Take a peek at Gordon Ramsay’s Bank Balance

No, there’s not a glimpse of the fiery TV chef’s latest statements but rather a new prime-time game show with big cash prizes.

It’s Gordon Ramsay’s first time fronting such a show – he’s usually to be found yelling in kitchens and punching disappointing salmon dishes – so this will be a new experience both for him and the viewers.

However his affinity with high-pressure environments will certainly be useful here, as we’re promised a high-risk high-reward format where contestants can build up a fortune – or watch it come crashing down in an instant.

Will the famously sweary chef keep his trademark bad language in check, though?

He does say in trailers for the show.

“I promise not to shout, I promise not to swear, I promise not to be mean, but I won’t promise to make it easy.”

Fair enough – but then he does break each one of those promises in the 30-second promo, including telling a contestant “By the time you’ve picked the category I’m gonna be older than Mary Berry,” and there’s evidence that whoever is in charge of the bleep-machine will have a very busy evening.

Perhaps it’s for the best that the show airs after the 9pm watershed.

A little bit of a mean streak isn’t so bad, though – after all, if we wanted a friendly host we’d watch Bradley Walsh on The Chase.

Besides, surely nothing in Gordon’s arsenal of putdowns can possibly be as demoralising as one of University Challenge host Jeremy Paxman’s withering scowls. When Gordon really blows his top it tends to be more comedic anyway – such as the time he held slices of bread either side of a Hell’s Kitchen contestant’s face and had them describe themselves as an “idiot sandwich”.

Honestly the most intimidating aspect of that tirade was the carbs it contained.

We should be finding Ramsay in more of his slightly testy but ultimately helpful mode, such as in the American version of MasterChef Junior which he hosts in a more PG-13 style, as opposed to his over-the-top supervillain manner that earned The F Word its Bafta and Kitchen Nightmares its reputation as a firm ‘guilty pleasure’ favourite.

Ramsay is full of optimism for his first foray into the world of game show presenting, saying: “This is going to be truly epic.

“It is such an intense game with so much jeopardy to win big and lose even bigger, where the difference between failure and success is always in the balance. “I’m so happy to be working with the fantastic team at the BBC and cannot wait to get in the studio and start stacking those gold bars!”

Kate Phillips, the BBC’s Controller of Entertainment Commissioning, says: “Bank Balance is a great format where contestants need to balance nerve with knowledge. And Gordon will be a formidable and unforgettable host.”

So before we judge the show...let’s just sit back and enjoy the entertainment, whatever way it comes!

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper whenever you are able to do so.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspaper when you can safely.

You can also enjoy unlimited access to the best news from across Northern Ireland and the UK by subscribing to newsletter.co.uk

With a digital subscription, you can read more than five articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.newsletter.co.uk/subscriptions now to sign up.

Thank you