Wheel of Fortune has officially returned to telly after more than 20 years off of screens.
The beloved gameshow has been revived by ITV and aired its first episode on Saturday night (January 6) with talk show legend Graham Norton presenting it. We’ll see Graham asking the questions and contestants spinning the giant carnival wheel in the hope of securing a big cash prize.
ITV said: “In this thrilling game of skill and luck, the turn of the wheel secures a cash value before they pick a letter to help them solve the puzzle – for every correct letter they reveal in the puzzle, they win multiples of that amount.
READ MORE: Want more showbiz? Daily Star has just the thing for you!
READ MORE: Want more TV? Daily Star has just the thing for you!
“The pressure is on as they could lose everything at a spin of a wheel which contains ‘bankrupts’ and ‘lose a turn’, and the contestants’ entire winnings could be wiped out.”
(Image: youtube/@1ATV)
Graham is the latest star to get the gig but a whole host of TV names have led the show before him. Daily Star has looked at where past Wheel of Fortune hosts are now.
Nicky Campbell
(Image: youtube/@bobbybuttmunch)
Nicky Campbell was the first to host Wheel of Fortune in the UK. He presented it from 1988 until 1996, a run of eight series.
During this time, he was joined by Angela Ekaette, Carol Smilie and Jenny Powell. He’s since entered the world of radio, joining BBC Radio 5 Live in 1997, the same year he tied the knot with journalist Tina Ritchie.
In 2009 he joined forces with Davina McCall hosting the BAFTA-winning show Long Lost Family. He tracked down his biological parents and wrote his book Blue-Eyes Son – Story of an Adoption.
The broadcaster has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and has opened up about his struggles with depression. His mother also had bipolar.
Bradley Walsh
(Image: youtube/@Justin Game Show Channel)
Bradley Walsh took over from Campbell in 1997 and hosted it for just one year. These days, he’s the host of several big shows such as the BBC’s Blankety Blank and ITV’s The Chase, where he loves winding up contestants and Chasers alike with his cheeky quips.
But he’s also carved out a successful acting career for himself, with stints in Corrie, Doctor Who and Law and Order UK. He’s even brought his son Barney into the limelight and the pair will soon host the BBC’s reboot of Gladiators.
John Leslie
(Image: youtube/@CSEnterprises96)
Former Blue Presenter John took the reigns from 1998 until 2001, hosting with Jenny Powell and Terri Seymour during his tenure. His career spiraled in 2002 when his ex Ulrika Jonsson claimed that an “acquaintance” had raped her when she was 19 – and Matthew Wright wrongly named him as the attacker.
Wright apologised for the error, Leslie denied the allegation, and he was never charged for any offences. He was charged with assaulting a woman twice in 2003 but the charges were dropped when new information came to light.
In 2018, he was cleared of assaulting a woman in a nightclub in 2017 following a two-day trial. In 2019, he was charged with the sexual assault of a woman in Westminster, but he pled not guilty and was cleared of the charge in 2020.
Paul Hendy
(Image: FilmMagic)
Paul was the last main host, fronting the show for one season until its initial run ended in 2001. Like Nicky, Paul joined Davina on a TV show, this one titled Don’t Try This At Home.
Paul and his wife Emily run pantomime company Evolution, which has put on panto shows starring the likes of Shirley Ballas and Stephen Mulhern. These days, he writes and directs his own short films.
Angela Ekaette
(Image: Daily Record)
Angela co-hosted Wheel of Fortune with Nicky Campbell during its first series. However, she’s since stepped away from the public eye.
The ballet dancer appeared on Bazaar and was a consultant for the 4Learning show Equal Voice.
Carol Smillie
(Image: BBC)
Carol also hosted with Nicky, between 1989 and 1994. She went on to present shows like Changing Rooms, with Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen.
Bowen admitted he was glad Carol wasn’t coming back to host Changing Rooms. He said: “They have moved on and it wouldn’t have worked if it had been Jurassic Park — it had to be a reinvention.”
She appeared on strictly-come-dancing>Strictly Come Dancing in 2006, finishing fifth with Matthew Cutler. She has three children with husband Alex and is now a humanist celebrant.
Jenny Powell
(Image: Instagram)
Jenny has appeared on shows like Celebrity COme Dine With Me and Celebrity Wrestling. Since 2021, she’s hosted the weekend breakfast show on Greatest Hits Radio.
She revealed she had separated from her husband Toby Baxendell in 2009 – they share two daughters. The stunner loves to dazzle her followers on Instagram with scorching bikini snaps.
Terri Seymour
(Image: Getty Images)
Terri had a high-profile romance with X Factor boss Simon Cowell between 2002 and 2008. She welcomed a baby girl, Coco, with her new partner Clark in 2015.
She was diagnosed with lupus while modelling in her early twenties. She went into remission, but needed monitoring during her pregnancy.
For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletter by clicking here
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
