Clive Myrie said he drew inspiration from the likes of Sir Bruce Forsyth and Sammy Davis Jr when taking on his new role as Mastermind host, during the National Television Awards on Thursday.
The 56-year-old said that, having taken ‘a leap of faith’ from his long-time newsreader role, his recent TV presenting gig was ‘outside his comfort zone’, but he is ‘getting [his] feet under the table slowly’.
When asked about his inspirations, he told MailOnline: ‘Bruce Forsyth is amazing entertainer. I’m of a vintage to remember Sammy Davis Jr too. Big, big fan of his.
Talented: New Mastermind host Clive Myrie credited his presenting persona to Sir Bruce Forsyth and Sammy Davis Jr. during the NTAs after taking a ‘leap of faith’ from newsreading gig
Icon: He said he drew inspiration from Sir Bruce Forsyth when taking on his new role as Mastermind host (pictured in 2014)
‘Most of the people I look up to are out there in the audience actually. This is a world I don’t normally inhabit so to see that is amazing.
‘The executive producer told me not to look at social media following the first episode of Mastermind. It’s addictive like a drug so I had to but it wasn’t too bad.
He went on to reveal his dream guests on the show include Hollywood legend Tom Cruise along with former president Barack Obama.
Clive presented the Quiz Game Show gong to Beat The Chasers during the star-studded event.
Hard at work: The BBC newsreader has become as the show’s fifth presenter over its 50 year tenure, following John Humphrys’ departure earlier this year
New territory: The broadcaster said that, having taken ‘a leap of faith’ from his long-time newsreader role, his recent TV presenting gig was ‘outside his comfort zone’
The journalist recently made an energetic appearance on Good Morning Britain, where he claimed that stepping into Mastermind’s iconic studio brought him more fear than dodging bullets from Saddam Hussein’s army.
The BBC broadcaster, who has taken over the hot seat from veteran question-master John Humphrys, 78, is the show’s fifth presenter over its 50 year tenure.
An elated Clive told Ranvir Singh and Richard Bacon: ‘The thing about this studio it’s light, it’s bright, it’s like being out in the fresh air, it’s wonderful.’
He continued: ‘You walk into the Mastermind studio and it is dark, it is black. You’ve got the four contenders on that side, you walk in and I sit down, and I’m like, ‘I’m presenting Mastermind, I don’t believe this. It’s absolutely bizarre.’
‘I genuinely was shaking’: Clive said hosting Mastermind brought him greater fear than dodging bullets from Saddam Hussein’s army in an appearance on Good Morning Britain
‘Then you see the chair across the way and the music starts up and it’s like, boom! I genuinely was shaking for the first one.’
Referencing his lengthy journalism career, which dates back to 1987, a surprised Ranvir said, ‘You’ve been around the world reporting on so many things.’
Flapping his hands, Clive said: ‘Listen, I’ll be dodging bullets from Saddam Hussein’s army and all kinds of stuff… but that was scary. Sitting in that studio, it really was.’
On the ground: Clive reporting from Yemen (stock photo)
Animated: Clive couldn’t contain his excitement as he divulged into his ‘bizarre’ Mastermind filming experience
The University of Sussex alum previously told PA Media that he had been expecting an influx of racist abuse on social media following the announcement of his Mastermind gig.
‘I got very little after the announcement, actually. Everything was positive, absolutely everything,’ Clive, who has Jamaican parents said.
‘This is not something that happens every day. Every now and again someone will send an email or send a letter or a card or whatever, making their racist views known.
‘By and large, my days of getting angry are over. I’m way too long in the tooth for that – or getting upset, rather,’ he concluded.
Experienced: Referencing his lengthy journalism career, which dates back to as far as 1987, a surprised Ranvir said, ‘You’ve been around the world reporting on so many things’
Unbelievable: Flapping his hands, Clive said, ‘Listen, I’ll be dodging bullets from Saddam Hussein’s army and all kinds of stuff but that was scary. Sitting in that studio, it really was’
Clive has been a regular BBC News At Six and Ten newsreader since 2010, and previously worked as the broadcaster’s correspondent in Asia, Africa, Washington, Paris and Brussels.
