Page 3 Profile: Chris Tarrant, quiz show presenter

For £500, which famous game show host has announced his retirement?

Is it a) Chris Tarrant, the long standing presenter of Who Wants to be a Millionaire?

Is that your final answer?

Yes. At 67 Tarrant has decided to hang up his quiz master’s hat after presenting the ITV show since it launch in 1998. He even used one of his catch phrases – “It’s time to take a break”– in his announcement yesterday:

You’re doing well, but hadn’t the show already finished?

It’s true they weren’t making quite the number of episodes they did in the early noughties, when the show was at its peak, but there were still a few episodes filmed each year – mostly celebrity specials.

So what will happen now? Isn’t Tarrant pretty important?

Indeed, having been the show’s only presenter, he is just as famous as the format, and as such ITV has said that, beyond those already scheduled, there are no plans for any further shows now that Tarrant has jumped ship.

Other than the coughing cheats, who has actually won the top prize?

There have been five jackpot winners, the last one in 2006.

Can I take the money and run yet?

Yes.