'Silence Is Golden' is a ratings disaster for U&Dave

Dermot O'Leary's brand new comedy gameshow attracts just 50,000 viewers.

‘Silence Is Golden’, the new comedy game-show from newly rebranded U&Dave is a ratings disaster, attracting just 50,000 viewers to the first episode.

To give some context, the universally hated ‘Genius Game’ on ITV1 even managed to secure 1.5million.

The premise to the show is simple, and should be entertaining. At the start of each episode, the network gives £250,000 to the studio audience and all they need to do to keep it...is remain silent. With every audience member mic'ed up, a green room of 30 acts, led by three returning comedian captains, headed up by Katherine Ryan, wage war on the audience, with every sound forced out of them bringing the total prize money down. It's entertainers vs audience - they're not on the same side. If the entertainers get the prize pot to zero, they get to give money to charity.

Host Dermot O’Leary 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. 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".

Critics didn’t warm to the show, which they say is too similar to Prime Video’s Last One Laughing. The iPaper called it “embarrassingly unfunny”.

The programme was way down on the channel’s average for the 9pm Monday night slot and bosses at UKTV will be hoping more viewers get on board by streaming it on demand.

As it stands though, it looks like it’s the Producers who will be greeted with silence if they ask for a second series.