A former Miss World finalist is among contestants taking part in ITV’s new reality game show Genius Game – and plans to smash preconceptions about beauty pageant stars. The 29-year-old hopeful is not just a model, however, as she also works as an NHS doctor.
ITV’s new show is hosted by Rivals actor David Tennant and will pit 11 contestants against each other in a test of wits and intelligence. Tipped as a cross between The 1% Club and The Traitors, Genius Game will see players relying on their intelligence in a series of trials as they try to win a £ 50,000 jackpot all for themselves.
Along the way, participants will be able to manipulate their co-contestants as they try to trip them up to narrow the competition and increase odds of winning the prize. Dr. Bhasha Mukherjee is just one of the contestants and, fresh from her training to become a GP, has her eyes on the prize.
The new show will premiere on ITV1 on Wednesday 30th April at 9pm and ahead of the start date, Bhasha has opened up about her experience on the show. The doctor has also revealed she did find some similarities between the series and fighting for a beauty queen crown.
She was the longest reigning Miss England in the competition’s history, holding the crown between 2019 and 2021. While she also has a genius level IQ of 146 and has two bachelors degrees in medical sciences and in medicine and surgery from the University of Nottingham.
She said: “I’m excited to be one of the first contestants on the Genius show, it’s completely different to the glamour of Miss World. Although we did have a head to head challenge with the other contestants back in 2019 which included showcasing our Beauty with a Purpose projects.
“I’m thrilled to take part in something that’s not just entertaining but intellectually challenging. This is a chance to show that beauty queens can also be strategists, leaders, and critical thinkers.
“Academia and pushing myself out of my comfort zone is something I’m always passionate about. I wanted to take part in the TV show mainly because I’m quite a spontaneous person.”
The brain box continued: “In my life, many things have happened spontaneously — on-the-spot decisions — including entering Miss England.
“The opportunity came my way, and I said yes. I’m a big believer in being a ‘Yes’ person when life throws opportunities at you, because you never know where they might lead. When I spontaneously decided to do Miss England, I never imagined I would one day win it.
“That was the same approach I took with this experience — just give it a go.”
Fans will see Doctor Who star David take the role of The Creator on the show – effectively the quiz master of the eight-part series. A comedian, a student, a scientist and an author are among the almost dozen strong batch of contestants taking part in the first season of the show.
Katie Rawcliffe, Head of Entertainment at ITV, has shared details about the series, saying: “This exciting reality format is designed to keep not just the players but the audience on the edge of their seats with each episode containing compelling gameplay and thrilling twists.
“David Tennant is the perfect ringmaster to preside over this battle of brainpower, teamwork and deception. We’re delighted to be bringing Genius Game to the ITV audience.”
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