The ABSOLUTE POWER of the UKGameshows.com/Bother’s Bar Poll of the Year, fresh from topping the table as host of The Answer Trap, Anita Rani has been announced as host of Millionaire Spin-off Fastest Finger First.

Fastest Finger First, according to Variety, features five contestants facing off in FFF questions to earn the opportunity to climb the question ladder, the winners get fast tracked to the Hot Seat on Millionaire itself.

It’s kind of a neat idea, like how the Spanish aired a daily version of The Money Drop whose winners got to play for the big money in primetime. My only potential issue is that already having been vetted in a lengthy quiz, is Millionaire all of a sudden just going to be full of professionals winning £64,000 and walking away? Are we going to lose the unpredictability and variety of outcome, which Clarkson Millionaire was (initially at least) quite good at? We’ll find out in due course.

C21 reporting the other day that Studio Lambert are once again redefining the gameshow genre by adapting Talpa’s Million Dollar Island for the US and UK.

MDI begins with 100 people on an island for up to two months wearing an armband worth $10,000, as they lose challenges or quit they give their armbands away to others. At the end you win what you’re wearing, presumably. Hopefully towards the end someone is having to do challenges wearing 50-60 armbands, for comedy.

Obviously Talpa are a load of used car salesmen, but Studio Lambert has quietly been starting to dominate the adventure space, certainly in the UK – Race Across the World was a massive commercial and critical hit hoping to restart production again, they’re about to “do” De Verraders/The Traitors, this seems like another string to their bow to make up for their loss of The Circle on C4.

The Dutch show was being made for Amazon Prime so could this go on streaming services as well?

I’m going to be picking a panel on Friday, so if you’re interested and free on Sunday night all the deets are here. Otherwise hopefully you can make it for Team Audience!

Monday 17th January, 9pm,
Here and on Youtube

It’s the most important and exciting date on the gameshow calendar, the LIVE reveal of the Poll of the Year results! Join David Bodycombe, Dan Peake, myself and some extremely special guests as everyone finds out what you’ve voted for, for better or worse.

You’ve watched the video, now read the write up on UKGameshows.com featuring your comments!

The vote percentages will be hidden after the cut:

I know this is going to be of interest to some of you, the BBC’s adaptation of recent Dutch hit The Traitors (kind of a bit The Mole meets Werewolf, although closer to the latter but with challenges like the former. The Weremoles, if you like) is currently looking for contestants. Lines close early April.

With The Sun reporting that Millionaire is going to get its first ever spin-off show in Fastest Finger First (provided you don’t count 50:50 or Hot Seat, both of which aren’t very good), we ponder: what other shows have sufficient brand identity that you can spin entirely new formats from?