The Finish Line – Roman Kemp and Sarah Greene tease “nail-biting, hilarious and actually tear-jerking” quiz show

The Finish Line – due to air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer this summer – sees contestants compete in quiz-fuelled races across a unique racetrack set. Knowledge equals speed in this exciting, fresh format from Potato. The more you know, the further you go.

In each episode, five contestants battle across a series of qualifiers and head-to-head races for the chance to win a cash prize. The aim of the game is simple – make it to the finish line before your rivals.

The Finish Line has been commissioned for BBC One Daytime and iPlayer by Commissioning Editor, Alex McLeod with 25 episodes and is produced with funding from Northern Ireland Screen by Potato, in partnership with Nice One Productions. The executive producers are Potato’s Michael Kelpie and Adam Adler, and Nice One’s Chris Jones.

Potato@premiercomms.com

Q&A with Roman Kemp

What’s the premise of The Finish Line?

So, it’s a race, essentially – a race to that finish line. It couldn’t be more simple than that.

Each contestant has to go through a qualifying round, pretty similar to a qualifying lap that they would do in F1. When they do this it’ll either put them into lane one, two, three, four, or five. And that means they’ll either receive the first or the last question.

Now, get that question right, and your podium starts moving and you’re on your way to the finish line. But the second you get a question wrong and your podium will stop. And at that point you’re going to hope that the next person gets their question wrong so that their podium stops, and your turn comes round quicker. So, it’s a race of knowledge, but with some serious pace, and if you can’t keep up, then you’re out.

Do you have to be a bit of a quiz boffin to take part?

Do you know what? No.

It’s interesting, because sometimes the quiz can fall in your favour, like naming popstars, actors or sports stars. I think the great thing about The Finish Line is that this isn’t like University Challenge, these are all questions that you are likely to know, but can you answer them within the time limit? That’s the tricky thing.

How did you feel when you got the call to host the show?

Yeah, it was something that the guys at ITV Studios, Potato, had been developing for a while. It’s been really nice because I really felt like I’ve seen the beginning of this show, in its real early kind of development with the guys. And I just knew early on it was something I wanted to do. I went back to my agent, and I said, “This is the one that fits.”

There’s been iconic quiz masters over the years like Chris Tarrant, Anne Robinson and Bruce Forsyth, were you nervous to step into that arena?

Yes and no. I think Chris Tarrant [I was nervous to step into the shoes of], who got his fame through doing quizzes on the radio and things like that.

On the radio show I do Mega-Hard Super Quiz, and that’s a five-minute bit of escapism for everyone listening. And it’s a show-off to your mate down the pub. “Oh, I’ve got every single question right.” “Oh, I would’ve won the money.” People that come on, they’re the ones that try to put their brain where their mouth is, obviously!

When it comes to competition, especially with members of the general public and when it’s for money that really could help someone, it’s so important to be able to capture that. It’s just so much fun.

Did you get any advice from anyone from the quiz world before filming?

You know what, not really. I think it’s just from years of playing with friends and family. And also lockdown was amazing for me being able to practice because all my mates would always make me do all the pub quizzes and host all the events. So, I think I was hosting about four quizzes a week at one point, it was a good training ground!

But no, I’ve always been someone that would much rather be in control of the mechanics and watch someone make their way to victory. I like that. And look, I’m there to help contestants get there.

That’s a skill in itself because the race depends on how quickly you can read the questions…

Oh my god, I’m terrified that when I took on the show, it’s not the people or the quiz that I was afraid of, it’s how they’re relying on me getting the questions out so quickly. I honestly think with this quiz show we might just break a world record for the number of questions there are in one episode. Oh my god, it’s unbelievable! Throughout the series, I think we did over 4,000 questions. And so, there was big pressure there.

