Amanda Holden’s brand-new Saturday night quiz, which airs before Strictly Come Dancing, is packed with strategy and surprises.

Amanda Holden is hosting a brand new BBC quiz show, The Inner Circle (Image: BBC)

Richard Osman has slammed Amanda Holden’s brand-new BBC quiz show, The Inner Circle. Speaking on his podcast, The Rest is Entertainment, the celebrated author discussed how Saturday night quiz shows have been struggling lately. He mentioned that in recent years, the top show on Saturday night TV has always been Strictly Come Dancing during the autumn and winter months. Richard then spoke about The Inner Circle, which has a regular show on weekdays and a celebrity version on weekends before Strictly airs. Co-host Marina Hyde had her say on the show, where she said: “The whole thing is completely pointless for this one final decision,” to which Richard said: “Yes – you’ve got this endgame – which is split or shaft. If either decides to steal or decides to split, it’s so neat we’ve used it a number of times, such as Golden Balls.”

He continued: “It’s a very traditional endgame. No one sets out to make a bad show. It’s unacceptable to use it on a show where there is little money. You have to accept that it is quite divisive. This is not that show. Amanda Holden is so likeable. You cannot do a warm show that has a split or steal ending. The maximum you can win is £9,000.

Richard is famed for writing The Thursday Murder Club (Image: Getty)

“They don’t know how much money each other has got. There is no strategy you can use in this show. You can lie – but not really. This is made by good people. But for this to be the end of a two-year process to find something new […] it seems to be a wasted opportunity, and I am absolutely certain everyone tried their best. You are not going to grow Saturday night television.”

During the show, six players are each randomly assigned a secret stash of cash, anything between zero and a whopping £4,000 for daytime and £5,000 for the Saturday night show, where each of the six contestants is paired up with a celebrity guest to help win the cash.

Each player only knows their own value, with no obligation to tell the truth, as they are thrown into a battle of wits, nerves, and strategic gameplay across a series of challenging rounds.

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Each round brings tense showdowns, with the winner earning immunity and a game-changing power, before the group votes to cast a player out of the game.

Only two will make it to the dramatic final, where they face the ultimate showdown: split or shaft. Do they choose to split their combined prize money, or will one player attempt to take it all, leaving the other with nothing?

Richard also highlighted during the episode of his podcast that the only other quiz show to have “worked recently” on Saturday night television is The 1% Club, hosted by comedian Lee Mack.