Anne Robinson reveals what she'd have to 'stamp out' before a The Weakest Link return

Anne Robinson was known for her cutting quips and brutal put-downs when she fronted The Weakest Link, but she thinks her presenting style would be banned today

TV presenter Anne Robinson has admitted she'd "never" get away with her notorious remarks from The Weakest Link in today's climate.

The 79 year old, who hosted the BBC quiz show from 2000 to 2012, was famed for her cutting comments towards contestants but believes times have changed.

Speaking to The Oldie magazine, she said: "You'd never be able to say all that now. Half of it would be stamped out." Despite this, Anne insisted that the participants actually relished her blunt approach, stating: "I always thought the contestants would feel short-changed if I were nice."

She recalled a moment during rehearsals that confirmed her style, sharing: "When we had a rehearsal with real-life people for the first time, I realised how competitive they were. I'd say, 'Why are you voting off Janet?' and they would respond with brutally honest reasons.

The veteran presenter, dubbed the Queen of Mean, embraced the moniker, attributing her thick skin to her days in journalism: "I had spent years in a newspaper newsroom where that's the common banter." While Anne was also famous for her signature wink, Romesh Ranganathan, who took over hosting duties when the show made a comeback in 2021, aimed to put his own spin on the show rather than copy Anne's iconic gestures.

Speaking about his lazy eye, he once told the Daily Mirror : "The honest truth is, let's acknowledge the elephant in the room, I always look like I'm midway through a wink - at all times. I did think about it. We talked about it at the beginning but there are certain things that Anne did that were textbook her, and so I just made sure I didn't do. You want to do it in your own way." The star of A League of Their Own suffers from ptosis in his right eye - a condition he developed after a severe eye infection at the age of three - which results in a drooping eyelid.

Last month it was revealed that Romesh is to explore the death of rapper Tupac Shakur in docuseries The Misinvestigations Of Romesh Ranganathan. The three-part BBC Two programme will see the presenter delve into the stories of entertainment figures who have been a source of fascination to him: Shakur, punk rock figure Nancy Spungen, and musician Jimi Hendrix.

Romesh, 46, previously fronted four series of The Misadventures Of Romesh Ranganathan – which won a Bafta TV award in 2020. Speaking about the programme, he said: "We wanted to find a fun way of doing a celeb biopic while also doing a true crime style show. This ticked all (both) of the boxes. I believe that, regardless of whether you like the music of these individuals, you will definitely leave the shows with an understanding of how culturally important each of them were."

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