I remember I shot the first episode, the first day of filming, and I was just like, “I can’t do this.” I’d made a couple of mistakes. My head was really, really down. It’s the first time I’ve really doubted myself in a long time. I remember calling my mum and being like, “I’m really scared. I don’t know if I can do this.” That first day of filming I went to bed at seven o’clock that night because I just wanted it to be the next day so I could go up there and prove myself. And, you know what, as soon as you get that rhythm, you’re in.

What’s Sarah’s role in the show?

To be honest, Sarah is my eyes and ears. Sarah has such a key role, because I’m going through so many things so quickly and I’m running the race for people. Sarah gets to watch. She’s almost like the commentator that I go to at the end and say, “Sarah, tell me, what just happened there?” She goes through it and she kind of provides that lovely bit of motivation, because our contestants get to look at a lovely face as they reach towards that finish line… Like the mum there just cheering them on!

Had you met before this?

I’d never met her before, but I was aware of her prestige and fame. Everyone that I’ve told that I’m doing a show with Sarah, have all gone, “Oh my god, no way.” I go to Sarah all the time for advice. She’s been there and she’s done it, and I have such huge respect for her. She was basically like my mum on set. If I had felt like I wasn’t doing well enough or anything, she’d be there going, “Come on darling, you’re doing so great, you’re doing so great.”

Did you do anything before filming to get that bond, or did it just happen naturally?

Yeah, we went for a meal, but trying to get Sarah to leave is the problem! She just loves chatting! When a breakfast radio DJ tells you that they’ve met someone that chats more than them, you know there’s an issue!

Are you any good at quizzes?

I’m always in the middle, neither here nor there. I think I’d be rubbish if I went on a TV quiz though, because I’m bad under pressure. The people that are good at this game are the people that are able to answer quickly under pressure.

My kind of introduction to the world of quizzing was with my nan when I was growing up watching The Weakest Link with her. I always used to be fascinated by the show. And, genuinely, I used to watch her sit there twiddling her thumbs, answering and reeling off each question, it was unbelievable! But those genes didn’t get passed down, unfortunately!

Are you competitive when it comes to quizzes in the Kemp house?

I don’t know if we are. But I think we love creating stuff, do you know what I mean? My family will be like, “Oh yes, Roman, you read the quiz, I’ll do the music for the quiz, Harley will film it.” My dad’s the contestant. That’s kind of what it’s like.

But definitely with me amongst my friend group we’re very, very competitive!

Did it get competitive between the contestants?

Yeah, massively! You see the change in their attitude. Especially when it starts whittling down until there’s only one person allowed on the track playing for the money. And when it gets to that head-to-head, where they’ve beaten off all their other opponents, there’s only two of them left there. There’s some real kind of… I guess ‘housery’ is the word!

You see people trying to figure out the best way to play the game. But really, the best way to play the game is by answering as quickly as you can, it’s as simple as that. That was one of my favourite bits, watching people try and see if they could figure out a shortcut way of getting to the finish line, and there’s not.

Were there any nail-biting finishes?

Every single episode! That’s the part of this show that I implore someone to watch it, because you cannot sit still. It’s impossible to watch without either shouting out loud and cheering or just burying your head in sadness at the person missing out. I honestly think that I’ve seen more than five people miss out on the prize money by about five centimetres. And that’s not an exaggeration!

There are some really amazing winners in there but also some really sad losses, too. You really want them to win but when they don’t quite get there, you’re gutted for them at the end – but that’s the game.

Have you had any funny moments during filming where you’re like, “I can’t believe that just happened!”

Sarah Greene loves an innuendo. And there’s no limit to how dirty that innuendo is! I don’t know if it’s intentional or unintentional, but my word! People thought I would be the one for that. She’s the best. And she was referred to as Her Majesty the whole time. It was lovely.

In one episode a contestant proposes to her…

Let me tell you, there are lots of blokes that proposed to Sarah throughout the show!

It wasn’t just marriage offers; you offered your dad up as a wedding DJ?

