Run the Risk facts for kids

Run the Risk was a super fun British game show for kids! It ran from 1992 to 1996. You could watch it on Saturday mornings as part of shows like Going Live! and Live & Kicking.

The show had several presenters. Peter Simon was there for the whole time. Other presenters included Shane Richie, John Eccleston, and Bobby Davro. The games were full of messy "gunge" and exciting challenges. They were a bit like the games on It's a Knockout. Run the Risk was also similar to Double Dare, another show hosted by Peter Simon.

How the Game Was Played

The game had different rounds. Teams earned points by answering questions and completing physical challenges.

Early Series Rules

In the first few series, the show started with a special stunt. This stunt was worth 10 points. After that, there were three rounds of questions. Each round had three questions. Teams could only answer one question correctly per round.

• In Round 1, questions were worth 10, 20, and 30 points.
• In later rounds, the points for questions increased by 10.

Running the Risk Challenges

After each question round, a team got a choice. The team that answered the highest-valued question correctly could "run the risk." This meant they would do a timed stunt themselves. Or, they could make another team "run the risk."

• If a team "ran the risk" and finished the stunt in time, they got the points for the highest question (like 30, 40, or 50 points). They also got a 20-point bonus for being brave!
• If they failed the stunt, the other two teams each got half of the points. No bonus was given.
• If a team made another team "run the risk," there was no bonus. The points went to the team doing the stunt if they won. If they failed, the points went to the team who nominated them.
• During the time John Eccleston hosted, the team that answered the highest-valued question correctly had to "run the risk." They didn't get a choice.

There was one last question round without a stunt. Questions were worth 40, 50, and 60 points. Teams still only answered one question correctly.

The Final Risk Obstacle Course

After the question rounds, teams faced the "Final Risk." This was a big obstacle course!

First Series Final Risk

In the first series, the "Final Risk" was quite simple.

• One person from each team wore a big fancy costume.
• The team in the lead started at the front. Other teams started further back, depending on their points.
• As players went through the course, their teammates threw things at them!
• The first player to finish the course won. They had to sit on their team's pyramid and hit a buzzer. Their teammates then had to join them.
• The winning team got the grand prize! The team with the second most points got a second-place prize. The team with the fewest points got a third-place prize.

Second Series Final Risk

The "Final Risk" got more exciting in the second series.

• The player in the costume had to pick up a block and press a button.
• This released their two teammates. They had to get two more blocks.
• One block was on a spinning inflatable cone, surrounded by gunge!
• The other block was hidden inside the gunge itself.
• The first team to get all three blocks and put them together won!

Later Series Final Risk

In later series, teams had two members instead of three. The "Final Risk" changed again.

• The obstacle course was still there.
• At the end, the player in the costume handed over to their teammate. This teammate wore a normal uniform.
• They had to climb a huge inflatable slide next to a moat of gunge. Gunge was dropped on them from above!
• When they reached the top, they raised a flag to show they won. Then, they slid back down into the gunge moat!

Team Uniforms

Contestants first wore grey T-shirts with the "Run the Risk" logo. The logo was red, yellow, or blue, depending on their team. They also wore blue shorts. Later, the T-shirts were mostly their team color, with blue or black shorts.

Celebrity Specials

Every Christmas, Run the Risk had special episodes with celebrities!

• Sometimes, teams were a mix of celebrities and children.
• Other times, all the teams were made up of celebrities.
• The celebrities were often TV presenters, soap opera stars, or pop stars.

Here are some of the famous faces who appeared:

1992 Celebrity Guests

• First Episode: Rachel Victoria Roberts, Lindy Ann Barras, and Kristian Schmid
• Second Episode: Teams from Blue Peter, CBBC, and Brookside

1993 Celebrity Guests

• First Episode: Andrea Boardman, Paul Leyshon, and Debbie Gibson
• Second Episode: Teams from EastEnders, Gladiators, and Maid Marian and Her Merry Men

1994 Celebrity Guests

• First Episode: Diane-Louise Jordan, Tim Vincent, Clare Buckfield, John Pickard, Dean Gatiss, and Justin Pickett
• Second Episode: Martino Lazzeri, Matthew Savage, and Caryn Franklyn

1995 Celebrity Guests

• First Episode: Toby Anstis, Josie d'Arby, Ant & Dec, Donna Air, Danniella Westbrook
• Second Episode: Paul Nicholls, Suzanne Cox, Katy Hill

Show Broadcast Dates

Here's when each series of Run the Risk was shown: