By MoneySavingExpert's Coupon Kid, Jordon Cox
We all can shout out the answers on the couch at home, but being in the studio doing it for real is very different. Take it from me – I’ve been on a TV game show recently as well as auditioned for others, and it’s not easy.
What is easier than you’d think though, is getting ON a TV game show or quiz show in the first place, if you ‘Play Your Cards Right’ and are a bit of an ‘Egghead’ when it comes to mastering your application. If you’re a ‘Telly Addict’, then being on one of your favourite shows is probably a goal in itself, quite apart from the prizes at stake. So here are a few tips to make that goal a reality.
Update Thu 7 Nov 2024: It’s been almost a decade since Jordon wrote this blog. The MSE team has updated it with new game shows that you can apply for below. Happy auditioning!
Try for lesser-known shows
Fancy your chances on The Chase, The Crystal Maze or Catchphrase? Sadly, so do a lot of people. While it’s not impossible to get on, you’ve a better chance with lesser-known shows (check out my list of shows to go for below). Often you see a new game show looking for contestants. If people haven’t seen it before, there may not be many applications, even though there can be lots of prizes. So it’s worth taking a chance.
It’s a numbers game too. If a show’s looking for lots of contestants, such as The 1% Club, you have a better chance. Even if you don’t end up playing for prizes, it’s a chance to dip your toe in the game show waters.
Prepare your answers
To apply for most game shows you need to fill out an application form which can take some time. Yet many application forms ask the same questions, so it’s worth keeping your answers written down somewhere so you can do a simple copy and paste. Common questions include ‘what are your hobbies’, ‘what do you do for a living’ and ‘what would you do if you won any money’.
Really sell yourself
Popular shows get thousands of application forms, so you need to make yours stand out. So don’t just give one-word answers to the questions – the more personality you can show through your writing, even when it comes to something simple such as your hobbies, the better.
Similarly, if there is an option to add a video of yourself, do it – it’s the easiest way to stand out. Producers want the best and most interesting people to make the show worth watching. If you look through your application or video and YOU wouldn’t pick yourself, then things need spicing up.
When it comes to auditions, enthusiasm’s key
After you’ve slogged through the application form, the next step – if you’re lucky enough to be picked – is the phone interview or face-to-face audition. The words ‘interview’ and ‘audition’ might scare you but there is nothing to worry about.
Be as bubbly and upbeat as you can and use the potential to win cash and prizes as your driving force to show them how much you want it. If you are memorable for any reason, you will be in with a good chance of getting on the show.