Oh yeah. Well, he needs the money. Do you know what I mean?! We had a contestant that wanted an Elvis impersonator at her wedding, but she didn’t win the money and she missed out. And so, I offered up dad for 50 quid. And if she wants to get in touch with my dad, then yeah, go for it!

Quiz shows often go viral when contestants get the answers very wrong, were there any funny gaffs during filming?

Oh my God, yes! Unfortunately, we’ve also just basically given It’ll Be Alright On The Night their next series!

I think my favourite one from the series is, “What is the first consonant in the English alphabet?” And the answer being said was ‘Antarctica’. Or, “In the nursery rhyme, who fell off the wall?” And the answer gave was ‘Little Bo Peep’.

It just shows what happens to your brain under pressure though. That’s why it’s brilliant! That’s where it becomes hard, trying not to laugh at people’s failure is really hard sometimes!

Did you put your foot in it in any way?

Me? Oh my God, so many times! Do you know what it is? Its pronunciation as well at pace is difficult. I’m human, you know what I mean? I’m not a robot!

What were the sort of things that people wanted the prize money for?

Oh, there were lots of lovely things. I never really wanted people to just save it.

So, there were a lot of dream holidays that we have on the agenda, and one bloke is on there trying to win his wife’s dream wedding dress. I mean it’s almost like the husband has been sent on just to get the dress! That’s a lot of pressure. Then we had one guy whose dad had passed away and had given him a car and he’s trying to renovate it.

Would you like to do a celebrity version and who would you want on?

Oh my God, 100%!

I’d have to get my dad on. I wouldn’t be able to stop laughing. I’d like to get all the other quiz show hosts on. As many hosts as I can get. Let’s see if they can cut it under the pressure, and they get a next series if they win!

How does it feel hosting this kind of show compared to the radio?

BBC has shown such massive faith in me, putting me on telly. I’m so grateful to them for giving me the opportunity.

I think with this I’m with people every day who welcome me at teatime into their home. It’s a massive moment in my career and it’s one that I’m so grateful to be able to do and one that I really hope that I can provide some form of entertainment for people.

How would you sum up the show in three words?

Fast, furious, brains!

Q&A with Sarah Greene

How would you describe the format of The Finish Line?

I’d say it’s deceptively difficult! It’s got three qualifying rounds: three races, a head-to-head and a final. And if you are the person in the final and you beat the track, you win £5,000. That’s it in a nutshell. But of course, within all of that, there are all sorts of subtleties.

Essentially, I think that your success as a contestant is going to be how well you respond to the studio atmosphere and whether or not you can go ahead and completely enjoy it, which is my hope for people, because if they enjoy it, they relax, and they will be able to respond to the questions quickly.

So, being able to think under pressure is key?

Yes, because it’s all about time. And what was fascinating for me was that extraordinary thing that you see people do, who are in jobs or sports, where it’s all about speed. What they almost appear to do in the way they move is slow everything down, strangely. Almost slow time down so that they’re relaxed. But actually, they’re answering things more quickly, or driving a race more quickly, or hitting that shot in tennis more quickly than their opponents. It’s a very curious skill.

But I did notice that the people who we thought were definitely going to do well in this because they’re so motivated, they’re so on it, so sharp, they’re quite aggressive in their approach; in fact, it would be the person who almost came in from under the radar that sometimes shone through, the person who appeared to be enjoying themselves. I think the ones who appeared to be enjoying it the most coped better under pressure.

Do you have to be a quiz boffin to be able to take part?

I think there’s a measure of that which helps, certainly. And the whole world of quizzes really is huge. And it’s grown a lot I think over, probably, the past 10 or so years with the success of various quiz shows on TV and on radio. I think during lockdown, everybody’s quiz knowledge was tested.

Well, I don’t know about your family, but we were hooking up with friends and family in different parts of the country to have quizzes on Zoom. So everyone started swotting up on their quiz knowledge. I think that certainly shows. Having said all that, of course, it still comes down to whether or not you happen to know that question. Yes, your quiz knowledge is going to help you, but it could be that it’s something that you’ve never heard before because our question-setters are second to none!