He said presenting the quiz show has been a welcome contrast to the grim headlines of the past year, adding: ‘It has been nice, actually, to have this to look forward to, something slightly different, a new challenge, a new opportunity.
‘Also a chance for the public to see me in a different light.’
The broadcaster, who has known his 18-year-long predecessor John for a considerable amount of time, has not sought advice from him but said he hopes he will be a worthy successor.
Friends: Clive, who has known his predecessor John for a considerable amount of time, has not sought advice from him but said he hopes he will be a worthy successor
He said: ‘Obviously I’m following in the footsteps of giants of British broadcasting – John Humphreys.
‘I hope that that I do the show proud, as he has done over so many years, and so there’s a level of trepidation there as well.
‘At the same time, I’m excited to see how the public reacts, and I hope it’s a positive reaction,’ he added.
Throwback: Clive has been a regular BBC News At Six and Ten newsreader since 2010, and previously worked as the broadcaster’s correspondent in Asia, Africa, Washington, Paris and Brussels (pictured in the 2010s)
NATIONAL TELEVISION AWARDS 2021: THE WINNERS
Challenge Show
Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins
Love Island
WINNER: The Great British Bake Off
The Great British Sewing Bee
New Drama
Bridgerton
Des
WINNER: It’s A Sin
Normal People
Talent Show
Britain’s Got Talent
RuPaul’s Drag Race UK
WINNER: Strictly Come Dancing
The Masked Singer
Tasty! Bake Off won the Challenge Show prize
Authored Documentary
WINNER: Kate Garraway: Finding Derek
Katie Price: Harvey and Me
Marcus Rashford: Feeding Britain’s Children
Rob Burrow: My Year With MND
Roman Kemp: Our Silent Emergency
Touching: The Authored Documentary winner was Kate Garraway: Finding Derek
Returning Drama
Call the Midwife
WINNER: Line of Duty
The Crown
Unforgotten
TV Presenter
Alison Hammond
WINNER: Ant and Dec
Bradley Walsh
Holly Willoughby
Piers Morgan
Factual
Caroline Flack: Her Life and Death
WINNER: Gogglebox
Gordon, Gino and Fred: American Road Trip
Paul O’Grady: For the Love of Dogs
Drama Performance
Adrian Dunbar, Ted Hastings, Line of Duty
WINNER: David Tennant, Dennis Nilsen, Des
Martin Compston, Steve Arnott, Line of Duty
Olly Alexander, Ritchie Tozer, It’s A Sin
Vicky McClure, Kate Fleming, Line of Duty
The Bruce Forsyth Entertainment Award
Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway
WINNER: I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!
Taskmaster
The Graham Norton Show
You lose some, you win some! Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway was up for a prize, but the duo’s other show, I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! scooped the gong
Serial Drama
WINNER: Coronation Street
EastEnders
Emmerdale
Hollyoaks
Serial Drama Performance
Billy Price, Sid Sumner, Hollyoaks
Danny Dyer, Mick Carter, EastEnders
WINNER: Mollie Gallagher, Nina Lucas, Coronation Street
Sally Carman, Abi Franklin, Coronation Street
Quiz Game Show
WINNER: Beat The Chasers
Celebrity Catchphrase
In For A Penny
Michael McIntyre’s The Wheel
Newcomer
Emile John, Ethan Anderson, Emmerdale
WINNER: Jude Riordan, Sam Blakeman, Coronation Street
Olivia D’Lima, Paramedic Fenisha Khatri, Casualty
Rhiannon Clements, Summer Ranger, Hollyoaks
Rose Ayling-Ellis, Frankie Lewis, EastEnders
Winner! Mollie Gallagher, who plays Nina Lucas in Coronation Street, bagged herself a gong
Daytime
Loose Women
The Chase
The Repair Shop
WINNER: This Morning
Comedy
WINNER: After Life
Friday Night Dinner
Sex Education
The Vicar of Dibley