50 Fun Facts About The Weakest Link

On which channel did The Weakest Link first appear in the UK in August 2000?

It launched as a daytime series and later got a bigger-budget primetime sibling on BBC One.

Who presented the original British run of the show from 2000 to 2012?

She was already known for her sarcasm on Points of View and Watchdog before the quiz made it a trademark.

Who was the voice-over narrator of the original British series?

The narrator tells viewers, but not the players, who the statistical strongest and weakest links were each round.

How many contestants start a game in the original British format?

The revival trimmed the team to eight; the 2001 NBC version also played with eight.

Which pair devised The Weakest Link before the BBC developed it for television?

The BBC Entertainment Department turned their idea into the finished show.

How many episodes had the original British run reached when it ended in March 2012?

The finale was titled "You are The Weakest Link - Goodbye" and was filmed without a studio audience.

Which comedian hosts the celebrity revival that premiered on BBC One in December 2021?

The revival was announced as a 12-episode primetime run and has been renewed several times since.

How much time is on the clock in round one of the original British format?

Each later round is shortened by 10 seconds as players are voted off; the revival starts at 2 minutes 30.

In the original British final timed round, what happens to the money the last two bank?

The pair get only 90 seconds for that round, and there is no vote afterwards, just the head-to-head.

How many questions does each finalist answer in the head-to-head round?

It is played like a penalty shootout, and a tie goes to sudden death.

What was the maximum prize on a daytime episode of the British show?

Celebrity and primetime editions raised the ceiling to five times that amount.

What is the eliminated contestant's exit from the studio called?

Departing players then record a confessional, often predicting who goes next.

When the vote ends in a tie, who decides which tied player leaves?

If the strongest link is one of the tied players, they are automatically safe and choose between the others.

In the original British series, who was asked the opening question of round one?

The revival switched to a random choice; the US version used a backstage draw.

What was the title of the first primetime version, which featured returning winners?

Only six editions were made and the ratings were poor; regular contestants and celebrities followed.

What colour overcoat did the host wear for the 2003 April Fools' Day episode?

She was uncharacteristically nice all episode, then called the contestants "so stupid" after naming the winner.

Which puppet defeated a returning fan favourite to reach the final of the 1,000th episode?

Miss Evans won £2,710 and split it with him for charity, and Robinson added a £1,000 bonus for the milestone.

Who won the final original British episode in 2012?

He edited The Independent's Saturday edition and took home £2,090.

The last original UK question asked for half of Roman numeral X; what was the answer?

After the goodbye, the studio lights went out one by one until only Robinson was left.

Which quiz replaced The Weakest Link as the BBC's big teatime quiz?

Alexander Armstrong's show had been running on BBC Two since 2009 before taking the slot.

Scheduled against Millionaire in autumn 2001, how many viewers did Weakest Link draw?

The show was still popular enough that a video game followed for PlayStation, PS2 and Windows that year.

In the 2005 Doctor Who episode set in the far future, what was the android host called?

Robinson voiced it herself, and losing contestants were apparently disintegrated on the spot.

In which year is the Doctor Who version of the game set?

Only six contestants played, and Robinson later walked on and unplugged the droid on a real Doctor Who special.

Which sitcom's characters played a 2007 special after Michael forged their signatures?

Ben, Susan, Janey, Michael, Abi, Roger and Alfie all played, with the real Anne Robinson hosting.

What was the name of That Mitchell and Webb Look's parody of the show?

Robert Webb played a host who was harsh with contestants but kept fluffing the questions.

Per a New Scientist analysis, bank every answer or after how many correct in a row?

Banking after three only beats banking every time if the team keeps a success rate above 67%.

Which consumer programme had made the original host famous for sarcasm before the quiz?

She presented it for 15 years in total and also fronted the viewers' letters show Points of View.

How many contestants start a game in the 2021 British revival?

Seven timed rounds are played and the final one is for double value, allowing a maximum bank of £50,000.

Which format is the only one more widely licensed internationally than Weakest Link?

Both formats originated in the United Kingdom within two years of each other.

Which country was the first to adapt the format outside the UK?

The Seven Network version launched in February 2001, two months before NBC's.

What colour do hosts of the show's international versions traditionally wear?

Russia's Maria Kiseleva was a rare exception, turning up in light blue or white.

Besides the UK, which country's version passed 1,000 episodes, hitting 1,008 in May 2010?

No other international version has come close to that tally.

What is the first name of the only perfect-game player in the 2020 US revival?

She got all 18 regular-play questions right plus seven in the final, and still won only $67,500.

Which company currently distributes the format worldwide?

It is the commercial arm of the BBC, formed when BBC Worldwide merged into it.

What was the starting top prize in round one of the 2020 US revival?

It climbs by $25,000 per round, then jumps to $250,000 and $500,000 in rounds five and six.

On which US network did Weakest Link debut in April 2001?

It aired weekly in primetime for about a year before cancellation left ten episodes unaired.

Who hosted the daily syndicated American version that launched in 2002?

His best-known hosting gig before that was Extreme Gong.

Which actress hosts and executive produces the American revival that began in 2020?

She had previously hosted NBC's Hollywood Game Night for seven years.

What was the potential top prize on the original NBC primetime version?

A special played during the 2001 NBA Finals cut the ceiling in half.

Who set the NBC record of $189,500 in the 2002 "Tournament of Losers" episode?

Tournament episodes brought back contestants who had lost in the final or been voted out first.

Which Star Trek and Reading Rainbow star won a record $167,500 on a US celebrity edition?

Celebrity episodes played for charity, so the farewell was softened from "you leave with nothing" to "you will just go away".

Which future SNL star won $5,250 on a college edition of the syndicated version?

He was president of The Harvard Lampoon at the time.

To which network did the American show move in 2025 as Celebrity Weakest Link?

Celebrities play for charity with a guaranteed minimum of $50,000.

Who is the voice-over announcer of the 2020 US revival?

John Cramer announced the 2001 NBC original and Lisa Friedman the syndicated run.

How many viewers watched the third NBC episode in 2001, the show's ratings peak?

Stacking the schedule with celebrity and charity episodes accelerated the slide that followed.

What was the top prize in the first season of the syndicated US version?

Season two raised it to $100,000 and dropped the double-stakes round to pay for it.

Which Channel 4 show did the original UK host front from June 2021 to July 2022?

She took over from Nick Hewer and recorded 265 episodes in a single year.

Under what pseudonym did the original UK host write a vitriolic Daily Mirror column?

Her tabloid years honed the caustic style that later became the show's selling point.

Which character did the US revival's host play on Glee?

It was her third time playing a harsh high school teacher, after guest spots on The X-Files and Veronica Mars.

Who hosted the original Australian version on the Seven Network in 2001?

The Home and Away actress presided over a money tree ten times the British figures, in Australian dollars.