All the drama of a legendary crystal maze
EVEN if you’re not a footy fan, chances are you’ll recognise former soccer star Dennis Wise from his time in the jungle last year. Wise wasn’t the only one to have a career-boost because of those Bushtucker Trials. Glamour model and author Katie Price found romance in Australia thanks to ITV’S hit challenge show, and now both she and Wise are turning their attention to another evergreen favourite.
The other celebrities taking part are DJ Roman Kemp, Made in Chelsea’s Binky Felstead and Happy Mondays maraca-shaker Bez.
With Binky getting in a mathematical spin in the Futuristic Zone, Katie sizing up the Medieval Zone as a potential wedding venue, and Bez mesmerised by the flying tokens in the dome, it remains to be seen whether this team have the focus needed to crack the eponymous labyrinth.
Fans with long memories might remember the original show, which left millions hooked between 1990 and 1995. With Rocky Horror Show’s Richard O’brien at the helm, Jacques Antoine’s creation caught the imagination of millions.
Ed Tudor-pole took over presenting duties in 1993, and for a couple more years, it continued to entertain the masses before the plug was pulled.
After a 21-year gap, the show returned with a special fronted by Stephen Merchant, before Travel Man and IT Crowd veteran Richard took over.
With a purpose-built set spanning over 30,000 sq ft at Bristol’s Bottle Yard Studios, Ayoade plays the Mazemaster with just the right level of throwaway humour.
Who knows how long the current incarnation will run for, but with assorted zones keeping the format intriguing, whether it’s Futuristic, Industrial or Medieval, there’s no shortage of fun and drama to keep channel-hoppers away from the zapper, at least until the adverts arrive.
So, settle back, and while you search the ’net for DJ Roman Kemp’s career history, let him, Bez, Katie Price and the other famous faces amaze you with their ingenuity.