Ryan and Adam Thomas are back on our screens, but this time, they’re swapping soapland for game-show madness. The brothers – Ryan, 40, best known for playing Jason Grimshaw in Coronation Street, and Adam, 36, who starred as Adam Barton in Emmerdale – are fronting ITV’s new prime-time show 99 To Beat, and trust us, it’s absolute chaos. With 100 contestants battling it out in bizarre challenges – think catching a potato on a fork and defrosting frozen T-shirts – the show is fast, unpredictable, and completely hilarious.
The eight-part series starts with 100 players, and viewers will follow as they go head-to-head. After each round, the number of contestants is gradually whittled down, with only one person taking the top prize of £25,000. “It’s stupid, silly, random, competitive, and everything we love,” Ryan tells us. While the pair have taken on their fair share of reality TV (I’m A Celeb, Strictly, Celebrity Big Brother), hosting is a whole new ball game. Luckily, their natural chemistry keeps things flowing. “We don’t take ourselves too seriously – we’re just having a laugh!” Adam adds.
Ryan: Well, as you can imagine with 100 contestants, it starts off a little bit light-hearted with everyone supporting each other. But as the numbers get smaller, the tension builds. You’ve got 100 yoga balls dropping from the ceiling, blindfolded contestants – it’s just hilarious, you think what am I actually watching? But as it progresses, you really connect with the contestants and start rooting for them. The beauty of this game is that anyone can play it – whether you’re an 18-year-old guy or an 80-year-old woman.
