...and another series for The Wheel, too

Michael McIntyre’s Big Show is to return for a sixth series, following a three-year hiatus because of the Covid pandemic.

Six new hour-long shows will be recorded in front of a live audience at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, in London later this year.

The BBC has also confirmed that the comedian’s game show The Wheel will also be returning later this year for 12 new hour-long episodes. The show first aired in 2020 and was the highest new BBC Entertainment launch in a decade with episode one attracting a consolidated audience of 6.8million viewers.

McIntyre said he was ‘elated’ that both shows were returning to BBC One,adding : ‘Three long years of no Unexpected Stars, of me not getting my hands on a single celebrity’s mobile phone, of people sleeping soundly without fear of me sneaking into their bedrooms. Well the wait is over, the Big Show is back and we’ve used those three years to think of even bigger surprises and bigger laughs.’

The shows are both made by Hungry McBear Media, the comedian’s partnership with Hungry Bear media.

Its managing director Dan Baldwin said: ‘We can’t wait to bring two of the nation’s favourite Saturday night shows back to BBC One. If you’ve missed seeing Gino D’Acampo in his pants at midnight, a firefighter singing opera or Jamie Oliver texting everyone in his phone that he loves chicken nuggets - then you’re in for a real treat.’

Published: 14 Apr 2022