You’ve done so much in your career, what is it you’re looking for when you consider new projects to take on?

I have worked in practically every single genre of television except for sport and religion! And I’m saying never say never. But let me tell you, both my religious knowledge and my sport knowledge grew immensely on this particular programme, especially the sport side of things. But I hadn’t done, as they call it, a quiz show before. And so, this was the ideal thing.

I’d been on the other side, on the answering side and I’d had an absolute ball. It was terrifying being on The Chase. Absolutely terrifying. But I had loved the whole atmosphere of the studio because Bradley made it like a party. I loved being on Richard Osman’s House of Games, a touch more difficult and a lot harder work because you’re recording a whole week’s worth of stuff in one day and your brain is absolutely bursting by the end of it, and you’re up against some very sharp people, because no group of people on this planet are sharper at this type of a show than stand-up comedians. They are so fast, especially on the buzzer, even if they don’t know the answer!

So I think that really whetted my appetite. And so when I was asked if I would like to be on this show, and I looked at the pedigree of it – you’ve got the man who invented The Cube, is the person who invented the format; and the company who is behind The Chase, is one of the companies behind this – I thought, “Well, we’ve got to have a look at this.” And when I saw the most basic description of the format I just thought, “This is addictive, I want to know more about this.” And so I was sold on it. I was absolutely thrilled to bits. And Roman, of course, was the other icing on the cake.

How would you describe your role on the show?

Well, I think I am a cross between the Richard Osman role and someone who constantly takes the of mickey out of Roman and just gently keeps him in his place! Having said all that, he did exactly the same to me, which is why I think I enjoyed it so much. I think in this particular role, it’s quite fun because I’m very much across the timing of it all. I’m very much about the scores. And it’s not just doing the housekeeping, and there’s nothing wrong with that, someone has to do the housekeeping on a show like this, but actually, it’s more than that. It’s talking about the timings, how close people are, what lane they’ll be in and what that means to the game.

The only reason why I’m really comfortable talking about hundredths and sometimes thousandths of a second, is my history of motor racing. Mike introduced me to the whole world of motor racing all those years ago. He said, “I want you to get involved, but you’re going to have to get involved and actually work. Please don’t think you’re there to make teas and coffees for people.” And I said, “Well, no, I wouldn’t be there just to make teas and coffees for people. I have always wanted to stand with a stopwatch.” And it did depend on hundredths of a second.

Nowadays, of course, it’s all completely electronic and they’ve all got it in their cars and you can see. But I do test myself still with my beloveds. My other half is also a racing driver. His son is now driving. And my other half and Mike had their own racing team. So we’ve all known each other for hundreds of years. And it just made me smile that there was so many links to everything else in my life on this show.

Had you and Roman met before?

I feel as though I’ve met him because I work with his parents. So, I said, “I am your honorary godmother. You do know that, don’t you?” Added to which, I have lots of godchildren, and one of the eldest is one of the regular characters in a BBC series called The Next Step and he is exactly the same age as Roman. You could put their picture side by side, Myles Dobson, Roman Kemp…it was like having Myles in the room with me. And Roman didn’t mind me saying this to him, I said, “I’m sorry, I’m a bit freaked out because you look so much like my godson.” He said, “No. Well, I’ll be your honorary godson.” I said, “Yeah, if you wouldn’t mind? I think that could work very well.”

He’s Londoner through and through, there’s something about that vibe, I suppose, because I grew up in the Camden Towny area of London. There’s a certain approach, there’s certain ease with people, there’s a certain groove. And Roman’s really got that. And I’ve loved what he’s done on the radio. I’ve loved what I’ve seen him do on telly. He’s very good at live TV. He’s born for live TV. And this, although it’s not live, you have to treat it as such.

