Clive Myrie: who is the new Mastermind host taking over from John Humphrys - and how to watch?

John Humphrys has hosted the popular quiz show Mastermind since 2003, however the Welsh presenter announced in February 2021 that he would be leaving the show later in the year.

The time has come for Humphrys to step down from the quizzer position, and fellow BBC journalist Clive Myrie has been named as his replacement.

This is everything you need to know.

Who is Clive Myrie?

Myrie is a British journalist, newsreader and presenter who joined the BBC in 1987 as a trainee local radio reporter.

In 1996, Myrie became a BBC foreign correspondent, and has reported from more than 80 countries across the world.

He has covered some of the biggest stories over the years, including the impeachment of US President Bill Clinton, the Rohingya refugee crisis, the Kathmandu earthquake and when the ETA declared a unilateral ceasefire in 2010.

Myrie has been nominated for a number of awards for his journalistic work, including for his role in the Bafta nominated BBC team covering the Mozambique floods in 2000.

He was also awarded the Bayeux-Calvados Award for war correspondents for his reporting of the violence in Borneo.

In 2021, Myrie was named both Television Journalist of the Year and Network Presenter of the Year by the RTS Television Journalism Awards.

What has he said about becoming the new host of Mastermind?

In an interview with The Times, Myrie said: “Mastermind is a glass bowl that you don’t want to be dropping, but it’s also an opportunity to show there’s another side to me - that I’m not all doom and gloom, wars and famine.”

He added that he thinks that Mastermind is “television’s toughest quiz” because contestants have to work against the clock, whereas “you can take your sweet time on other quiz shows”.

Over the course of his career in the public eye, Myrie has faced racist abuse and death threats - something that he thinks could happen again as he takes over Mastermind.

Speaking to PA News Agency, he 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.

“And you know, 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. 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.

“So, I have nothing but pity for these people. Surely there are more important things in life than taking the time to send an email or to send a letter.”

When is Mastermind on?

Myrie’s debut as host of the quiz show will air at 7:30pm tonight (Monday 23 August) on BBC Two.

The programme will also be available on the BBC iPlayer for those who might miss out on the initial broadcast.

What is Mastermind?

Mastermind is a British television quiz show, which see’s contestants choose their specialist subject, and face answering harder and harder questions as the clock ticks down.

In the first round, contestants are usually given a set length of time, usually two minutes, to answer questions about their chosen subject. The contestants then score one point for each correct answer, and are able to pass on as many questions as they want.

If the time runs out whilst the question is being read, the quizzer will finish it and the contestant then has a few seconds to answer. This explains the show’s famous catchphrase: “I’ve started so I’ll finish.”

In the second round, each contestant must answer a series of general knowledge questions, and the winner is the one who has gained the most points after the two rounds.

The winners then advance on to the next round, where they must choose a new specialised subject. The winner of the final is then declared a “Mastermind” for that year, and will be awarded the coveted cut glass engraved bowl.

The show first aired on BBC1 in 1972, and ran until 1997. At the time, it was presented by Magnus Magnusson.

It was then picked up by BBC Radio 4 and ran from 1998 to 2000, and was hosted by Peter Snow.

Next it was moved over to the Discovery Channel, where it was hosted by Clive Anderson from 2001 to 2002.

Finally, in 2003, a new BBC Two version of the show was premiered, hosted by John Humphrys, who presented the show until 2021.

Myrie is the fifth ever host of the quiz show.

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