Mastermind’s Clive Myrie admits joining series was ‘scarier than dodging bullets from Saddam Hussein’s army’

Mastermind’s new host Clive Myrie has admitted he found joining the iconic game show ‘scarier’ than ‘dodging bullets’ from Saddam Hussein’s army.

The veteran journalist will make his debut in the Mastermind hot seat as it returns tonight on BBC One, replacing John Humphrys who stepped down after 18 years. 

Clive, 56, is no stranger to intense situations thanks to his lengthy journalism career but even he’s admitted the fear which Mastermind invokes is on another level. 

Speaking on Good Morning Britain about filming the first episode, Clive said: ‘The thing about this studio it’s light, it’s bright, it’s like being out in the fresh air, it’s wonderful. 

‘You walk into the Mastermind studio and it is dark, it is black. You’ve got the four contenders on that side, you walk in and I sit down, and I’m like, “I’m presenting Mastermind, I don’t believe this. It’s absolutely bizarre”.’ 

He continued: ‘ Then you see the chair across the way and the music starts up and it’s like, boom! I genuinely was shaking for the first one.’ 

Presenter Ranvir Singh noted Clive’s career accomplishments, stating: ‘You’ve been around the world reporting on so many things.’ 

Clive Myrie will make his debut on Mastermind tonight (Picture: PA)

He then replied: ‘Listen, I’ll be dodging bullets from Saddam Hussein’s army and all kinds of stuff but that was scary. Sitting in that studio, it really was.’ 

Clive will be the fifth host of the programme, which marks its 50th anniversary next year.

The TV star recently revealed how he’s bracing himself for ‘abuse’ from trolls who may be unhappy that a Black person is fronting the staple series. 

Speaking to PA earlier this month, Clive said: ‘It could well be that I end up getting more abuse, I suppose, as a result of Mastermind.

‘I got very little after the announcement, actually. Everything was positive, absolutely everything. This is not something that happens every day. Every now and again someone will send an email or send a letter or a card or whatever, making their racist views known.

‘By and large, my days of getting angry are over. I’m way too long in the tooth for that – or getting upset, rather.

More: BBC

‘Now, I just have nothing but pity for these people, that they can be so energised and exercised by the fact that someone might have a little bit more melanin in their skin than they do, that that somehow forces them to be abusive or horrible or whatever.’ 

Good Morning Britain airs weekdays at 6am on ITV.

Mastermind returns tonight at 7.30pm on Monday August 23 on BBC Two and iPlayer.

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