SBS reveals the next eight celebrities taking part in Australia’s Celebrity Mastermind
SBS has named the next eight celebrities who will compete for the title of Australia’s Celebrity Mastermind in February.
The announcement:
SBS announces the final eight celebrities competing for the title of Australia’s Celebrity Mastermind
Celebrity Mastermind Australia 2020
SBS is thrilled to reveal the remaining eight celebrities set to compete in Celebrity Mastermind, premiering 7:30pm on Saturday 15 February.
Comedian and radio & television star Merrick Watts, comedian, actor and singer Elaine Crombie, sports television presenter Lucy Zelic, broadcaster Myf Warhust, comedian and actor Nikki Osborne, satirist and presenter Mark Humphries, and comedians Tom Ballard and Joel Creasey will all battle it out for the winning title.
Specialty topics include The Siege of Tobruk, Bob Dylan, Pretty Woman, Dolly Parton, Will Ferrell films, Stephen Sondheim Musicals 1957-1987, Ben Folds and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
Each episode of Celebrity Mastermind will see one celebrity advance to the Grand Final. All winners will then compete at 7:30pm on Saturday 21 March for the prestigious title of Celebrity Mastermind.
The first eight celebrities already announced are legendary drag queen Courtney Act, journalist and author Jessica Rowe, cook and television host Adam Liaw, author and comedian Adam Spencer, journalist and personality Marc Fennell, comedian and writer Alex Lee, and comedians Sam Simmons and Nazeem Hussain.
Merrick Watts said: “I have always had an interest in War history, particularly because of my grandfather’s service in two world wars. I like the story of The Rats of Tobruk because their story is one not just of heroism and stoicism, it was their outwardly belligerent defiance to relinquish Tobruk to the Germans that to me encapsulates so much of the Australian spirit.”
Tom Ballard said: “Ben Folds’ music has been the soundtrack of my life since my early teens. I’ve listened to all his albums, seen him live a bunch of times and the first time I talked to him on the phone for Triple J he ate cashew nuts throughout the entire interview and it was awesome. Any question I get wrong about him will be humiliating.”
Joel Creasey said: “Not since J.K Rowling gave me an Order of Merlin over Twitter have I been this excited about Harry Potter. I can’t wait to sit in that iconic black chair and face the sensational Jennifer Byrne as she tests me on all things Half-Blood Prince. I’m also thrilled to compete against my Eurovision co-host Myf Warhurst, who is probably just as terrified as I am.”
Myf Warhurst said: “I’ve been a fan of singer, songwriter and absolute legend Dolly Parton since I was a kid. Initially I was obsessed with the big hair and rhinestones, but soon realised her extraordinary talent. Not only has Dolly sustained over 60 years in the music business, she’s a trailblazer for women in music and has a wicked sense of humour to boot. Anyone who comes up with something as funny as “it costs a lot of money to look this cheap” and “the higher the hair the closer to god” deserves all our attention.”
Lucy Zelic said: “Growing-up, I’ve always been a die-hard romantic and when I first watched Pretty Woman as a teenager, I loved it from start to finish. I loved the chemistry between Julia Roberts and Richard Gere. I admired Julia’s natural beauty and the fashion and particularly adored how their love was accidental. He was supposed to rescue her but, in the end, I truly believe she rescued him. Isn’t that beautiful?”
Audiences can brush up on even more general and not-so-general knowledge when the original, much-loved tournament quiz show Mastermind returns for its second season on SBS, premiering 6pm on Monday 24 February.
TV host, journalist and self-confessed quiz junkie Jennifer Byrne (ABC’s First Tuesday Book Club, 60 Minutes, Foreign Correspondent) will return to SBS as quizmaster for both series, questioning contenders for two tense minutes on their chosen specialist subject.
Mastermind will introduce a new batch of contestants when it returns weeknights from 24 February. The contenders will advance to a general knowledge round, and the person with the highest combined score for both rounds is declared the winner. Each Friday the weekly finals will see one person advance to the semi-finals and eventually compete against other winners at the end of the season for the prestigious title of Australia’s Mastermind.
Running for nearly 50 years in the UK, Mastermind is an addictive global phenomenon, originally inspired by creator Bill Wright’s experiences of being interrogated by the Gestapo during World War II, and captured on screen by the use of a spotlight, black chair and rapid-fire questioning.
Which Australian celebrity will be declared the winner? Find out when Celebrity Mastermind premieres 7:30pm Saturday 15 February on SBS.
Which Australian contender will reign supreme to become Australia’s 2020 Mastermind? Find out when Mastermind returns 6pm Monday 24 February. The series will air weeknights on SBS.
Both series will be available after broadcast on SBS On Demand. Mastermind is a BBC UK format and is produced for SBS by BBC Studios.
Source: SBS media release
topics
Elaine Crombie
Jennifer Byrne
Joel Creasey
Lucy Zelic
Mark Humphries
Mastermind
Merrick Watts
Myf Warhurst
Nikki Osborne
Tom Ballard
