Ross Kemp reveals David James’s peculiar specialism left his ‘jaw on the floor’ in Bridge of Lies

BBC One show will have a celebrity edition for the first time

Ross Kemp has said that David James’s knowledge of cats in the new series of Bridge of Lies left his “jaw on the floor”.

The show, which became a hit daytime quiz series after it first came out in March 2022, returns in a new Saturday night slot on BBC One, with teams of celebrity contestants competing for the first time.

Actor and TV presenter Kemp, best known for playing Grant Mitchell EastEnders and presenting documentaries, including Ross Kemp on Gangs, returns to host the show.

The 58-year-old said the series has “glammed up a bit” but that he still considers himself Little Mr Saturday Night rather than Mr Saturday Night.

Kemp said he “laughed the most” while filming the third episode of the show with the stars of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK – Lawrence Chaney, Tia Kofi, Kitty Scott-Claus and The Vivienne.

He said: “To be honest, a lot of our banter from the show can’t go out pre-watershed. And my God, I’ve never felt so small on any set I’ve ever been on in my life.”

But it was former England goalkeeper James, who appears in the fifth episode alongside sporting legends Ugo Monye, Judy Murray and Pat Nevin, that shocked him the most.

Kemp said: “I have to say, David James’s knowledge of cats in episode five left my jaw on the floor. All of that team were all incredibly bright individuals.”

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He added: “The great thing about Bridge is that it doesn’t matter if it’s a team of sports stars or firemen or people working in the NHS, it gives everyone the opportunity to shine.

“It’s not necessarily about knowing one answer, it’s about knowing all the other answers.”

Speaking about the lineup of famous faces joining the show, including Kimberly Wyatt from The Pussycat Dolls, EastEnders’ Richard Blackwood and Claire Richards from Steps, he added: “They are all really, really down to earth.”

Bridge of Lies challenges teams to cross the bridge of stepping stones by choosing the truth options and avoiding the lies, or they risk falling off the bridge and out of the game.

Along with eight episodes of the celebrity version of the show, series two of Bridge of Lies will return to BBC One Daytime on 23 January, with members of the public taking on the bridge to win a cash prize.

Celebrity Bridge of Lies begins on BBC One at 6.05pm on 14 January and continues weekly, while Bridge of Lies begins on BBC One on 23 January and continues each weekday.

Additional reporting by Press Association