Quizmaster theatre role for Eamonn

Former GMTV presenter Eamonn Holmes has landed a new job – hosting the theatre version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?

Holmes, who left his £450,000 (€654,600)-a-year job at GMTV last month after 12 years, will start work as the Chris Tarrant of the theatre production in July.

Former Family Fortunes host Les Dennis and entertainer Paul Ross will join the 45-year-old Irishman by taking the theatre hotseat on separate nights.

The theatre production, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? Live, is travelling to Torquay, Eastbourne, Bournemouth, Jersey and Harrogate.

Theatre audiences will play to win prizes using personal handsets, while those in the hotseat compete on 15 questions for items such as cars, luxury holidays and plasma screen TVs.

Holmes, who won £32,000 (€46,500) for charity when he teamed up with Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson for the TV quiz last year, said: “I’m really excited about hosting Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? Live.

“I have been a contestant on the TV show in the past so it will be great to be the other side of the game asking the questions, although I’m sure it will be just as nerve-wracking.”

He added: “And that’s my final answer!”

Holmes and his hero Ferguson finished at £32,000 (€46,500) on the TV quiz after being stumped by the name of the hen in The Good Life.

The TV show has been running for six years on ITV1 and has given away more than £41m (€59.6m).

If the new roadshow takes off in the same way as the TV version, it could travel across the globe.

Belfast-born Holmes has continued hosting National Lottery Jet Set and his Saturday morning Radio 5 Live show since quitting GMTV.

After leaving GMTV, his first project was hosting a commemorative concert to celebrate the 60th anniversary of VE day on BBC1, with Natasha Kaplinsky.

He has also signed up as a pantomime star in Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs.

Holmes announced in February that he planned to leave GMTV, saying later that the breakfast show was “formulaic and no longer covers real news”.

“This might be the worst decision of my whole life but I’m quite excited that different things are happening,” he said at the time.

“It’s scary, but for the first time in a long time I feel alive.”