Seann Walsh and Fatiha El-Ghorri are to be team captains in the new gameshow Silence Is Golden, in which audiences are rewarded for NOT laughing at comedians

They join the previously announced Katherine Ryan – another captain – and host Dermot O’Leary.

At the start of each episode, the broadcaster U&Dave gives £250,000 to the studio audience and all they need to do to keep it is remain silent as a green room of 30 acts try to crack them up. If the entertainers get the prize pot to zero, they get to give money to charity.

Ryan said: ‘I wonder whether the studio audience will laugh so the cash goes to charity or do the right thing and keep the money for themselves.’

Walsh said: ‘I’ve been chosen for a show where the audience isn’t allowed to laugh, and apparently I should be flattered by that."

And El-Ghorri added: ‘I can’t wait to see the money going down Mwahahahahahahaha!'

The show has been created by Richard Bacon and made by his company Yes Yes Media.

He previously said: ‘You know the feeling when you're not allowed to laugh at a funeral? Well, it's that: the game show. And I commend U&Dave for boldly commissioning a show that will cost them a quarter million a week - if the audience is better at playing the game than we are.’

Six hour-long episodes will be broadcast next year, 

It is not the first format in which comedians try not to get a laugh. Amazon’s global LOL franchise, which has made several international versions, puts comedians in a Big Brother-style house with those who crack a chuckle evicted. 

Made by: Yes Yes Media, 
Series producer: Tim Dean
Executive producers: Richard Bacon, Mark Sidaway
Commissioned/ordered by: Mark Iddon, Jason Dawson, Cherie Hall, Hilary Rosen