The BBC sequence has been working for nicely over a decade and has welcomed hundreds of pairs of contestants, guided by duo Alexander Armstrong and his co-host and ‘Pointless buddy’, Richard Osman.
The purpose of the sport is to attempt to get the least recognisable reply in every spherical, aka Pointless… or as near zero as doable.
Quizzers are given questions based mostly on the solutions of surveys of 100 individuals, and with a purpose to get to a Pointless reply, they need to guess come again with probably the most obscure of the 4 units of pairs.
In the event that they obtain a Pointless reply within the finale, the final couple standing go residence with the Pointless trophy and the jackpot prize, which rolls over into the subsequent present if not claimed.
The present is about to bear a little bit of a shake-up too, after presenter Richard revealed he’d be stepping down from his function later this yr, to focus on his profession as an creator.
Six new rotating co-hosts have been introduced this week to look alongside Alexander, within the largest change to the sequence up to now.
However what’s it like to face on the well-known podium? We spoke to some previous contestants who gave us all of the gossip.
Co-host Richard has beforehand shared with followers simply how speedy filming is, with 4 episodes a day made in view of a stay studio viewers.
This was one of many main speaking factors from everybody we chatted to, with 2020 contestant Nick Bartlett, who filmed in the course of the pandemic, saying: ‘It was very skilled. There was nearly no chat earlier than the present and none in any respect after, [Alexander and Richard] simply left. Nonetheless, our episode was filmed on the peak of lockdown and we couldn’t get too shut.
‘Alexander is simply as stylish as you'll count on, and Richard was very far-off. It was usually far more environment friendly than I assumed it will be, to be sincere. I assumed there could be a great deal of banter they must lower out, and extra time spent with the contestants. Just about what you see on the present is what was talked about on the day. A part of me needs we’d made it one other day so we may have chatted longer!’
Keith Lillywhite, who got here onto the present in 2013, echoed this: ‘The precise filming course of took about an hour and a half in complete, it was actually seamless, and everybody taken care of us. Apart from just a few moments to take away a podium on the finish of every spherical, the recording lasted across the similar time because the present airs for, in all probability 75 to 90 minutes most. It was very slick. They've been doing this a very long time and know what they're doing,’ added 2020 contestant Matt Sole.
Viewers usually see the pairs conferring in between giving their solutions, as they attempt to wrack their brains within the hope of bettering all of the competitors with their obscure data.
Nonetheless, if somebody says one thing foolish, the producers will quickly learn about it, as Keith revealed: ‘The microphone you might be given permits the Pointless crew to listen to every little thing you say, even the quietest whispers. That is to stop any dishonest between pairs.
‘Once we have been on the face to face spherical the place you'll be able to confer together with your associate, every little thing we mentioned in whispers to one another was picked up by Richard, who relayed a few of our solutions again to us.’
‘How pleasant everybody was and the way nicely the entire contestants obtained alongside backstage,’ mentioned Matt on what shocked him, including: ‘Unusually, earlier than we filmed, they gave us a tour of the set and allowed us to take photos on the set, which was very cool.’
Keith weighed in: ‘As soon as we have been become our look garments, we have been taken onto the set. We had already had a tour of the set, so it wasn’t too nerve-wracking.’
Okay, we actually desire a full tour of the Pointless set now.
Keith defined how all of the day’s contestants are saved collectively in a inexperienced room till an episode comes up with a slot for them to suit into.
‘Whether or not you might be chosen subsequent or not will depend on the make-up of the couples already on the present,’ he instructed us. ‘As we have been two male associates we needed to wait till we have been chosen to make sure there was a cross-section of several types of couples.’
However he was frightened they wouldn’t get to function in any respect, including: ‘On the finish of day one we weren’t referred to as after which filming was suspended. We have been then instructed to not attend the next day and after a number of cellphone calls and worrying about whether or not we have been ever going to look, we have been finally instructed to show up about 2 weeks later and warranted we might be one of many first pairs to take part.’
Lindsay Watson tried her hand on the gameshow along with her dad again in 2013, with the pair managing to win a share of £20,250 between them.
However Pointless makes positive the winners are given their share correctly, by halving it earlier than they’re despatched the money.
‘My dad added £250 to the prize pot with a pointless reply concerning the Paralympics, however he had misheard the query so it was only a complete fluke that he obtained it right. We obtained the cash a month after the present, and so they robotically break up it for you and pay you half every to keep away from disagreements,’ she instructed us.
Keith shared how vigilant the wardrobe crew are in ensuring there aren't any clashes or outfits that received’t match with the magic of TV, telling us: ’On the day of filming, we went to make up first after which needed to run the gauntlet of the wardrobe division as they scathingly regarded on the outfits we had taken.
‘As a result of varied restrictions with what you'll be able to put on on digital camera, we took 5 outfits every and wardrobe chosen two that they deemed to be appropriate as a result of in the event you don’t attain the ultimate in your first look you instantly get one other alternative. Selecting these outfits was undoubtedly probably the most anxious a part of the entire expertise!’
Some memorable moments with Richard and Alexander don’t make the lower
Whereas the presenting duo are suited and booted in entrance of these watching at residence, Nick revealed that Richard was sporting a way more informal look out of view of the digital camera.
‘Richard was carrying blue denims underneath the desk which blew my tiny thoughts,’ Nick instructed us.
He additionally recalled a barely embarrassing joke he make to Alexander, which was fortunately lower down: ‘There was a second on the finish the place I made a horrible joke and Alexander dwelt on it a bit longer. This was lower out thank God as I felt a little bit of a t*t afterwards!’
Matt additionally teased how they by no means came upon what was on Richard’s laptop computer display, including: ‘Within the remaining spherical, after you will have given your three solutions, on display, they go straight into the end result, in actuality, they cease filming for a couple of minutes whereas they replace the screens to point out your solutions and likewise confirm the validity of your solutions. We by no means did get to see if Richard has something on that laptop computer.’
Pairs participate in a trial recreation after they audition
‘We had a video interview with a researcher who we chatted with to do a trial model of the sport., which we didn’t do very nicely on. However I believe we'd have been good leisure worth!
Pre Covid, this was performed in a extra entertaining vogue, with wannabe quizzers whisked off to accommodations to audition in teams.
In the course of the audition, we needed to play Pointless with different contestants, in a lodge convention room, so we needed to make the noise of the Pointless tower after we gave solutions! Then we did a bit to the digital camera. We heard we have been profitable about 2 weeks later, which was actually thrilling.’
Winners are instructed to maintain their end result a secret till their episode airs
Lindsay, who already shared how she hit fortunate with a fairly full up prize pot mentioned: ‘Once we obtained again to the inexperienced room afterwards, we weren't allowed to inform anybody that we’d received the jackpot, however we have been allowed to point out everybody else our trophies. We have been additionally requested to not inform anybody else aside from our companions at residence that we’d received the jackpot in order that it will be a shock on the day it was broadcast.’
This utilized to these having a pop on the jackpot instantly afterwards too, with host Alexander breaking the information when the 4 new pairings enter the studio.
Keith defined: ‘As soon as we had received we obtained modified and have been then whisked out of the studio and straight previous the ready contestants as they weren't allowed to seek out out if the jackpot had been received.’
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