Josh Widdicombe, Olly Alexander, Tony Bellew and Justin Hawkins set for Michael McIntyre’s Big Show

​The battle for Saturday night ratings has been a playful tug of war between north and south for almost a decade on the two terrestrial heavyweights.

On the ITV side, Newcastle upon Tyne-born best friends Ant and Dec have been the ringmasters of chaos, capitalising on their winning rapport dating back to the 1980s children’s drama series Byker Grove.

On the BBC side, impeccably suited and well-spoken London-born comedian Michael McIntyre has been the maestro of family-friendly mischief with his own madcap creation, Michael McIntyre’s Big Show.

The variety show spectacular is filmed in front of a live audience at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in the beating heart of London’s West End and serves a heady mocktail of big-name guests (tonight it’s Josh Widdicombe, Olly Alexander, Tony Bellew and Justin Hawkins), musical performances and surprises for unsuspecting celebrities and members of the audience.

One of the new segments this series is Remember Me, which sits a famous guest in the theatre’s royal box and surprises them on stage with someone from their past.

“It could be anyone from the midwife who birthed them, to a holiday romance or the driver who bought them to the theatre,” explains McIntyre. “I play it with Miranda Hart, Alan Carr and Holly Willoughby with hilarious results.”

Wheel on Wheels, which goes on the road to surprise people watching his high-stakes general knowledge quiz The Wheel, returns and provides the comedian with an opportunity to deliver his own Saturday night takeaway.

“We took the Wheel on Wheels van to Birmingham to find someone watching the show at home but ended up finding an Indian takeaway restaurant playing The Wheel on the TV,” he recalls.

“I hid behind the till and popped up whenever someone came in to ask them questions from the show to win their food and prizes.”

Unquestionably, one of the most emotional moments of each show is the Unexpected Star – a deserving member of the public, who is rewarded with a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

This series, there are plenty of heartwarming candidates including Peter, who sings to his wife at her bedside as she receives end of life care, and a passionate darts fan named fan Gary, whose son died recently of cancer.

“He has dedicated himself to fundraising in his son’s name, but his family wanted him to have a special night,” explains McIntyre.

“He thought he was going to watch the World Matchplay in Blackpool but ended up playing with Luke Littler in front of thousands of people – and he played amazingly!”

After almost a decade of high jinks, Michael McIntyre’s Big Show continues to provide the gregarious host with instances of unexpected hilarity.

The first edition of Midnight Gameshow was thrown into chaos because Sam Thompson and Zara McDermott had locked their bedroom from the inside and McIntyre terrified them by knocking on the door to be let in.

“Thankfully, they then had the time of their lives,” he adds. Exactly the reaction McIntyre wants each week from viewers at home.