John Bishop to host huge new BBC entertainment show
John Bishop was today announced as host of Wisdom of the Crowd, a brand-new quiz entertainment series from the team behind The 1% Club, is heading to BBC One and iPlayer. Hosted by the comedy favourite in his much-anticipated return to Saturday nights on the BBC, the show challenges contestants to outsmart the collective knowledge of the crowd.
The idea for the format comes from a real-life scientific breakthrough by Francis Galton over a century ago. At a country fair, Galton observed a competition to guess the weight of an ox. More than 800 people took part, and when he calculated the average of all their guesses, he found it was not only highly accurate—it was more precise than any individual attempt.
This discovery, which Galton named Wisdom of the Crowd, went on to shape thinking in politics, economics and philosophy. Now, that same principle is being put to the test in a whole new way—on a primetime, big-money BBC One quiz show.
Each episode will see solo contestants go head-to-head against the collective intelligence of the audience. Will the science prove correct, with the crowd dominating and sharing the winnings, or will a bold player manage to beat Wisdom of the Crowd and take the jackpot for themselves?
John Bishop says: "I'm delighted to be back on the BBC on Saturday nights to host Wisdom of the Crowd. This big new entertainment format gives an interesting take on group dynamics - not only testing what the individual contestants know, but also testing what the crowd knows (or what they think they know!) I can’t wait for audiences to see it."
Kalpna Patel-Knight, Head of Entertainment Commissioning for the BBC, says: “We’re delighted that John Bishop is back on the BBC; his quick wit and natural charm make him the perfect host for this fascinating new entertainment quiz show. Wisdom of the Crowd is the perfect game for viewers to play along with at home, and if you like The 1% Club, then you’re in for a treat!”
Filming will take place at MediaCity in Salford, with transmission details to follow.