Blankety Blank game show tipped for BBC return - with Bradley Walsh a possible host

The Chases’ Bradley Walsh has been tipped as the favourite to take the reigns over a proposed reboot of the cult family game show Blankety Blank. The show last aired for one season in 2001 on ITV, and ran for 15 series on the BBC, from 1979. A TV insider told The Sun: “Blankety Blank was massive for the BBC and revisiting it seemed like a great idea in the current climate.” “A pilot is being filmed later this year and if it’s a success, it’ll go on to become a new series. Everyone is confident it’ll be a hit and it’s a perfect fit for Saturday night. It’s likely to nab a primetime spot and cash will be pumped into the series if it does go ahead.” The presenter has yet to be set in stone, but the insider revealed that Walsh is favourite, with Rylan Clark and Paddy McGuinness having also been discussed as potential hosts. Blankety Blank’s return comes after the return of other cult gameshows including Family Fortune and Catchphrase. A Saturday night family favourite Blankety Blank became a staple of Britain’s Saturday night TV since debuting on the BBC in 1979. Terry Wogan was the host until comedian Les Dawson took over from 1984 until the show was axed in 1990. Paul O’Grady hosted a revived version of the show for two seasons in 1997 as his alter-ego Lily Savage. The show saw a celebrity panel, where one would read out a question with a key word blank. Contestants would try to answer and match as many of the answers of the other celebrities’ guesses as possible. The show was infamous for its often underwhelming winner prize, or the consolation Blankety Blank chequebook. Celebrity panellists have included Sir Ian McKellen, Dame Barbara Windsor, Ant McPartlin, Simon Cowell and Davina McCall. The show at its height had 20 million viewers. Blankety Blank has returned for a number of one-off charity specials, including one for Children in Need in 2004, and an ITV Christmas special in 2016 hosted by David Walliams.