Entertainment

Holly Willoughby and Stephen Mulhern to host return of fan-favourite gameshow

You Bet! originally aired from 1988 to 1997.

Holly Willoughby and Stephen Mulhern to host return of fan-favourite TV gameshow
Holly Willoughby and Stephen Mulhern to host return of fan-favourite TV gameshow (Lucy North/PA)

ITV gameshow You Bet! will return in the autumn with Holly Willoughby and Stephen Mulhern at the helm.

The reboot of the show, which originally aired from 1988 to 1997 with hosts including the late Sir Bruce Forsyth, will feature “epic challenges, mind-blowing feats, big name celebrities and nail-biting suspense” in an updated format.

“I’m so excited to be part of this iconic game show with the fabulous Stephen Mulhern,” Willoughby said.

“I’m looking forward to seeing the astonishing skills on show from the challengers and which of our celebrity panellists can come out on top.”

Willoughby quit ITV’s This Morning after allegations of a plot to kidnap, rape and murder her emerged. Security guard Gavin Plumb was later jailed for life with a minimum term of 16 years.

Earlier this year she returned to present Dancing On Ice on ITV alongside new host Mulhern, who replaced Phillip Schofield after he resigned from the broadcaster having admitted to a relationship with a male This Morning employee.

Willoughby and Mulhern previously presented ITV Saturday morning children’s show Ministry Of Mayhem together from 2004.

Mulhern added: “I loved You Bet! as a kid, so I’m very excited to be hosting this with the wonderful Holly Willoughby.

“From the big and spectacular to the unique and unexpected, I can’t wait to see what extraordinary skills the challengers have up their sleeves.”

Holly Willoughby and Stephen Mulhern
Holly Willoughby and Stephen Mulhern (Yui Mok/PA)

The show will return with two “action-packed primetime” specials with a panel of celebrities and the studio audience predicting “if each challenger can complete the extraordinary challenge with which they are faced”.

“Guess correctly and points are added to the celebrities’ score, based on the percentage of studio audience who voted the same way,” ITV said.

At the end of the show, the studio audience vote for their favourite challenger who will take home a £10,000 prize, while the celebrity with the highest score wins £10,000 for their chosen charity.

The celebrity with the lowest score takes on the final forfeit, ITV said.

The show, which is to return on ITV1 and ITVX, last aired on ITV in 1997, with Darren Day as host.

It ran for nine years, with Matthew Kelly and the late Sir Bruce also previously at the helm.