Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
WhatToWatch
WhatToWatch
Entertainment
Claire Crick

Dermot O'Leary lands big-budget show away from This Morning after 17 years at ITV

Dermot O'Leary standing in front of a purple background wearing a dark suit and tie.

This Morning star Dermot O'Leary has landed a huge new job away from the ITV daytime show. 

Dermot will host his own game show, Silence Is Golden, which will land on UKTV's Dave next year. 

Silence is Golden will see the studio give the audience £250,000 to share between them. The catch is that they can't make a sound as they watch a host of comedy acts do everything in their power to make them break their silence.

Dermot, who has been with ITV for 17 years, will be joined by three returning comedy captains, one of whom has been confirmed as former Taskmaster star Katherine Ryan, and around 30 comedians who will all try their best to make the crowd laugh. The more sounds they get out of the audience, all of whom will be mic’ed up, the further down they'll bring the prize pot. Should it get all the way down to zero, the comedians get to give money to charity.

Speaking of his new gameshow with a difference, Dermot said: "I'm so looking forward to Silence Is Golden. When a show like this falls into your lap, you can't quite believe your luck.

"I'm looking forward to having lots of fun with the audience, our comedians and assorted cast of regulars, all trying to make the audience laugh, gasp and giggle."

Alison and Dermot currently present This Morning on a Friday.  (Image credit: ITV)

Dermot has had plenty of experience hosting game shows over the years, presenting  ITV1's The X Factor for 15 years and he has also fronted shows like Big Brother's Little Brother on E4. 

Silence is Golden's Executive producer Richard Bacon said in a statement: “The feeling when you’re not allowed to laugh at a funeral? It’s that – the game show.”

While UKTV's Mark Iddon added: "We’re really excited to bring Silence is Golden to Dave. Dermot is the perfect host to hold this chaotically ambitious show together and we think our audiences are going to embrace this subversive and unpredictable format.

"Silence is Golden is the only show where staying silent is worth its weight in gold. It’s the quietest way to lose a fortune you’ll ever see and it’s time for our studio audience to put their money where their mouth isn’t."

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.