Celebrity Squares

Did You Know?

• Nearly every one of the 138 ATV-era episodes has been wiped from the archives, but Monkhouse saved 40 episodes in his video cassette collection.
• In the ATV run, the secret square prize was usually a holiday or weekend break to a location in Europe.
• The show was produced by September Films and Motion Content Group for the 2014 revival.

Format

The game is based on noughts and crosses, with a celebrity seated in each square. The host asks a celebrity a question; if the contestant correctly predicts whether the celebrity answered correctly or incorrectly, they win that square and a money value. An incorrect prediction gives the opposing contestant the square with no money. At game point, the opponent must place their own nought or cross in the square. A player wins the round by getting three in a row vertically, horizontally, or diagonally, or by claiming five squares total. Willie Rushton frequently occupied the centre square, and Pat Coombs was a regular, developing a running gag with Monkhouse based on her greeting 'Hello Bobby' and his reply 'Hello Patty'. In the ATV run each square and game was worth £10, and rounds two, four, and five featured a 'secret square' that awarded a special prize, usually a European holiday. During the Central and Reg Grundy Productions era, squares in the first two rounds were worth £10 and a round win added £50; round two was the secret square round, with the prize carrying over if unchosen. In the Warwick Davis version, squares in the first two rounds were worth £50 and a round win added £500, with round two (and round four in 2014) being a 'mystery square' round. The ATV editions included a segment where the public submitted questions for Monkhouse; if he answered incorrectly the writer earned £5, and if correctly he earned £10, with the round's proceeds going to a person in need.