Bradley Walsh has announced he will not be hosting the popular gameshow Blankety Blank this year.
The presenter and actor attributed his departure to scheduling conflicts, saying: “I just don’t have the time.”
The beloved programme, which challenges contestants to match fill-in-the-blank answers, saw its latest revival in 2020 with Walsh at the helm.
Blankety Blank originally graced BBC screens from 1979 to 1990 and has since undergone numerous reboots.
Speaking to Radio Times, the 66-year-old broadcaster expressed his fondness for the show, admitting it is “one of my favourite shows,” but confirmed he cannot return for its fourth series, set to begin filming later this year.
Walsh said: “The thing is we’re just doing Gladiators. I get a week off and then I go to rehearsals for the live Prat Pack show.
“I take The Prat Pack back on the road for a month, and then I would normally go straight into Blankety Blank.
“But at the moment, what I’m going to do is I’ve got other stuff which I can’t announce (yet).
“We’re working on a couple of dramas and scripting, and I actually physically do not have the time.”
“I would normally go to studio October, but I’m all taken up in October and November, so I just haven’t time to do it. Maybe next year,” he added.
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The broadcaster and actor currently hosts programmes including The Chase, its international spin-off The Chase Around The World, and Gladiators, presenting the latter with his son Barney Walsh.
He also has an upcoming tour with comedy group The Prat Pack – alongside fellow stars Brian Conley, Shane Richie, and Joe Pasquale.
Walsh told the weekly magazine: “(It) is sad because I’ve loved Blankety Blank. It’s been one of my favourite shows, and it’s been brilliant.”
“It really makes me laugh. It’s the most fun you can have in the studio, and I just cannot at the moment work on it,” he added.
Walsh, who rose to fame as a stand-up comedian, and has also worked as an actor – featuring in shows such as Coronation Street, Doctor Who and Law & Order: UK.
He has presented many gameshows across his decades-long career such as Wheel Of Fortune, and more recently Odd One In, Cash Trapped, and Keep It In The Family.
Blankety Blank first aired in 1979 with Terry Wogan as the original host, and was later taken over by comedian and actor Les Dawson from 1984 until 1990.
The show was first rebooted in 1997 with the late Paul O’Grady at the helm as his drag alter ego, Lily Savage, and ran until 2002.
