Paul Sinha’s TV Showdown: when is new series presented by the Sinnerman from The Chase on TV tonight?

Paul Sinha is more used to answering questions than asking them – he’s best known for being one of the resident quiz experts on The Chase.

But the first series of his TV-themed panel show TV Showdown proved that Sinha is also great at putting celebrities to the test as he finds out how much they really know about the small screen.

So, he’s back for a new series, along with regular team captains Fay Ripley and Rob Beckett.

They’re joined in the first episode by guests Katherine Ryan, Denise Lewis, Gregg Wallace, and Big Zuu, who will be hoping to prove that they have been paying attention to the small screen – even the shows they don’t appear on.

Here is everything you need to know about it.

How does TV Showdown work?

Each week, regular team captains Fay Ripley and Rob Beckett will go head-to-head with their respective teams.

The questions span the decades, drawing on much-loved shows and adverts from the past, as well as more up-to-date hits.

The opening round sees contestants answering questions based on a clip, while in the second round, a celebrity guest will arrive to give them a set of clues to the identity of a mystery TV star.

In round three, team members get a chance to pick a category, while the show concludes with each panellist put under pressure with their own set of questions in a quick-fire Q&A round.

Then it’s time for Paul to announce the winner.

Who is Paul Sinha?

The Sinnerman, as he’s affectionately known on The Chase, began performing while he was working as a junior doctor – he’s since claimed to be Britain’s first gay Anglo-Bengali GP turned stand-up comedian.

He also had a side-line in competing on TV quizzes (he’s been on The Weakest Link, Mastermind, University Challenge: The Professionals and Are You an Egghead?) before turning professional with The Chase in 2011.

Paul has since found ways to combine two careers.

He’s said that the quiz show has brought him to a new audience – he sold out venues in New Zealand, where The Chase is shown every teatime.

He does admit he was initially surprised when the crowds at his UK shows suddenly started getting older, but he’s now embraced it.

He told The Guardian: “I’ve lost my anxiety about that. If you’ve bought a ticket to see me perform, you’re heroes in my book. You’re better than the people who didn’t buy tickets.”

Paul has also suggested that being diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in 2019 has affected his attitude towards audiences.

Speaking to The Guardian, he said: “The thing that has changed most since the diagnosis is that I’ve lost my fear.

“I’ve always been one of those comics who doesn’t say much on panel shows because I’m terrified of saying the wrong thing or offending the wrong person. But now, I’ve lost all that. I’ve got the exaggerated carpe diem that a lot of people get with their diagnosis.”

So, he might not hold back on TV Showdown as he finds out whether the nation’s celebrities watch shows they aren’t on.

When can I watch it?

The first episode of the new series of Paul Sinha's TV Showdown will be broadcast on Saturday19 February at 9.40pm on ITV.

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