TV
Chris Tarrant has revealed that he came close to quitting as presenter of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? when it aired four times a week in 2001.
Speaking to TeleText, Tarrant said that the sheer volume almost "killed off" the programme, which now airs just twice a week.
"We're not doing that extraordinary schedule of two years ago when we were doing four nights a week," he said. "It just killed us and killed it for everyone. Once a week keeps it special.
"It is still the most extraordinary format. If you had said to me five years ago that we'd do that many I would have said leave it out. It has been five years since I've been able to walk down a street without someone shouting: "Chris, do you want to phone a friend?" But I love it."
Speaking to TeleText, Tarrant said that the sheer volume almost "killed off" the programme, which now airs just twice a week.
"We're not doing that extraordinary schedule of two years ago when we were doing four nights a week," he said. "It just killed us and killed it for everyone. Once a week keeps it special.
"It is still the most extraordinary format. If you had said to me five years ago that we'd do that many I would have said leave it out. It has been five years since I've been able to walk down a street without someone shouting: "Chris, do you want to phone a friend?" But I love it."
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