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Jackie: Last week’s podcast was number 200 and we have a special competition to win free pie membership…
Richard: For a whole year.
Jackie: [laughs] …to celebrate. So, for this week’s podcastsinenglish.com we’re talking about competitions, popular British TV competitions.
Richard: Yes, and probably the most popular competition, one I hate, is Big Brother [laughs].
Jackie: But it’s very popular Richard, all round the world. 70 countries have er… Big Brother so I think many people are familiar with what the programme is about.
Richard: Yes, um… 15 people in a house, no contact with the outside world, TV cameras record everything and then once a week a housemate is voted off and right at the end a huge prize.
Jackie: Yes, it’s been going since 2000 so that’s ten years but er… it’s still very, very popular and I think many people want to be on the show not only to win the hundred thousand pounds but also because they become famous, don’t they?
Richard: Yes, urrkk I hate it. Never mind Big Brother one of your favourite TV shows is a game show…
Jackie: Yes, um… I really like the game show Countdown um… it’s been on the UK TV since 1982 and it’s very simple: just two contestants and they have to play three games. Two word games and a number game so I suppose you have to be quite good at spelling…
Richard: And English.
Jackie: …and English, yeah, and er… arithmetic.
Richard: But um… the winner, not a hundred thousand pounds, they only win…
Jackie: A teapot [both laugh].
Richard: Right, um… what about er… quiz shows.
Jackie: Yes. The… one of the longest running quiz shows on UK TV is a quiz show called Mastermind.
Richard: Yes, very famous um… I think it started in 1972.
Jackie: That’s right.
Richard: Famous for um… the black chair.
Jackie: Mmm
Richard: The contestants have to answer very difficult questions and they sit in the black chair and have a spotlight on them.
Jackie: Yes, rather frightening.
Richard: And for that, if you win the final, you get…
Jackie: A glass bowl [both laugh].
Richard: Yes
Jackie: And I think um… nowadays um… a programme which is on the… the telly now which is um… very popular, is um… Britain’s Got Talent.
Richard: Yes, talent shows, I think, are the most popular shows nowadays on TV, aren’t they?
Jackie: Mmm, this one started in 2007 and there are a variety of performers: dancers, comedians, singers et cetera. And they do their thing in front of a… a live audience and three judges, and it’s the TV viewers who vote for the best.
Richard: Yes, and erm… they also win a hundred thousand pounds, not bad going.
Jackie: And of course, they become famous.
Richard: [laughs] Yes.
Jackie: Now, not a hundred thousand pounds, and you’re not going to become famous, but please do enter our competition this month and win a year’s free pie membership.
Richard: I think more value than all the other prizes.
Jackie: [laughs]
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