Rumor Control: Cat Deeley New Host of “Millionaire”?
Note: Again, this is a rumor coming from Mirror.co.uk and Digital Spy. We have no confirmation yet.
I know we get some UK readers here, mainly from one of my favorite websites Bother’s Bar. So maybe one of you can answer this question for me. How accurate is Mirror.co.uk? It looks like a tabloid website so I never know, but at least it can be posted as a rumor. It’s stating that Cat Deeley, a very popular British television presenter and an up-and-coming presenter in America currently helming So You Think You Can Dance?, has done a guest host stint on Who Wants to be a Millionaire?.
Guest hosting doesn’t get that interesting until the next part comes up. Then the article says that she wowed Disney-ABC so much that they are offering her more than a million pounds a year to be the new host of the show. I mean I kinda figured it was inevitable that Meredith Vieira was going to be on her way out because of being with NBC now, but I didn’t figure anything remotely like this now. Especially with a person like Cat Deeley. I’ve seen some stuff she’s done and she’s good enough, but I’m really curious to see how she’ll actually do on Millionaire, a seriously quiz show.
Again, this is just a rumor. We don’t have any confirmation of her guest hosting, or being offered the job, or Meredith leaving, or anything. That’s why it’s a rumor. We’re just going by this article from UK Mirror. If anyone has more insight, I’d love to know. Otherwise, who knows what’s going on.
I haven’t seen her before, but I’ll just say that I think Meredith does a great job on the show. She was even better live in person at the program. Maybe they couldn’t fit enough changes into this season! :)
By the way, I truly feel that this season’s Millionaire has had easier questions than previous seasons… I used to only get up to about $16,000 without lifelines – now I can make it to the final tier. I should really try out again!
I agree the question do seem easier, they probably had to soften them up becuase of the clock.
and it doesn’t really surprise me if Meredith’s leaving becuase they’ve had so many guest hosts over the past 2 seasons, it must be becoming a real headache for the producers.
I must say I would be very surprised to see Cat Deeley become the new host though.
This development, if factual, raises a new question. If Deeley scores a full-time gig with U.S. Millionaire, would that affect her current moneymakers with “Dance” and any U.K. broadcasting gigs?
Since hitting it big in the US she’s not done much over here, although she did front backstage American Idol stuff for the UK edition (basically because of rules on product placement and length of advertising in the UK (I think that’s the reason at any rate), some stuff gets edited out and the time is filled with Cat talking to celebrity guests and the contestants backstage). Although she didn’t do it this year.
She’s certainly more than capable – she fronted a Saturday morning live anarchic kids show for years with Ant and Dec and like them managed to transfer to prime time – but this would be the first time she will have fronted a serious quiz.
It would be an interesting move – her background’s elsewhere in television, as Brig says. I guess we should judge her when her guest host week appears on air – I can’t imagine her as a serious quiz host instinctively, but intellectually I see no reason she can’t pull this off.
The Mirror is just a typical tabloid newspaper (you can always tell these apart in the UK by their red logos) although slightly more reliable than the others I think. I’d not rule anything in or out.
And I’d imagine that some kind of schedule will be worked out – when does ‘Dance’ finish its run? In time for Millionaire taping to start just after that for the new season, and with five episodes per day that’d leave her with the spring season to do other shows in either country?
I thought we were done with female Brit game show hosts after Anne Robinson fizzled out so fast. And I thought Meredith just recently signed a new multi year contract?
Actually, I doubt that Meridith signed a multi-year contact with Millionaire. I think that she wants to kiss Millionaire goodbye. IMO, I think one day she’ll say that all this time, she actually hated Millionaire.
I dont think Meredith hated Millionaire. In fact I’d argue quite the opposite. Remember she WANTED to continue doing the show when she was offered the Today Show on NBC, so much so that NBC had to alter the contract so she could continue her roll. NBC had the money they could have bought her out of the contract, and if Im not mistaken she did RENEW her contract with Millionaire since.
Also note that she is currently an Executive Producer of Millionaire, so I think she’s grown to love the show, as it has become her own over the past few years.
If she leaves, I think it will be because of the hectic schedule she currently has between the show and Today. As much as she might enjoy Millionaire, her passion is journalism (Hell she was a 60 Minutes correspondent for a year or so). And working more hours for the Today show would allow her to pursue those interests some more.
I think Cat is a fine presenter, and I’m sure she would be great in Millionaire, but I don’t know if I like the selection. I think this show works best when the presenter is a little older, perhaps with the gravitas needed to hold a good poker face.
I feel that Cat Deeley who originally replaced season 1 host Lauren Sanchez (Who’s on KTTV/KCOP0 I felt that she was pretty phony as the host of SYTYCD. I also feel that she must’ve taken on Millionaire basically because she wants to take herself to a more serious tone. Personally, Meredith Viera is a great host, heck, she’s been on there for 7-8 seasons already, but with her Today schedule, I think that the only reason why she’s only on the first 2 hrs. is because some stations aournd the country carry Millionaire in the other 2 hrs. But IMO, Meredith should stay on as the host, not Cat, she’ll just only ruin the show.
I don’t think that Cat is all that special to be honest. Meredith is way better at presenting the show, and she should definitely stay. If Cat does however replace Meredith as the host, than Millionaire has lost a fan out of me!
Why would they pick a simpy ‘blonde’ blond with no timing and a voice that isn’t understandable half of the time If Meredith is leaving bring on the man who did it a week or so ago. Anne Robinson would be a treat after this ditz.
I think that Cat Deleey will make a good millionaire host . I liked Merideth but I think it's time for her to retire form it after 7 years already. Cat is so young & I think they need some one who's a lot younger.
Trust me the woman needs to be away from it after 7 years.