Snooker
Big Break to return to screens with Stephen Hendry and Paddy McGuinness
The BBC has announced the return of snooker-themed game show Big Break.
TV host Paddy McGuinness will present the show alongside seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry and they will be joined in the studio by professional snooker players.
The game show previously aired on BBC screens between 1991 and 2002 and was hosted by Jim Davidson and snooker star John Virgo, who died earlier this year aged 79.
Like in the original version, three contestants will be paired up with pros and will battle it out over three rounds to reach the show’s finale, while Hendry will take over Virgo’s role of displaying trick shots.
However, the BBC said the show will have a “brand-new look and feel” and has opened up applications for fans to apply to be on the programme.
Hendry is hoping it can inspire a new generation of snooker players to get into the sport.
He said: “Big Break was a unique mix of trick shots and great entertainment and I can’t wait to be back at the table and bringing this incredible show to a whole new audience. And who knows, we might inspire the next generation of snooker players to get into the sport.”
Co-host McGuinness added: “I am absolutely delighted to be a part of Big Break.
“It is one of those shows everyone knows and loves so to be hosting it alongside legend Stephen Hendry will be something special.”
Rob Unsworth, head of BBC Daytime and early peak commissioning, said: “The recent World Championships pulled in 120million viewing hours, so pairing upcoming live coverage with the new Big Break will mean audiences can come together with the whole family to enjoy more of what they want.”
Production for the series will begin shortly and is set to air on BBC Two and the BBC iPlayer.
