Double the Money is Channel 4's brand-new reality game show that really does what it says on the tin: players are given a pot of cash - and all they have to do is double it!
Here's everything we know about Double the Money...
Double the Money release date
Double The Money is a six-part series and starts on Thursday, May 9 at 8pm, continuing Friday at 8pm on Channel 4.
Who's the host of Double the Money?
Writer, comedian, broadcaster and former Bake Off co-host Sue Perkins fronts the six-part series, which sees 13 pairs of budding entrepreneurs given an amount of case for a business venture - and their job is to double that money!
As Sue explains: "To start off with, I give 13 pairs of contestants £250 and tell them to come back in 24 hours with £500. If they do, they stay in. Across the episodes, that £500 becomes £1,000 then £2,000 and so on."
Who are the people taking part and what are their business ideas?
People from all backgrounds and all walks of life have come to take part in the show, all hoping to come up with innovative ways to double the money.
One pairing is dad Dale and his son Harvey, who decide to roll their sleeves up to earn money washing cars. Meanwhile, couple Barrie and Debbie attempt to flog a range of sunglasses made by an independent designer, while pals Clare and Faye get into the spirit of things with a spot of fortune-telling.
While their backgrounds and business ideas differ, they all still have one thing in common, as Sue explains: "They’re all trying to balance their stresses of everyday life with the hell that I'm putting them through!"
Double the Money sounds like a cross between Bargain Hunt and The Apprentice. Is it?
"It is," says Sue. "The pairings get slightly longer for each subsequent challenge but there's one golden rule: it must be a different business venture every week."
Does this show tap into the current trend for ordinary people having a ‘side hustle’ alongside their normal job?
Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Vinted have revealed that there's a business person inside all of us - it's just about finding the right project that will catch on and, most importantly, make money!
"The pairs join me in London to get their cash but then they go off to Shropshire or Devon or wherever they're from to utilise their mates, their contacts and what's happening in their own backyard. They come up with incredible ideas from making samosas to holding relationship workshops - and some of them make a LOT of cash!"
How much cash are we talking?
Those who successfully double their money and remain in the competition until the end, stand to win the princely sum of £20,000...
"But if they make more, they take more - and some of our pairs DO make a lot more," reveals Sue. "In just a matter of months, they've gone from that initial stake of £250 to an extraordinary sum of money. I get quite tearful because I love them and I'm invested in them becoming happy and successful."
Why do you think the show will resonate with viewers?
With the nation in the grip of a cost of living crisis, Sue reckons there's no better moment to launch a show that could inspire viewers to double their money...
"It’s a very timely show; everyone's struggling and everything is uncertain. So to see the grit, enthusiasm and dynamism of these duos has been like a shot in the arm for me, actually," says Sue who, while undeniably impressed by the entrepreneurial spirit on display, intends to stay in her comfort zone of comedy.
"On this show, I sit on the sidelines and make silly jokes. As a comedian, my job is about being the chameleon and shape-shifting to try and please people. But, running a business, you must have a strong idea of what you want and push that through."
Did Sue herself learn anything from the participants about business, like haggling?
Not a bean, it seems. "No, I'm terrible at all that,' she says. "I'm the child of a car salesman, so it’s in my DNA but I just don't have the patter. I’d be like this: ‘I'm selling these tacos for a fiver’. Someone will offer me £3 and I’ll say: ‘They’re yours for £2.50!’"
Is there a trailer for Double the Money?
Not yet, but if one is released we will add it to this guide.
Double The Money starts on Thursday, May 9 at 8pm, continuing Friday at 8pm on Channel 4.
