Sue Perkins to Co-Host New Sky 1 Spelling Show

LONDON: Sue Perkins, Joe Lycett and Moira Stuart have been lined up to present The Big Spell (previously Spelling Star), a new family-entertainment series that aims to find the best young speller in the U.K. and Ireland.

The Big Spell will look on as 20 contestants between the ages of 9 and 13 compete in a variety of challenges focused on spelling, words and meanings. The eight-part show is being produced by Endemol Shine Group’s Remarkable Television (Deal or No Deal, The Million Pound Drop). It is based on a format that was originally created by Endemol Shine Australia.

Perkins commented: “I love being intellectually owned by 8-year-olds, so this is the perfect show for me.”

Richard Ackerman, commissioning editor at Sky, added: “We absolutely love this show; it’s full of nail-biting tension and tremendous warmth. Furthermore, the show has taught me two things. Firstly, the old adage isn’t true—you can work with children and these kids are extraordinarily talented and fantastically charming. The second thing I learned is that my own spelling is awful.”