Sara Davies has switched sides after leaving the BBC behind to front Time is Money, a new ITV 'exhilarating' quiz to sit alongside The Chase, Deal or No Deal and Tipping Point
ITV have moved to secure BBC star Sara Davies weeks after her popular quiz show was suddenly axed.
Sara has just finished presenting a 16-episode run of The Big Idea Works but she will be swapping sides to host This is Money, which adds to the channel's many play-along shows which include The Chase, Deal or No Deal, Lingo and Tipping Point.
ITV describes the new show as the "fastest quiz on TV" and viewers will see competitors battle against the clock as they try to hold onto the jackpot prize they receive at the start of the show. Sara, who joined Dragon's Den in 2019 as the youngest ever female investor, said she was "absolutely delighted" to land the job.
She explained more, saying: "I’m absolutely delighted to be hosting Time Is Money. This show is unlike anything you’ve seen before - it’s full-on, it’s exhilarating, and the pressure is real. It’s going to be a rollercoaster of excitement and tension, and I can’t wait to see who’ll keep their cool under pressure. Get ready for a make or break adventure, because time really is money!"
Katie Rawcliffe, Director of Entertainment & Daytime at ITV said: “It’s been fantastic to see our afternoon game shows continue to thrive this year with The Chase, Deal or No Deal, Lingo and Tipping Point all delivering strong ratings and growing audiences.
“These shows have become a staple for daytime TV and we’re thrilled to add Time Is Money to the mix. With its unique blend of fast-paced quiz action and high-stakes drama, Time Is Money will perfectly complement our existing lineup, as will Sara Davies as host.”
The Chase has now been the number one show in daytime since 2017, for nine consecutive years straight. It was up in January compared to last year, and already this year eighteen episodes have pulled in three million or more viewers. Last year the channel also announced that The 1% Club, hosted by Lee Mack, had become the biggest game show on telly, averaging around 5.8 million viewers.
Revived Deal or No Deal continues its strong performance with ten episodes this year having achieved two million viewers or more. The channel report seeing massive growth on ITVX - throughout 2024 the show generated 10 million streams and in the first eight weeks of 2025 alone, it is already up to 6.8 million streams.
