Bradley Walsh on following in the footsteps of his hero as Blankety Blank host

Bradley Walsh said it will be a “thrill” to host the BBC’s one-off Christmas special of Blankety Blank – having acted as a studio warm-up for former host Les Dawson.

The ex-Coronation Street actor will be fronting the festive edition of the classic gameshow, with six celebrities taking part.

They are boxer Amir Khan, McFly singer Danny Jones, comedians Sue Perkins and Jimmy Carr, TV presenter Anita Rani and actress Emilia Fox.

Blankety Blank originally ran between 1979 and 1990, with Dawson replacing Sir Terry Wogan as host.

Walsh said presenting the revival would be a special moment.

He said: “I’m not feeling the pressure so much, just the fact that I love bit of nostalgic telly and to follow in the footsteps of Sir Terry Wogan and one of my heroes Les Dawson, having worked on the show as a studio warm-up for Les a few times, it’s a thrill for me.”

Walsh, 60, had previously appeared on Blankety Blank when it was hosted by Paul O’Grady’s alter-ego Lily Savage.

For his stint as presenter, Walsh said he is happy to run the show with a light touch.

“I think the show runs itself,” he said. “I think alongside the celebrity panel and the contestants, I don’t think you bring your own style, I like to work organically so I’m hoping people like Jimmy Carr and Sue Perkins will bring their style to it as well and we can bounce off each other.

“I’m really looking forward to working with them all again, I’ve worked with them all before but I’m really looking forward to working with the contestants, that’s what I like. I like working with the contestants – it’s great.”

Blankety Blank: Christmas Special will air at 7pm on Christmas Day on BBC One.