Ant and Dec's flop quiz show Red or Black faces axe after ratings disaster

TV quiz show Red or Black? has heavyweight pedigree.
Not only does it star the much loved Ant and Dec and offers out huge cash prizes, but Simon Cowell also produces the show.
However, the show is reportedly being axed after it failed to top five million viewers on Saturday night.
The show handed out £1.5 million over the weekend - the largest cash prize ever handed out in the UK on the small screen - but it still failed to pull in the viewers.

 

Axed? Ant and Dec's quiz show Red or Black is reportedly coming to an end because of poor ratings

Four million viewers saw Graham Fletcher scoop the jackpot, and it's reported that the viewing figures aren't enough to justify the show's expensive budget, believed to be around £15 million a series.

Ant and Dec's other TV work with Britain's Got Talent and I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here regularly tops ratings of 10 million, and The Sun are reporting that the presenters are keen to leave the quiz show to work on other projects instead.

 

Heavyweight: The combined TV talents of Ant, Dec and Simon Cowell couldn't boost viewing figures

A source told the newspaper: 'Ant and Dec have a huge, loyal fanbase but if a format doesn’t interest people then there is only so much they can do. They have done two series and it still hasn’t worked. They’re not jumping up and down about it, but it’s highly unlikely they’ll make more.
“Their focus is on I’m A Celebrity and Saturday Night Takeaway.”
The brainchild of Cowell, the show sees members of the public having to bet on various sporting events and stunts in a bid to win millions.

 

Controversy: The show was criticised after it emerged that jackpot winner  Nigel Hageman had a  past conviction for assault

When the second series was recomissioned earlier this year. Ant and Dec said in a statement: 'Red or Back? is an extravaganza of a show, it's the most nerve-wracking thing to work on but hugely exciting with so much at stake for the contestants. We're really excited to be going again with the new series.'

Cowell added: 'One of the things I love most about this show is that it’s exciting, unpredictable, scary, and a bit nuts all in one.  I’m delighted it’s back and am excited about the possibility of rollover winnings and some even bigger games.'
The show was struck by controversy in the first series after the Gambling Commission criticised it for promoting gambling, and there were calls for winner  Nigel Hageman to return his prize money after it was later revealed that he had a  past conviction for assault.