Alexander Armstrong will be reuniting with his double-act partner Ben Miller on upcoming episodes of Pointless.
Miller – who first worked with Armstrong in 1992 – will be one of the guest co-hosts giving the correct answers in the role originally taken by Richard Osman.
Miller said: ‘Armstrong and Miller are BACK... on Pointless! Xander finally succumbed to my pleading emails and I am so excited. Not only to work with my old mate again but also to dazzle viewers with my extensive general knowledge (discreetly delivered to my screen by the show’s producers). I can't wait to get started and Pointless-the-heck out of this.’
Stand-ups Nish Kumar, Lucy Porter and Sara Pascoe will also be forthcoming co-hosts in the BBC quiz, as will Gok Wan, Michael Ball and Clare Balding.
Kumar and quiz show buff Porter previously co-hosted in 2023, while Pascoe joked: ‘I’m coming to that co-host seat to learn. I’ll swot up all the facts and then next series I’ll enter as a competitor, win the show and steal Xander’s job. It’s a whole game plan.’
Pointless is currently in its 35th series, with Tom Allen, Angela Scanlon and Susan Wokoma having been behind the laptop so far this run.
However, it will be taking a break from next week, with reruns from series 29 filling the 5.15pm slot on BBC One.
Armstrong said of his new co-hosts: ‘I am raring to go alongside a raft of absolutely joyous co-hosts to deliver more random and fascinating facts. I've just got to remind myself which sovereign states are members of the UN in their own right.’
Caroline O’Neill, commissioning executive for the BBC, added: ‘Pointless yet again delivers another great cohort of hosts set to join Alexander as they question another group of contestants searching for the Pointless answer. It’s the hottest seat on the telly and we can’t wait for audiences to enjoy.’
Miller was introduced to fellow Cambridge graduate Alexander Armstrong in 1992, at the TBA Sketch Comedy Group which ran at the Gate Theatre Studio, Notting Hill throughout the 1990s.
They performed their first full-length show together at the Edinburgh Fringe in 1994, and returned in 1996, when they were nominated for the Perrier Comedy Award.
Their success resulted in the commission of a TV r for the Paramount Comedy Channel. It was followed by three more for Channel 4, and three on BBC One, as well as a Radio 4 series.
The pair have not collaborated on a major project for more than a decade, with the last series of The Armstrong & Miller Show airing on BBC One in October 2010 followed by a live tour. Their last reunion was for a podcast that lasted ten episodes in 2021.
Pointless – which is made by Remarkable Entertainment – has used guest co-hosts since Osman stepped down in 2022.
