Cedric the Entertainer has been named the new host of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.
The comedian will ask for “final answers” starting this fall, when he’ll replace Meredith Vieira, who has presided over the daytime version of the game show since it began airing in syndication in 2002. Regis Philbin presided over the original series, which was a monster hit for ABC starting in 1999 and ushered in a wave of reality TV.
“I’m truly looking forward to hosting Millionaire,'” Cedric said in a statement. “The show is a modern day game show giant, and the team at Disney-ABC has been great at putting the right elements together over 11 seasons. I’m excited to entertain all those who watch and play as season 12 launches … It’s going to be a good time every day!”
Millionaire has not held up as well as some of its counterparts: The show is averaging 3.2 million viewers this season, down 10% from last year, and has less than half the audience of the rebounding Family Feud, hosted by Steve Harvey. But Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! remain game-show kings, drawing 11 million and 9.6 million viewers, respectively, in their mostly early-evening time slots.
Source: USA Today
