Richard Osman has admitted the ‘Pointless’ ratings fluctuate depending on which politician is delivering the daily government briefings.
The BBC Two quiz show clashes with the government’s coronavirus pandemic update to the nation, and the 49-year-old host has revealed that while Health Secretary Matt Hancock gives the programme a ratings boost, Chancellor Rishi Sunak is harder to beat.
He told Radio Times magazine: "’Pointless’ is definitely getting a new audience, although we’re up against Boris Johnson or Matt Hancock sometimes.
"If it’s Matt Hancock, our ratings shoot up, but when it’s Rishi Sunak, we’re in trouble. He’s very much the Bradley Walsh of the Cabinet."
‘Pointless’ often comes up against Bradley’s own ITV quiz show ‘The Chase’.
Richard’s co-host Alexander Armstrong believes the ongoing health crisis has seen a rise in the popularity of quiz shows because they "distract" people from real life.
The 50-year-old star said: "We’re spending an awful lot of time inside our heads. For some people, that’s a nice place to be, and for some, it’s a very difficult place to be.
"A quiz show distracts you. You can’t be worrying as much if you’re trying to think of an African country."
Richard created the show’s beloved format, – which has seen a peak viewing figure of seven million following its launch 2009 – and he has even offered some advice to families putting together their own quizzes, as people across the UK are turning to games on video conferencing apps like Zoom during the lockdown.
He suggested: "Don’t ask too many questions with specific answers.
"’Which South American country won the first World Cup?’ – you can at least chat and guess."
The popular programme moved from BBC Two to BBC One nine years ago, and the format has been syndicated across the globe in nations such as Australia, Croatia, France, Germany, Netherlands, Serbia, Italy and more.