
Each episode begins with U&Dave giving the studio audience £250,000 to share between them. All they need to do to keep it...is not make a sound.
Dermot OLeary is to host U&Daves Silence is Golden (6x60) a brand new entertainment show created by Richard Bacon, whose Yes Yes Media is set to produce the series for UKTV.
"When a show like this falls into your lap, you cant quite believe your luck."
At the start of each episode, the network gives £250,000 to the studio audience and all they need to do to keep it...is remain silent. With every audience member miced up, all hell breaks loose as a green room of 30 acts, led by three returning comedian captains, headed up by Katherine Ryan, wage war on the audience, with every sound forced out of them bringing the total prize money down. Its entertainers vs audience - theyre not on the same side. If the entertainers get the prize pot to zero, they get to give money to charity. Silence is Golden - the comedy show that you cant laugh at.
Dermot OLeary says: "Im so looking forward to Silence is Golden. When a show like this falls into your lap, you cant quite believe your luck. Looking forward to having lots of fun with the audience, our comedians and assorted cast of regulars, all trying to make the audience laugh, gasp and giggle".
Silence is Golden is commissioned for UKTV by Mark Iddon, senior commissioning editor, comedy and entertainment, and Jason Dawson, commissioning executive. The series is ordered by Cherie Hall, channel director and Hilary Rosen, director of commissioning. Silence is Golden is produced by Yes Yes Media, with Tim Dean (fresh off Channel 4s Late Night Lycett) to series produce, and executive produced by Richard Bacon and Yes Yes Medias Head of Entertainment Mark Sidaway (former showrunner of The X-Factor).
Mark Iddon says: "Were really excited to bring Silence is Golden to U&Dave. Dermot is the perfect host to hold this chaotically ambitious show together and we think our U&Dave audiences are going to embrace this subversive and unpredictable format. Silence is Golden is the only show where staying silent is worth its weight in gold. Its the quietest way to lose a fortune youll ever see and its time for our studio audience to put their money where their mouth isnt."
Cherie Hall says: "This is a really original premise for a show and I wish our audience the best of luck as they try and resist the temptation to break the silence - viewers at home will love watching the chaos unfold."
Richard Bacon, founder of Yes Yes Media, says: "You know the feeling when youre not allowed to laugh at a funeral? Well, its that: the Game Show. And I commend U&Dave for boldly commissioning a show that will cost them a quarter million a week - if the audience is better at playing the game than we are."
Silence is Golden joins a string of comedy entertainment commissions on U&Dave this year, alongside Battle In The Box hosted by Jimmy Carr, Follow The Leader with Jamali Maddix, returning series of Worlds Most Dangerous Roads, Mel Giedroyc: Unforgivable and scripted comedy Meet The Richardsons.
Silence is Golden will air on U&Dave and stream on U next year, following the launch of U - a new masterbrand that will unite UKTVs family of free-to-air channels and its free streaming service. Launching in Summer 2024, the move will see current streaming service UKTV Play transition to U, and UKTVs family of free-to-air channels will become U&Dave, U&DRAMA, U&YESTERDAY and U&W.
For more information please contact: Ben Duncan, Consumer publicity manager, UKTV
For enquiries about Yes Yes Media: Alex Wells, Head of communications, Sister aw@sister.net
About UKTV
UKTV has been at the forefront of branded television for over 30 years, entertaining the nation with programmes they love. Its leading brands - Dave, Gold, W, Drama, Alibi, Eden and Yesterday - span comedy, entertainment, natural history, factual and drama, and are delivered to audiences through UKTV Play, Freeview, Sky, Virgin Media, BT, TalkTalk, YouView, Freesat and Amazon Fire. The broadcaster is a significant investor in British creativity and is committed to working with new and established writers, directors and programme-makers.
UKTV is part of BBC Studios, the UKs most-awarded production company, a world-class distributor with international branded services, and a commercial subsidiary of the worlds leading public service broadcaster, the BBC.
corporate.uktv.co.uk | press.uktv.co.uk | @uktvpress
About Yes Yes
Yes Yes Media is the TV and tech entertainment company founded by broadcaster and format creator Richard Bacon in 2022. Backed by the global entertainment group SISTER, Yes Yes continues to grow a slate of premium non-scripted content, finding new and innovative ways to reach, engage and entertain global audiences. Silence is Golden is Richards fourth original entertainment format to air since 2021, following The Hustler (ABC), This Is MY House (BBC) and I Literally Just Told You (Channel 4).
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
09/10/2026
September 10 2026, 06:00 (PDT) Dolby Expands Dolby OptiView Platform with New Capabilities at IBC 2026
New Sports Intelligence helps providers better unders...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
11/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
11/09/2026
Version 1.8 will bring advanced routing control, new workflow tools, boosted control panel flexibility and ease of integration into IP networks...
11/09/2026
Ikegami announces four additions its UNICAM XE range of 4K-UHD cameras with the introduction of the UHK-X700VN, UHK-X750VN, UHK-X600VN and UHK-X650VN. Developed...
