Josh Must Win stars talk reality show’s groundbreaking twist

“It just felt really exciting to do something that felt genuinely new.”

By Katelyn Mensah

Published: Sunday, 24 March 2024 at 20:00 PM

Prepare to have your opinion on reality TV changed as E4 gears up to premiere The Underdog: Josh Must Win.

The new series will see a group of contestants compete in what they think is a popularity contest called The Favourite, hosted by Nick Grimshaw. However, unbeknownst to them, next door is a group of celebrities who are planning their own strategy to ensure that Josh wins!

Tasked with the all-important task is Nick Grimshaw, Amber Rose Gill, Vicky Pattison and Pete Wicks, who will be in control of the popularity contest by setting tasks, introducing format twists and mastering the art of manipulation.

In an interview with RadioTimes.com and other press, Nick Grimshaw explained he had always wanted to take part on a reality TV show but didn’t quite know what, but immediately knew Josh Must Win was for him.

“I love watching reality TV. I watch it all the time, I watch everything and I always wanted to do something but I didn’t know what,” he said.

“I think the twist in this, the fact that it is like a reality show within a reality show was what felt really exciting. The fact that it was new, was really exciting to me and kind of scary as well.”

Pete Wicks, Amber Gill, Josh, Vicky Pattison and Nick Grimshaw all stood next to each other posing differently in front of a blue and orange background
Pete Wicks, Amber Gill, Josh, Vicky Pattison and Nick Grimshaw.
Matt Monfredi/Channel 4

As will be seen in the first episode, the contestants enter the house one by one and are put through a series of tasks, with the main aim for the celebrities to have Josh voted the most popular, or else the prize pot goes down.

But as they watch on, they can only hope the contestants will vote in their and Josh’s favour.

Grimshaw continued: “Not knowing where it was going to go, we genuinely had a challenge that we did not know what was going to happen. We didn’t know who Josh was. We didn’t know who the other contestants were.

“You know, normally before a show you’re, like, well versed in what’s going to happen, what the script looks like, what each episode will be, but we had no idea, so going into it blind with everyone else also going into it brand new.

“It just felt really exciting to do something that felt genuinely new with this really great twist, which is a good positive twist as well. It’s not like a mean twist. You know what I mean? It was, like, a nice message to be putting out there I think within the world of reality.”

This was echoed by fellow host Pete Wicks, who admitted that now is the time for a “new type of reality car” to come out of a TV show – and viewers will have to see if Josh becomes just that.

Wicks told RadioTimes.com and other press: “I think reality TV follows a lot of the same formats now and you get a lot of the same people. I think this was an opportunity for a brand new type of reality star to come to the forefront and it’s about time, because it kind of makes you think about who you are and being authentic.”