Dermot O'Leary lands big-budget show away from This Morning after 17 years at ITV

Dermot O'Leary standing in front of a purple background wearing a dark suit and tie
Dermot O'Leary has a new show away from This Morning. (Image credit: Getty Images)

This Morning star Dermot O'Leary has landed a huge new job away from the ITV daytime show. 

Dermot will host his own game show, Silence Is Golden, which will land on UKTV's Dave next year. 

Silence is Golden will see the studio give the audience £250,000 to share between them. The catch is that they can't make a sound as they watch a host of comedy acts do everything in their power to make them break their silence.

Dermot, who has been with ITV for 17 years, will be joined by three returning comedy captains, one of whom has been confirmed as former Taskmaster star Katherine Ryan, and around 30 comedians who will all try their best to make the crowd laugh. The more sounds they get out of the audience, all of whom will be mic’ed up, the further down they'll bring the prize pot. Should it get all the way down to zero, the comedians get to give money to charity.

Speaking of his new gameshow with a difference, Dermot said: "I'm so looking forward to Silence Is Golden. When a show like this falls into your lap, you can't quite believe your luck.

"I'm looking forward to having lots of fun with the audience, our comedians and assorted cast of regulars, all trying to make the audience laugh, gasp and giggle."

This Morning summer presenters Alison and Dermot

Alison and Dermot currently present This Morning on a Friday.  (Image credit: ITV)

Dermot has had plenty of experience hosting game shows over the years, presenting  ITV1's The X Factor for 15 years and he has also fronted shows like Big Brother's Little Brother on E4. 

Silence is Golden's Executive producer Richard Bacon said in a statement: “The feeling when you’re not allowed to laugh at a funeral? It’s that – the game show.”

While UKTV's Mark Iddon added: "We’re really excited to bring Silence is Golden to Dave. Dermot is the perfect host to hold this chaotically ambitious show together and we think our audiences are going to embrace this subversive and unpredictable format.

"Silence is Golden is the only show where staying silent is worth its weight in gold. It’s the quietest way to lose a fortune you’ll ever see and it’s time for our studio audience to put their money where their mouth isn’t."

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Claire Crick
Assistant Managing Editor at What To Watch

Claire is Assistant Managing Editor at What To Watch and has been a journalist for over 15 years, writing about everything from soaps and TV to beauty, entertainment, and even the Royal Family. After starting her career at a soap magazine, she ended up staying for 13 years, and over that time she’s pulled pints in the Rovers Return, sung karaoke in the Emmerdale village hall, taken a stroll around Albert Square, and visited Summer Bay Surf Club in sunny Australia. 

After learning some tricks of the trade at websites Digital Spy, Entertainment Daily, and Woman & Home, Claire landed a role at What’s On TV and whattowatch.com writing about all things TV and film, with a particular love for Aussie soaps, Strictly Come Dancing and Bake Off

She’s interviewed everyone from June Brown — AKA Dot Cotton — to Michelle Keegan, swapped cooking tips with baking legend Mary Berry backstage at the NTAs, and danced the night away with soap stars at countless awards bashes. There’s not a lot she doesn’t know about soaps and TV and can be very handy when a soapy question comes up in a pub quiz! 

As well as all things soap-related, Claire also loves running, spa breaks, days out with her kids, and getting lost in a good book.