CITV Memories – Follow Your Nose.

Follow Your Nose (CITV, 1992)

This is a game show that I don’t really remember too much from the time, but as it was on CITV in the early-90s when I was a regular viewer, it must have something going for it. The format of Follow Your Nose seems to fall somewhere between Mega Mania and Fun House, two other game shows that were on CITV at the time, although this one was a little less crazy than those.

This one was hosted by Amanda Ross, who is related to Jonathan and Paul, and she was also the devisor of the show. Every week, just like Mega Mania, Follow Your Nose came from somewhere different in the country. Four contestants took part, and they had to play various challenges. Some of these would involve sport, and they would all have to work together to complete them in time, which was usually about a minute.

For every challenge that was completed, they received a letter. If they didn’t succeed though, they didn’t get the letter. They were also given a clue to what the word could be based on some of the games that they played. So the more letters they have, the more chance they had of winning. If they can solve what the word is in time, then they win lots of nice prizes, including bum bags, jackets, T-shirts, and lots more I’m sure.

There was also a competition for viewers where they could solve a word and write in with the answer for a prize too. There was only one series of Follow Your Nose, but most importantly, did this pass the Tommy Boyd test, and get the endorsement of the main CITV host at the time? Well of course it did. Although it would be rather unlikely that he thought it was bad, he did seem to have a fondness for the show, even if he could never solve the words himself.

After this, Ross went on to have some more success behind the scenes in TV, becoming a rather influential figure. She did devise a few more game shows, including XYZ, which was shown in a daytime slot and was very good, if rather short-lived. And she has also done well with with her production company, which among other things was behind Richard And Judy’s show on Channel 4.