Sara Baalla takes on BBC’s The Inner Circle

Amanda Holden has taken the reins of a brand new quiz show called The Inner Circle, which made its debut on BBC One on Monday (October 6).

The BBC has served up two versions of the game for viewers. The daytime version pits six contestants against each other in a battle of wits, while the Saturday night edition sees celebrities teaming up with members of the public.

In a unique twist, players are randomly assigned a secret stash of cash – anything from zero to £4,000 for the daytime show, and £5,000 for the Saturday night special.

Each contestant is only privy to their own value, sparking a strategic gameplay filled with deception and nerve across several challenging rounds, reports the Mirror.

Amanda Holden is hosting a new game show on BBC One (Image: BBC)

I had the privilege of visiting the set of The Inner Circle in Glasgow back in April, where a select group of journalists were given an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour.

After exploring the set, we settled in to watch a live recording of the celebrity version of the game.

The episode, scheduled to air this Saturday (October 11) at 5.20pm on BBC One, featured stars such as Hannah Cockroft, Rick Edwards, Sarah Parish, Fay Ripley, Darren Harriott and Lawrence Chaney.

The studio was charged with tension as the teams discovered their monetary values and began to deceive their fellow players, culminating in a nail-biting finale.

The interaction between the players and their celebrity partners was intriguing to watch, but one detail particularly caught my attention.

I visited the show’s set earlier this year (Image: Tern TV)

Throughout the recording, Amanda engaged enthusiastically with each contestant, creating a warm and relaxed atmosphere. Within moments, I had forgotten that the Britain’s Got Talent judge was the host and began to see her as just another player.

Adding an interesting twist to the show, Amanda is kept in the dark about who holds the largest cash sum, leaving her, like the viewers, guessing who’s being truthful. Meanwhile, we were privy to a piece of paper revealing exactly who was playing mind games with their co-stars, and there were quite a few!

Later on, a select group of journalists were paired up and given the chance to play the game alongside Amanda.

We participated in a round of Circle Circuit, where each pair were given a true or false question. If answered correctly, you could roll a dice and advance that number of spaces around the board. The first duo to complete the circuit emerged victorious, which, as it turned out, was myself and my partner Jordan.

I was left floored by one detail (Image: Tern TV)

In a cash builder round, we were then allotted 60 seconds to answer a series of general knowledge questions. It’s only when you’re under the glaring lights that you draw a blank on even the simplest of questions.

After successfully answering seven questions, Jordan and I were presented with the choice to Split or Shaft. We discreetly made our decisions on a tablet, before the floor turned gold, indicating that we both chose to share our pretend winnings. However, in the actual game, not all players are as generous, adding an extra layer of excitement for both Amanda and the audience.

It was intriguing to have a behind-the-scenes look at such an entertaining quiz show. Despite some viewers criticising The Inner Circle for its resemblance to Golden Balls, I would argue that it’s these similarities that make it so captivating.

If you enjoyed watching contestants swindle their fellow players in the Jasper Carrott show, then this contemporary version will certainly appeal. Who doesn’t enjoy a bit of treachery and deception?