19Mar2007
UK’s Ant and Dec Sign On to Host “Wanna Bet?”
ABC has recently signed the popular British hosting duo Ant and Dec to host the pilot, which may be aired as a special or turned into a series, for the new competition show “Wanna Bet?”. Ant and Dec are known in England for hosting the first series of “Game Show Marathon”, “I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!”, and “Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway”. Amusingly, the show they created and host in England, “PokerFace”, was turned down by ABC after they first optioned it. “Wanna Bet?”, from Phil Gurin, includes celebrity interviews, music, and normal people attempting outrageous and dangerous stunts.
As 99.8% of America says “Who the hell are Ant & Dec?”…
Funny they let these unknowns host, when the fact the tried to attach themselves to the U.S. version of Pokerface as the MCs, was one of the deal breakers on that show in the first place.
Also, why can’t these Brits let go and let Americans host these shows. Do they need the
residual money (they don’t get in their own unions in the UK) that badly?! I’d say strike or get better terms next contract.
I agree, I don’t think Ant & Dec’s style will work in the US. then again, Jimmy Carr did well but really had to tone it down.
How about “Phil Gurin phoned them up and pleaded with them to do it, they said yes?”
>Also, why can’t these Brits let go and let Americans host these shows.
We learnt our lesson when Reege murdered Millionaire.
It’ll be interesting to see how the reaction to hosts known from elsewhere but unknown to America will be.
I think the biggest problem may be that they both have an accent that’s very much from the north-east of England, rather different from the stereotypical ‘English’ sound more readily associated with London and the south-east… but they’re excellent hosts, and would fit this format very well indeed.
Ant & Dec are coming to ABC as co-hosts of Wanna Bet?
http://www.abc.com