‘Eggheads’ was ‘tricky’ for BBC due to age of audience, says Jeremy Vine

Jeremy Vine says Eggheads was ‘tricky’ for the BBC. (Getty)

Jeremy Vine has said Eggheads was “tricky” for the BBC because of its older viewership.

It comes as it was announced earlier this month that the quiz show, which began in 2003, would be moving from BBC Two to Channel 5 with the BBC saying it had to make “difficult decisions in order to grow new shows”.

Vine told the Radio Times: “The good old BBC are very aware that they need to innovate constantly and bring on a younger audience.

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“If you’re a successful show – which Eggheads is with over 2,000 editions – you’re always going to be vulnerable to somebody saying, ‘I think we can find something better’.

“It’s difficult being the BBC. The thing that made Eggheads tricky for them was that research showed that it had the oldest audience on British television.

“I think that plays to our favour. The older viewer is so loyal. When I ring my mum, if Eggheads is on, she’ll tell me off and hang up.”

The presenter has hosted the programme since 2008 and it has previously been fronted by Dermot Murnaghan.

Vine shared news of the show’s move on his own Channel 5 programme, Jeremy Vine on 5, where he described Eggheads as “one of the greatest quizzes in the history of British TV”.

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One of the show’s titular “eggheads” Judith Keppel also appeared to speak of her excitement as she said: “I’m thrilled to bits, I can’t tell you how lovely it will be to have something to do at last.”

With additional reporting by PA.

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