Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer: We blackmailed Simon Cowell to throw a bucket on Lucky Sexy Winners

Bob: Shooting Stars was a panel show. This is a quiz show. Well, it’s our take on a quiz show.
Vic: It’s like Ask the Family.
Bob: That’s what we’re saying today, anyway.

Why do a quiz show?

Vic: We wanted to do a sketch show but it’s more palatable to the British public to dress it up as a quiz show.
Bob: It’s really a sketch show with three people looking at us: Eddie Izzard, Thomas Turgoose and Chelsee Healey.

Interesting combo...
Bob: And we’ve got JLS. They’re performing a brief excerpt from their new single – summat to do with smoked salmon.
Vic: Antony Worrall Thompson’s on it as well.
Bob: And Michael Bublé.

Is it true Simon Cowell will also be making an appearance?

Vic: Yep. Forced him. Blackmail.
Bob: We offered him free cigarettes. There’s a big screen behind us showing twelve celebrities – Vic’s drawings of celebrities – and Simon Cowell activates that machine for us.
Vic: And he throws a bucket at one point.

Gosh, you must have emptied your contacts book.

Bob: Funnily enough, we don’t know any of these people.
Vic: We don’t actually know anyone.

Bob, you’ll also be donning a stethoscope, I believe?

Bob: I’m donning a doctor’s fancy shirt because I’m doing a little sketch as Dr Christian Jessen, with his big collared shirts.

Are you a fan of Embarrassing Bodies?

Vic: I don’t watch it because I really don’t like the look of bollocks with warts on ‘em. It makes me feel quite uncomfortable.
Bob: In our house we play a game when it’s on: we challenge each other to turn over and see if there’s a cock on. There usually is.
Vic: Or else it’s pretty much guess work – is it or isn’t it?
Bob: Vic’s doing an impression of Miranda Hart.
Vic: Skipping. She does a little skipping and then there’s a big surprise. We didn’t ask permission. Maybe we should do but we didn’t.

Do you have any prizes?

Vic: Some big, big prizes.
Bob: An Xbox.
Vic: An energy drink, bus tickets to Peterborough...
Bob: Good stuff. Celebrities aren’t usually allowed to win stuff on TV, are they? It has to be for charity but they’re going to win stuff on our show.
Vic: A salt and pepper set.
Bob: Maybe just the pepper.
Vic: Some earrings.

Where do you get your ideas?

Bob: Watching the telly. It’s got to be – it’s all I do.
Vic: We have a grey, bland little office and we go in there.
Bob: It’s got a table and some chairs. Nothing else.
Vic: And a kettle.
Bob: We do have a kettle. I lied. We’ve moved up in the world.

How tricky are your questions?

Bob: They’re all tough.
Vic: Really hard.
Bob: And unlike on panel shows like Buzzcocks, the celebrities don’t know what they’re going to be asked in advance, so it’s a tough gig for them. We shall see how they get on.
Vic: Panel shows take three or four hours to record. This is done in real time – it’s all over in half an hour.

Which quizmasters have you been channelling?

Bob: I think I’m...
Vic: Robert Robertson.
Bob: You’re a bit like Larry Grayson. Got to be honest.
Vic: I’ve got his looks.
Bob: And his attitude – bit prickly.

Vic & Bob’s Lucky Sexy Winners is on Thursday 23 August, 9pm, Channel 4.