11/09/2026
DHD.audio has chosen IBC2026 as the launch venue for a major new addition to its broadcast sound production platform: the MX3 console range. MX3 retains the mod...
11/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
11/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
11/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
11/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
11/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
11/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
11/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
11/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
11/09/2026
New standalone solution gives production teams everything they need to create, produce and deliver live content from one flexible system.
Grass Valley today an...
11/09/2026
Recognition honors the development of FPV drone camera systems for live sports broadcast coverage
Wave Central, a Domo Broadcast Company that develops advanced...
11/09/2026
Teradek, the industry leader in zero-delay wireless video solutions, announced the launch of Bolt 7, which now includes a unified wireless video and data system...
11/09/2026
The ACT Entertainment tvONE and Green Hippo Pixel Academy has released its autumn course schedule, with hands-on training dates in September, October and Novemb...
11/09/2026
LA JOLLA, CA-Transthyretin amyloid disease (ATTR) is a progressive, life-threatening condition caused when the protein transthyretin (TTR) breaks apart and aggr...
11/09/2026
Major Update to Blackmagic Cloud
Brie Clayton September 10, 2026
0 Comments
Blackmagic Design has announced a major update to Blackmagic Cloud which a...
11/09/2026
Dalet Helps Media Organizations Navigate the Rise of Synthetic Content with NVID...
11/09/2026
RT has today announced Benetti Menswear as the sponsor of its 2026 Amgen Irish Open coverage for a sixth consecutive year, further strengthening the heritage c...
10/09/2026
Duff Foreman is an AI-generated announcer who will add color to this month's New Mexico Open...
10/09/2026
Bitmovin is rolling out Encoder Version 3, the next major release of the technology behind its VOD and Live Encoders. Version 3 is built on a premise every stre...
10/09/2026
At IBC2026, on booth 1.B47, Net Insight will showcase Open Live Media, its architecture for delivering resilient live media services across networks, partners, ...
10/09/2026
The Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) and Scripps Sports have announced a national broadcast rights agreement for the 2026-27 season, a landmark par...
10/09/2026
The Trusted Partner Network (TPN), the global content security initiative powere...
10/09/2026
The NFL is launching its most expansive creator programming yet, bringing togeth...
10/09/2026
Sportsnet is set to deliver its biggest hockey season ever with a national sched...
10/09/2026
LiveU is now a Clarus Integrated Reseller, bringing Starlink's fast, reliabl...
10/09/2026
Mimir is the cloud-native media production platform built for teams that need to move media fast across live, archive, web, social, and broadcast workflows. At ...
10/09/2026
ATSC is being honored with a 2026 Technology & Engineering Emmy Award by the Nat...
10/09/2026
Audio-Technica has introduced the BP880R Contact Transducer, a specialized micro...
10/09/2026
TMRW Sports in partnership with the LPGA, today announced multiyear U.S. media rights agreements with ESPN and Scripps Sports/ION to bring WTGL, the new women...
10/09/2026
SportsNet Pittsburgh (SNP) in partnership with Major League Baseball and the Pit...
10/09/2026
Tennis Channel announced today its launch as a Premium Subscription on The Roku Channel.
Tennis Channel offers viewers a single home for Tennis Channel and Ten...
10/09/2026
Dolby has announced major updates to Dolby OptiView, its live sports platform, ahead of IBC 2026. The updates include new AI-powered intelligence to better unde...
10/09/2026
Dalet has appointed Brian Doheny as CEO. Doheny joined Dalet as President and Chief Revenue Officer in April 2026. Since joining Dalet, Doheny has led the compa...
10/09/2026
Sony, as well as its partner company Nevion, is starting IBC 2026 with a handful of announcements for attendees to see on the show floor.
Sony Announces the 4t...
10/09/2026
The six-year-old venue is expanding capabilities for NFL action, Super Bowl LXI, 2028 Summer Olympics
SoFi Stadium, as well as the surrounding area known as Ho...
10/09/2026
Editing, restoration & mastering suite upgraded Acon Digital Acoustica 8 audio editing restoration mastering software.
Acon Digital have just launched the la...
10/09/2026
Classic synths & drum machines available to play
Based in Reading, UK, Readipop are a music and arts charity with a long track record of innovative, partici...
10/09/2026
Popular model updated & new addition introduced
With many of the models in Neumann's KH family now boasting onboard DSP and support for the company'...
10/09/2026
Improved desktop interface announced
The latest iteration of Arturia's flagship desktop audio interface has just arrived, introducing improved preamps, ...
10/09/2026
Progress needs proof: Rohde & Schwarz showcases its trailblazing test solutions ...
10/09/2026
France launch follows UK and Germany as Nielsen expands product across EMEA
Paris, France, September 10, 2026 - Nielsen, a global leader in audience measuremen...
10/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
10/09/2026
Leading professional audio manufacturers NUGEN Audio, RTW, Steinberg and Telos Alliance have joined forces with Fraunhofer IDMT to establish a common approach t...
10/09/2026
Built Into Setplex's Zapflex Platform, AI Insider Turns Video Service Data Into Actionable Insights
Setplex today introduced AI Insider, a breakthrough new...