Did you two do anything to bond before filming?

Well, we met first of all, for coffee right next door to where Roman works for Capital Radio. Now, for me, there are all sorts of strange links here with my past. Because the man who I fell in love with on the radio, who became my husband a few years later, he was the youngest ever person to do Capital Radio Breakfast Show. And Roman is that person now. Anyone who can do that job well has my undying admiration.

People argue with me about this till they’re blue in the face, but I still stand here and say I think radio is much harder than telly, much harder. I think even Mike Smith would say that Roman Kemp makes a pretty good job of it. Of course, Mike was playing Roman’s mum and dad’s hits back then. So Roman and I met then and that was lovely. He was absolutely delightful and very charming.

Then, quite soon after that, I think the following week we met in the office and we did a full episode together, literally staggering through with contestants. And that was hilarious because straight away, he was just poking fun at me and I was poking fun at him. I thought, “God, I hope they don’t mind this because we are really enjoying it.”

Then I was looking at faces around the room, and they were beaming because I think that’s kind of what they hoped would happen. We just instantly clicked, you realise that you have a similar sense of humour and certain things make you both giggle, that’s the key to it really.

Roman has described you as a bit of a minx who loves an innuendo…

Oh, yes. Well, don’t we all? I’m just there being naughty on the sidelines, kind of trying to put him off and make him laugh. Absolutely! And I think also, people click into that too. And if they can join in with that, not just in the studio, but at home too, they feel part of that. It feels more inclusive then.

How competitive did it get between the contestants?

Oh, it did get very competitive. Well, they love each other because they’re all in the same boat, but there still is that look. Especially the first time they race, they’re looking to see where they are, how far ahead their podiums are in front of the next person. And you knew that when they hit that finish line at the end of each of the races, there was a “Yes!”, even though the question was going out at that moment. Because you could hit the finish line while somebody else is trying desperately to answer a question. And they’re trying to do it quietly and contain themselves.

But they’re absolutely thrilled to have got there, obviously, because it means they’re through to the next stage and they’re closer to the prize. But they did have these little war cries that they gave each other. The last two to survive, the last two to get through were in the round that were called the head-to-head. And they would offer little warnings, I think one of the funniest that I heard was it was a head-to-head with a teacher, and the teacher said something like, “I’ve dropped maths and now I’m going to drop you,” which is kind of hilarious, talk about British trash talk! It’s not exactly pulling the gloves off, but it’s probably the scariest thing that person had ever said to anyone else, “I’ve dropped maths and now I’m going to drop you!”

One gentleman won and then he proposed to you at the end, were there many guys that were flirting with you during filming?

Oh, gosh! Well, I suppose he was the most transparent. He was extraordinary, actually. Most of them didn’t think they had time to flirt. Cornelius was stylish because he made the time! Maybe I was choosing not to notice!

Were there many nail-biting moments?

Yes, there were nail-biting moments, literally, it can all turn on one question. Because all the races, as they go across the video floor, there’s literally a pixel or two sometimes under that floor between the podiums.

We’ve got lasers under the stage constantly measuring how close they are. I think that the closest race, someone left the show because they were literally two centimetres behind the person in front. This is just as precise as Hawkeye and VAR. It really is. And it has to be, because there is money riding on it and the pride of winning. It has to be right. It has to be absolutely right. And it was nail-biting. And sometimes we were waiting to find out who had won. The audience won’t have to do that, but we had to make sure the right person got it.

What can we expect style wise from you on this show?

I can’t believe you’re calling it style! I was really, really feeling my way. I’ll let you in on some secrets here.

So, neither Roman nor I had seen the set before arriving in Belfast. And when we arrived, we had to hit the ground running. There was no time to go out and say, “Okay, so the set is that shiny? Right, we need to get these kind of clothes.” Roman was going to keep things very simple and have two suits that he would alternate. And they said to me, “Well how about you having two tops that you could alternate?” I said, “No, that is really not going to work. I’m sorry guys!” And this goes back to how it mainly is blokes on quizzes. I said, “On social media people let me know straight away whether or not they like what I’ve been wearing on TV”.

