Dermot O'Leary hosts new game show Silence Is Golden, starring Katherine Ryan
The new series will pitch comedians against the audience.
There's a new game show in town, but it's not the kind you'd want to watch unfold in real time – not unless you're good at keeping quiet.
Fronted by Dermot O’Leary, Silence is Golden is set to land on U&Dave next year, and will see the studio give the audience £250,000 to share between them. The catch? They can't make a sound as they watch a host of comedy acts do everything in their power to make them break their silence.
O'Leary will be joined by three returning comedy captains, one of whom has been confirmed as Katherine Ryan. The more sounds they get out of the audience – who will all be mic'd up – the further down they'll bring the prize pot. Should it get all the way down to zero, the comedians get to give money to charity.
Speaking of the new series, Dermot O’Leary said: "I’m so looking forward to Silence is Golden. When a show like this falls into your lap, you can’t quite believe your luck. Looking forward to having lots of fun with the audience, our comedians and assorted cast of regulars, all trying to make the audience laugh, gasp and giggle."
UKTV's Mark Iddon added: "We’re really excited to bring Silence is Golden to U&Dave. Dermot is the perfect host to hold this chaotically ambitious show together and we think our U&Dave audiences are going to embrace this subversive and unpredictable format."
He continued: "Silence is Golden is the only show where staying silent is worth its weight in gold. It’s the quietest way to lose a fortune you’ll ever see and it’s time for our studio audience to put their money where their mouth isn’t."
UKTV's Cherie Hall added: "This is a really original premise for a show and I wish our audience the best of luck as they try and resist the temptation to break the silence – viewers at home will love watching the chaos unfold."
The show is produced by Yes Yes Media, with executive producer Richard Bacon comparing it to "the feeling when you’re not allowed to laugh at a funeral".
He explained: "Well, it's that: the Game Show. And I commend U&Dave for boldly commissioning a show that will cost them a quarter million a week – if the audience is better at playing the game than we are.”
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Silence is Golden will air on U&Dave and stream on U next year.
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