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British celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay is back in the spotlight on the small screen hosting a brand new game show series called Bank Balance. It's being billed as a 'nail biting' show in which contestants undertake a series of questions and strategic challenges in an attempt to win £100,000.
The show, which Ramsay is comparing to The Chase and Who Wants to be a Millionaire, airs on BBC One over 10 days, starting next week.
Bank Balance sees duos answer questions to get potential winnings of £100,000 by balancing a series of “gold bars” on a wobbling platform. Promoting the show, Ramsay joked (obviously not pointing the finger at himself): “it’s unpredictable, volatile and very, very unstable."
The famously outspoken chef says he won't shout, swear or be mean, but fortunately for fans, he doesn't really mean it. He's back with an arsenal of effective putdowns and light-hearted banter, one example of which sees him tell a contestant: "By the time you’ve picked the category I’m gonna be older than Mary Berry."
Watch the trailer for a taster of what's to come in Gordon Ramsay's Bank Balance:
Ramsay's restaurant group operates 35 eateries around the world, with seven Michelin stars across four restaurants, which are mostly shut as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, which has devastated the entire industry. "We had to cancel 22,472 reservations through the month of December, and that's the one glory month that gets us through the first weak part of the year, January and February, when everybody goes dry and becomes vegan," he told the BBC. "So I'm not going to lie, it's been tough. But how do we come back and open these restaurants, fingers crossed, in March?" referring to his 18 UK restaurants when the nationwide lockdown is due to lift.
With chefs being forced to re-invent their role around the world, TV game show host might not be at the top of everybody's list. However, the response on Ramsay's new outlet on Instagram has been resoundingly positive, with fans supporting his enterprising nature: "U know restaurant industry is struggling when even Gordon Ramsay is ditching it and start doing TV shows," said one fan.
Gordon Ramsay's Bank Balance begins on Wednesday, 24 February, at 9pm on BBC One. Episodes two and three will air at the same time on 25 and 26 February, respectively.
This isn't the first time a chef has appeared on a game show. David Chang won a million dollars for charity last year on Who Wants to be a Millionaire. Take a look at when Chang celebrated his victory.