Whether you like it or not or you think it’s important or not, it’s a visual medium and you have to feel comfortable, look comfortable, but also look as good as you can. You owe it to people to do that. And so I had no clue, essentially. I had no clue how casual it was going to be, how dressed-up it should be. He’s going to wear a suit, should I wear a suit? What should I do? So I bought a selection of shirts that I thought would look quite comfortable and relaxed, but not too comfortable and relaxed. And that’s what I did!

Were there any funny moments that had you giggling when a contestant gave the wrong answer?

Oh, gosh, there were quite a few! And under the pressure, in the heat of the moment, some of things that people say are brilliant!

There was one question, “What’s the first consonant in the alphabet?” This person went, “Antarctica.” And of course, they completely misheard it as continent. It was just the way he went, “Antarctica!” And everybody just fell on the floor laughing. But it’s those things that can happen, even to Roman, he thought a petticoat was a small coat! Which absolutely, you can understand. If you are someone who is in their early 30s you wouldn’t have known about petticoats. So you think “petty,” small, petite. “Coat,” it’s a little coat. He had no idea it was a skirt on the bottom half that flew straight out. Everyone took the mickey out of him mercilessly over that!

It sounds like you’ve had a lot of fun filming this show?

This reminded me of how much I love working in television. It really did. It had all the good things about TV. The production team were excellence bar none. And the crew, what was so wonderful was they absolutely loved, not just working on it, but watching the show. And that was my only problem, that I got so involved with what was going on, sometimes I forgot that I was actually on the telly. I was so sad when we’d finished recording. It was great fun.

So, are you going to be doing more TV work again?

Well, I would like to think so, I hope so. I’m watching this space really. Once this has started going out, there might be some things going on. And like I say, the things that I have said yes to are the things that I’ve always wanted to do, like Would I Lie To You. Always wanted to do that and loved doing that. And I get nervous with it. They’re desperate for me to do Mastermind. And I just don’t know if I could cope. Too much pressure! But we’ll see. I said to them, if ever Clive wants the day off, I’ll go in and I’ll ask the questions. That’s what I’ll do. I think I’ve realised that I really enjoy that side of it on quiz shows!

What sort of things did contestants want the prize money for?

That took me by surprise and I found that one of the most interesting aspects of the show, actually, people’s different thoughts about how they would spend £5,000. It honestly went everything from, “I’ve always wanted to know how to play the saxophone, and it’s going to help to pay for a saxophone and lessons”, to paying off heating bills and renovating their house. I think the most interesting, as far as I was concerned, was, “I’m going to get some new teeth.” He needed his teeth doing, and that’s what he was going to spend it on. And I thought, “Good for you for fessing up and saying that’s what you were going to do.”

Would you want to do a celebrity version and who would you want on as guests?

I would absolutely want to do a celebrity version. I’d love to see Hannah Waddingham, Peter Kay, Miriam Margolyes, Bradley Walsh and Shirlie Kemp, Roman’s Mum, I’m thinking this mix might work well. And how about a drag queen special featuring Hope Springs, Scaredy Kat, Lavinia Co-op, Lady Portia Di’Monte and Ru Paul? There definitely have to be a drag queen on there! Who else would I have? I think we’d have to have a politician in there, it’s who I want to give the worst time to! And that doesn’t narrow it down very much, because you’d want someone who’d be fun as well and would take themselves just seriously enough to look ridiculous. I’d put a James Bond in there. I think we’d have to have a James Bond. We could even have a special for Comic Relief or Children In Need, that would be amazing.

How would you sum up the show in three words?

Nail-biting, hilarious and actually tear-jerking sometimes. Because if someone has made it and it’s meant a great deal to them, it’s very moving.