Nine Network denies rumour about Eddie McGuire’s Millionaire Hot Seat

A Nine spokesperson has addressed rumours Eddie McGuire’s long-running game show is set to get the axe in favour of another franchise.

Channel 9 has denied swirling rumours its long-running game show Millionaire Hot Seat is headed for the axe.

The iconic series, hosted by Eddie McGuire, began airing in 2009 as a spin-off to Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, which McGuire also helmed from 1999 until 2006.

Airing daily at 5pm, it’s now the longest-unning game show on Australian TV, having this month celebrated its 2500th episode. But its viewership has dwindled in recent years, with Seven’s The Chase Australia often pipping it in the ratings war.

Eddie McGuire recently celebrated 2500 episodes of Millionaire Hot Seat.

A recent casting call fuelled rumours Hot Seat could be canned to make way for a local version of popular UK game show Tipping Point, which airs on Nine in the 3pm timeslot.

An official call-out from Endemol Shine Australia – the production company that makes Tipping Point – was posted on Twitter last week, revealing the show was filming “Australian episodes” in the UK.

A casting call for Australians to film episodes of Tipping Point in the UK.

Nine declined to comment on a local version of Tipping Point when approached by news.com.au.

However, a spokesperson claimed Millionaire Hot Seat “is not set to be axed.”

It seems a move to record local episodes of Tipping Point follows similar plans from Nine to make Australian episodes of US quiz show Jeopardy!.

The network confirmed last week that British comedian Stephen Fry would host a six-part special featuring Australian contestants. It begins filming next month in Manchester, UK.

TV Blackbox editor Robert McKnight speculated the new program offerings from Nine could form a temporary “stunt” in Hot Seat’s timeslot to “test the waters” among viewers.

As for the Australian episodes of Tipping Point, there’s no word yet on who would step in to host. UK presenter Ben Shephard fronts the English format.

The Chase Australia, hosted by Larry Emdur, beat Hot Seat in the 2022 ratings year, winning 40 weeks with a total audience of 829,000.