Michael McIntyre: ‘I’m used to viewers being cynical’

Michael McIntyre came up with the idea for his new TV show while sitting in the bath.

Surrounded by bubbles, soothing music and pina colada-scented candles (if his baths are anything like ours), the comedian developed the basic format for his new BBC One game show The Wheel.

“I was thinking about the evolution of entertainment television, and how there have been so many talent shows,” he explains. “And I just thought, there haven’t been many brand new formats for game shows, and they’re so well loved. So I thought, I’m going to try and think of one.

“So I thought of two in the bath,” he says. “Literally within moments.” One of them was The Wheel, which begins on Saturday. “I also had another idea, not so good, that one didn’t go anywhere. But that’s on the back burner!” he laughs.

Usually at this time of year, McIntyre would be gearing up for a new series of his Big Show; the phenomenally successful variety programme which has been a staple of BBC One’s winter schedule since 2016.

It’s a huge hit with viewers, and you can understand why. McIntyre’s endearing, family-friendly personality, fused with some ingenious features like the Midnight Gameshow, Send To All and Unexpected Star of the Show, make for a hugely enjoyable format.

But, the 44-year-old explains, the impressive viewing figures the show gets mask scepticism from some members of the public.

“I’m used to cynical viewers with the Big Show,” he says. “I don’t think I’ve met a single person who believes any of those things are real. They’re always like: ‘Come on, those Unexpected Stars know [what’s happening], you tell them don’t you? You tell them on Send To All, they know.’

“And I’m like, they don’t know! We’re not allowed to do that, and it would be too difficult to set up anyway. There’s always a slightly natural cynicism.”

Send To All sees a celebrity send an embarrassing message, written by McIntyre live on stage, to every contact in their phone book. Unexpected Star, meanwhile, involves a member of the public being lured to a particular location under false pretences, only to find out they’ll be performing live to the nation at the end of the programme.

The Big Show sadly cannot return this winter because having a full live audience currently isn’t possible. Other TV shows have tried to persevere without one, with mixed results. But the Big Show’s format depends so heavily on surprising or playing tricks on audience members that it can’t operate in the social distancing era.

And so McIntyre’s new series is effectively taking its place. The comedian recalls: “It came to me as a sort of human roulette wheel. A wheel is something that’s been used very many times in game shows anyway, the randomness and excitement of where it could possibly land. So I just thought of putting people on the end of it.”

BBC