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Brian Cox didn’t hold back on BBC’s The One Show when he was asked what he thought about the latest batch of contestants on his reality series.
The Scottish actor, 79, is the presenter of 007: Road to a Million, a James Bond-inspired competition that features nine teams of two aiming to land the massive jackpot prize.
A series of spy-themed challenges put the 18 hopefuls through their paces, with the Succession star posing as the ‘Controller’ who sets the rules of each game and monitors each team from afar.
The first season of the show was released on Amazon Prime Video in November 2023, with the show renewed for the upcoming second season before the first season had even aired.
And when he was asked by hosts Roman Kemp and Clara Amfo for his thoughts on the 18 civilians who applied for the grueling reality show’s comeback, he didn’t mince his words at all.
He joked: ‘Well, they literally go through the runner, and of course I’m there to enjoy it all. My sadistic self is brought to the fore and [I experience] a lot of schadenfreude.’
When asked if he feels sympathy for contestants, he stayed true to his villainous Controller character: ‘I don’t feel sorry for them. They get what they deserve.’
Brian continued: ‘If they put themselves forward for this kind of show they should face up to the fact it’s not going to be easy. I’m not going to be a pushover.’
During the interview, the veteran actor was honest about what he perceived as mistakes that were made during production and filming of the first season two years ago.
‘So, it’s a fascinating show,’ he began. ‘It really is interesting. Last season we maybe didn’t [do our best], but we’ve really improved it for this season. We’ve learned our lessons and now it’s really in a good place.’
He also revealed that one of his reasons for signing up to the show was the fact that he’d never been approached to play a villain in a James Bond film.
‘For me, I’ve always wanted to play a James Bond villain, but they never asked me. So, I decided to play a Bond villain in this show instead. It’s my combination of M and a Bond villain, actually.’
M was Bond’s boss within MI6 and was played by a number of actors and actresses over the years – most famously in recent years by Judi Dench, who took on the role for 20 years between 2005 and 2012.
Brian had planned to go around the UK on a one-man tour later this year, but a packed schedule through 2025 had left him feeling ‘very busy and tired’.
The 18 dates, which were scheduled for October, haven’t been given an official rescheduled date yet, but fans have been urged to check back fir updates in 2026.
Watch The One Show on BBC One, weekdays at 7pm.
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