ARE YOU A TV KNOW-ALL?

The Chase’s Paul Sinha turns quizmaster in a new show testing celebrities on television trivia

What do you get if you mix Mastermind with Gogglebox and throw in a host of famous faces? ITV’S new Saturday night quiz show.

Paul Sinha’s TV Showdown is a six-part series in which comedian-turned-quiz expert Paul – a star of hit ITV show

The Chase – tests two celebrity teams on their knowledge of everything to do with television.

Each episode of the series, which features clips from shows, adverts and music videos from across the decades, ends with a Mastermind-style quickfire round. But there’s no prize; it’s just pride at stake for the celebs as they see who knows most TV trivia.

Team captains are comic Rob Beckett and Cold Feet actress Fay Ripley, who are joined by the likes of Silent Witness’s Emilia Fox, Strictly judge Shirley Ballas and DJ Roman Kemp.

For Paul, who’s used to answering questions on TV as a Chaser, it’s felt like a strange dream to land his own quiz show. ‘Seeing your name in lights is the most discombobulating part,’ he says. ‘I’ve only been part of stuff before, not driving it. Surprisingly, I wasn’t nervous but emotional.’ Paul has spent nine years watching Bradley Walsh host The Chase but wonders if that’s been an advantage for his new role. ‘Bradley’s so good at it, so is that really the best starting point for trying to learn how to do it?’ he muses. ‘Or should you keep your ambitions a bit lower?’ So did he ask Bradley for any hosting pointers? ‘No, you’ve got to forge your own path and have your own ideas about what you want to do.’

Despite Paul being the host, he is – according to Rob Beckett – the most competitive person on the show! ‘The questions are so easy for him, I think he can get frustrated we don’t know the answers,’ says Rob. ‘He can recite every I’m A Celebrity winner in a weird song he invented.’

Fay Ripley, meanwhile, is not on the safe home territory she expected. ‘I’ve been asked to do Celebrity Chase and Mastermind before, but avoided them as I know my limits,’ she says. ‘I was comfortable, though, to do a quiz about telly. Turns out I hadn’t understood the premise of the show.’

Fay had assumed the questions would be just about recent TV and not classic shows too, which ‘due to the menopause’ she says she’s not great at recalling. ‘So I’m the underdog but one who thinks she’s a winner. A terrible combination – very competitive but with no knowledge!’ ■

Team captains Rob Beckett and Fay Ripley and (left) host Paul Sinha