Good Omens and The Damned United star Michael Sheen has been named as the new host of (the presumably soon to be renamed) Richard Osman’s House of Games.
Osman revealed he was stepping down earlier this month after nearly a decade at the helm of the dock10-based BBC quiz show he created.
Sheen, has signed up to host 100 episodes that will be broadcast later this year. The new gig marks Sheen’s first stint as a quiz show host, although he has played former Who Wants to be a Millionaire? presenter Chris Tarrant in an ITV drama about the infamous “Coughing Major” scandal.
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For the uninitiated, House of Games sees celebrity contestants compete against each other in different brainteaser tasks over the course of a week, accruing double points on Friday. It is produced by Banijay label Remarkable, which also makes Pointless, another show that Osman created and fronted but has since stepped back from following the success of his Thursday Murder Club series of novels that were recently made into a Netflix movie. He also hosts the Rest is Entertainment podcast.
Sheen said: “Quite literally very large shoes to fill but as a huge fan of the show I’m incredibly excited to be able to move into the House and at long last see my silhouette on a fondue set.”
Tamara Gilder, joint MD for HoG producer Remarkable Entertainment, added: “We are thrilled to be handing Michael Sheen the keys to House of Games. The show has always been a love letter to those who adore quizzes – and we have a new host who loves them as much as we do. We can’t wait to start filming.”
Caroline O’Neill, BBC Commissioning Executive, said: “We’re delighted to have Michael Sheen stepping into the House of Games. His charisma and passion for playfulness will be a joy for audiences and we’ve no doubt he’ll relish throwing himself into a fiercely fought Answer Smash. We can’t wait to share this next era of the show with viewers at home.”
House of Games is a Remarkable Entertainment production for BBC Two and BBC iPlayer. The executive producer is Breid McLoone. It was commissioned by Rob Unsworth, head of BBC daytime & early peak commissioning, and Caroline O’Neill, BBC daytime & early peak commissioning executive.
