further and further away from land. The further they go, the more cash they win. Meanwhile, the other contestant sips cocktails at a beach bar with Rylan and answers questions that affect whether the swimmer gets to pocket cash or a 1kg lead weight as they go.

And they don’t keep a penny of their winnings unless they can swim back to shore in time.

Overseeing their safety is Olympic silver medallist and expert long distance openwater swimmer Keri-Anne Payne.

It’s all strangely absorbing. But if this is a hit, it’s Rylan, who is consistently funny, who will be the reason for its success.