Time test quiz show is comic’s finest hour
Comedian Joe Lycett admits he still has to pinch himself to take in that he has gone from stand-up to Saturday night game show host.
And Joe, host of The Time It Takes, which started last night on BBC1, reckons the sheer simplicity was part of the draw.
“I just thought it was so brilliantly silly, daft and not over-complicated,” said Joe. “With a lot of game show formats, you have to remember so many different things, whereas this is beautifully simple. “Every show is different and it’s a very addictive format. Some of the tasks that come up on this, I have a go myself. “What I also loved is that it’s comedy. It is a quiz show. But first and foremost, it’s a funny show. All the timers are funny and the questions are pretty funny, too, in the way that they’re written.
“It’s a comedy that just happens to also be a quiz.” Joe, who started his telly career working with Pointless host Alexander Armstrong on Epic Win, is a big TV quiz fan.
“I always loved The Weakest Link and how brutal Anne Robinson was on it. And Blankety Blank, I loved the Lily Savage era, just the savagery towards the contestants. Oh, and Deal Or No Deal.
“I watched that all the time when I got back from school. I’d love melting a bar of chocolate in the microwave then settling down to watch.
“I was quite a fat lad. That was almost a religious ritual for me.”
And he reckons co-host Alison Hammond could make a career switch if she wanted.
“Alison has been watching me and I’d love her to do stand-up,” adds Joe. “She’s really funny, but every time I suggest it, she says ‘oh no, I couldn’t possibly do that!’ and gets very self-conscious. But I will persuade her!” The Time It Takes, BBC1, Saturday, 5.40pm