Total Wipeout returning to screens for epic reboot – with an X-rated new twist
ADVENTURE gameshow Total Wipeout is getting a reboot — this time with naked contestants.
The old BBC series saw Grand Tour host Richard Hammond commentate on madcap scenes as competitors tried to clamber over a water-based assault course, including an iconic run across giant red balls.
It aired from 2009 to 2012, but the new version being developed is so saucy it is more likely to be picked up by ITV2 or Channel 4.
A TV insider said: “Total Wipeout was one of the unsung heroes of British telly, even though it had a huge following when it was on our screens.
“Producers are keen to tap into that again — only this time it may end up with a different name and it will be getting this very modern twist with the nudity element.
“Other shows have seen people keen to strip off on screen, so they’re not worried about getting contestants.
“But they may have to think twice about a celebrity version — just like the original show — as it’s unlikely to get many takers.”
Total Wipeout aired late on Saturday afternoons and often pulled in more than seven million viewers — figures that most shows now can only dream of.
The hilarious ways contestants came a cropper on the Argentina-based course had viewers in stitches, but for celebs taking part it was no laughing matter.
Ex-EastEnders star Joe Swash dislocated his shoulder on it, while Olympic great Fatima Whitbread said it was the hardest thing she had ever done.
The reboot is being developed by Talkback Thames, which also made dating contest Too Hot to Handle for Netflix.
A spokesman declined to comment.