‘I’m sure people will ask why the hell am I doing a show with genius in the title?’ says Alan Carr, just three months after outsmarting the likes of Nick Mohammed and Sir Stephen Fry to win Celebrity Traitors.
Alan’s trademark self-deprecation feels somewhat misplaced here since he defied all expectations to be crowned the show’s winner.
He’s far sharper than he’s long been given credit for. It may still not make sense to him that he’s been teamed up with the country’s most renowned lexicographer, Susie Dent, to host Channel 4’s Secret Genius, but to the rest of us it now feels like a blindingly obvious match.
The premise is simple, but in classic Channel 4 fashion, the show is layered with an underlying message of social justice.
The brightest people in Britain walk among us every day under the guise of lorry drivers, dance teachers and waiters, yet are more often than not overlooked because of their CVs.
In Secret Genius, they’re given the chance to prove they have extraordinary brains that life has sidelined.
Perhaps they were told they weren’t good enough, let down by an education system designed to benefit certain types of minds over others, or bullied out of pursuing their dreams.
Contestants from across the country battle through a series of games designed by Mensa, with the strongest player crowned a Secret Genius.
It’s packed with heart; the games are accessible enough to play along at home; and Alan’s razor-sharp wit, paired with Susie’s formidable brain, makes for compelling commentary. It has all the ingredients of a Channel 4 classic.
‘It’s kind of like Bake Off for brains,’ quips Alan.
‘I think we all are guilty of stereotyping people, not just through job titles,’ says Susie.
‘There’s some incredible statistic, which is that we have this perfect mental image of somebody within two minutes of meeting them and very often it’s totally wrong, but that’s all based on body language, voice accent and clothes, which is quite scary.’
I wonder whether either of them has ever felt stereotyped – their intelligence underestimated.
‘I remember when I worked at Tesco, being on the tills and a woman saying to her son, “That’s what happens to you if you don’t do well,”’ Alan shared.
How did he respond? ‘Well, I packed a bag, I put a cake at the bottom, put the tins on top, wedged the eggs underneath and said, “Have a good f**king day.” No, I wish, but I just kept scanning.’
It’s a moment that clearly left a lasting impression. Even decades later, Alan doubts whether he has the credentials to present a show celebrating geniuses. But the glove fits perfectly.
Together, Alan and Susie explore all forms of intelligence – linguistic, numerical, emotional – playing effortlessly to both of their strengths.
I ask what their first impressions of each other were, coming from such different worlds.
‘As I remember, he emerged from a desk wearing my clothes,’ Susie says casually, as though she’s long since grown used to his debauchery. Alan clarifies they were appearing on Eight Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown.
‘But that wasn’t part of the show – she just left her dressing room undone.’
Beneath the silliness, Alan admits he was intimidated. ‘Intelligence can be intimidating though – and I was. Obviously, when you get to spend time with Susie though, she’s got a naughty sense of humour.’
Working together on Secret Genius, Susie quickly discovered one of Alan’s more enviable talents. ‘I was amazed how easily Alan can go to sleep on a table.’
Alan insists this wasn’t typical. Celebrity Traitors finished filming on a Sunday and Secret Genius began on the Monday. ‘Of course, I didn’t know I was going to last till the end so I came down and I had this secret. I couldn’t tell anyone…’
At this point, the series producer gives Alan a look. ‘He swears to this day that I told him – but it’s lies. But, I mean, you must have known, because I was there on the last day of filming.’
There is, however, an obvious parallel between Celebrity Traitors and Secret Genius.
Alan was overlooked by his fellow players – and much of the nation – written off after the first episode when he openly strategised with Cat Burns and Jonathan Ross at full volume, just feet away from other contestants.
‘I was underestimated in there,’ he says, ‘and then when it came to Secret Genius, seeing these people who were doubted by their parents or bullied at school or judged by their accent and the way they look, you instantly go on their side because they’re proving people wrong.’
Several contestants have already made life-changing leaps since filming. Ambulance worker Ollie, crippled with self-doubt on the show, has since decided to take her A-levels and apply to medical school. Others have started businesses, become certified Mensa members or embarked on degrees – all following dreams they once thought impossible.
Will you be watching Secret Orders?
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Yes – looks like fun!
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No thanks
There is nothing secret about Susie’s genius, yet contestants resonated deeply with her too.
‘I definitely felt different growing up because I loved homework,’ she says. ‘I underplayed that – and I think that’s quite a girl and a woman thing as well, to feel like it’s not always very cool to have your head above the parapet.’
Even leaders in their respective fields aren’t immune to self-doubt.
Countdown, bizarrely, is Susie’s worst nightmare. ‘For somebody who sits in front of a clock day in, day out, I’m really bad at timed tasks,’ she admits. But that insecurity peaked during Taskmaster.
‘There is an assumption I’ll ace everything, so I feel the pressure,’ she says.
‘The last task that we had in the studio involved alphabetical sequence… I realised it two seconds before the clock started, and then, literally, as the clock started, it just went like that, and I totally lost it. Honestly, I really panicked that people might say, “I thought she was better than that.” But that does get better with age.’
Alan’s self-doubt manifests on stage. Even now – with one in four people watching and rooting for him on Celebrity Traitors – and as he prepares to embark on a national tour, it lingers. Naturally, the show has opened new doors, including what he describes as ‘loads of work’ he can’t yet discuss, but if ever there was a moment to let go of doubt, it’s now.
‘It’s been an amazing experience and it’s really nice,’ he says, ‘but all people want to know is: “what’s the breakfast like?” Truth is, you eat before, and then this breakfast is really cold -but I’m such a pig I was eating it anyway.’
Outside of touring and whatever career-changing opportunities lie ahead, 2026 is a big year for Alan. This summer – June 14, to be precise – he turns 50. How does he feel about the milestone?
‘It’s all gone in the blink of an eye. I remember turning 21 and my mum said, “Just enjoy it, because you’ll fly by now.” And then here I am at 50… yeah, it’s gone in the blink of an eye.’
As for Susie, I ask what word she would use to sum up 2026 so far, which just three weeks in, it’s clear will be defined by Donald Trump’s volatile nature.
‘One word many of us might feel this coming year also happens to be my favourite German word. It is Fernweh, which simply means the longing to be far away. But I’m still holding on for “respair”. It’s got to come at some point!’
Secret Genius begins on Sunday, February 1, at 9pm on Channel 4.
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