The actor, screenwriter and author, will make his debut on the quiz show when a new celebrity edition kicks off later this month.
The first episode will also see former sprinter-turned-presenter Jeanette Kwakye and broadcaster Richie Anderson compete to win money for their chosen charity.
Reflecting on how he felt ahead of the show, Sir Stephen said: “I was preposterously nervous. They upped the music to get your heartbeat to go up a little bit faster.”
He also shared that “for good or ill, people think of me as some sort of ‘know-all’” so there was “pressure on me” to not make mistakes.
The 67-year-old presenter, who fronted the panel show QI for many years, noted it does not make you a better or worse person if you do not know the answer as “all of us have little holes in our tapestry”.
However, he admitted his heart was racing as the show progressed but it felt he got a “great mixture of questions”, although some were out of his comfort zone.
“Some of the questions were a bit alarming because they weren’t in my wheelhouse as we say – sporting questions about cycling, but fortunately I did know the answer to that one,” he added.
Sir Stephen revealed pop music isn’t his area of expertise either and “there was a very early question about Pharrell Williams and I knew nothing about it.”
He continued: “There are different strengths we have and different weaknesses, and there is no shame in it.
“The audience were lovely, very warm, very appreciative, and it was nice to have the feeling they were on your side.”
Sir Stephen competed on the quiz show, hosted by Jeremy Clarkson, to raise money for the mental health charity Mind, which he has been the president of since 2011.
A very early #AskTheAudience 🤷 proving it is only easy if you know the answer #WhoWantsToBeAMillionaire pic.twitter.com/y4qDAmelUo
— Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? (@MillionaireUK) October 20, 2024
Following his experience, he encouraged others to take part, saying: “It’s not about exposing ignorance and making people feel bad. Nobody is a loser and it is very rare that somebody gets nothing out of it.
“Anything is better than nothing when it comes to charity.”
Sir Stephen has been open about his struggles with mental illness and his bipolar disorder diagnosis over the years, and he fronted BBC programme, Stephen Fry’s The Secret Life Of The Manic Depressive, in 2006.
He was awarded a knighthood in the recent New Year Honours list for his services to mental health awareness, the environment and to charity.
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When does new series of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire start?
Who Wants To Be A Millionaire will return to screens for a new series on ITV on Sunday, January 26 at 8pm.
It will also see stars including Strictly Come Dancing judge Anton Du Beke, Channel 4 news anchor Krishnan Guru-Murthy and former BBC Breakfast host Louise Minchin put to the test.
Courtesy of Enfield Independent | What’s On