Let’s start this one by giving credit to the 12 brave celebrities who were willing to take on the challenge of not being crowned the Nation’s Dumbest in the only game show where winning is the last thing anyone wants.
“My first relief when they called me about it was that they wanted me to be the host, and not a contestant,” laughs comic Jack Whitehall (The ‘Burbs, Malice). “I’ve hosted a few shows before and I’ve genuinely never been on anything where anyone’s wanted to get off it more. In the first couple of shows, it was all pretty fun and jovial, and I think everyone expected they’d get off it pretty quickly, but by the final couple of shows these last few contestants were sort of trapped because they couldn’t win a final exam and they couldn’t get graduated.”
Whitehall, who teases the ending will be somewhat shocking, compared it to a hostage situation. “They were so desperate to leave. It made for great television. … You get to watch all of the contestants gradually lose their minds, and a lot of people who [probably] really regretted the decision to sign up for it. It’s quite marvelous.”
In addition to his English smugness, Whitehall also provided the emotional support when frustrations bubbled over. Here he shares more on the competition.
Brendan Meadows/ FOX
The Contestants: Hilaria Baldwin (TV personality), Carmen Electra (Baywatch), Anthony Michael Hall (The Breakfast Club), Jon Heder (Napoleon Dynamite), Chase Hudson (“Huddy,” singer), Ice-T (rapper/actor), Elle King (singer), Matt Leinart (NFL quarterback), Dr. Drew Pinsky (TV personality), JoJo Siwa (Dance Moms), Steve-O (Jackass), and Andrew Yang (former presidential candidate)
The Challenges: There are quiz elements, logic tests, crazy physical challenges, a high-stakes spelling bee and more. “It’s got quite a lot of scale to it,” Whitehall says. “I have to be all judgmental and pretend like I knew the solution to all of these things when in actuality, I think I would have probably failed miserably at quite a lot of them, and indeed some of the trivia as well. I’m the sort of smug English host that’s acting all aloof.”
Frontrunners (Before the Game Started): Andrew Yang and Dr. Drew. “The stakes were so much higher for them … they might lose quite a lot of face and reputational damage” if certain people would beat them.
Biggest Surprises: “There were a few people I think that really surprised themselves and will surprise the audience. It’s a bit of a lottery as we do many booby traps along the way, so a few people were very unlucky to remain on the show for as long as they did, and a couple kind of just had a good day and managed to get off nice and early by the skin of their teeth.”
Teacher’s Pet: Matt Leinart. “I think I was trying to suck up to him because he was the cool jock, and I wanted to be his friend. … JoJo Siwa as well. She has an amazing sort of energy and attitude.”
Best Reminder: Ice-T reminded everyone that they were getting paid handsomely to participate.
Nation’s Dumbest, Series Premiere, Wednesday, July 15, 9/8c, Fox