Through the Keyhole is a British comedy panel game show created by the television producer Kevin Sim and originally presented by Sir David Frost in the studio and Loyd Grossman on location. The location presenter explores celebrities' houses and a panel of other celebrities in the studio try to guess who the famous homeowner is.
The show was originally produced by Yorkshire Television and was broadcast on ITV from 3 April 1987 to 1 May 1995, then on Sky One from 22 February to 23 December 1996 before moving to BBC One from 5 May 1998 to 2 August 2004 and its sister channel BBC Two from 27 February 2006 to 4 June 2008.
In 2013, the show was revived for ITV with Leigh Francis as the host. In February 2020, it was reported that the programme had been cancelled after six series.
History Original series Through the Keyhole originally started as a segment on TV-am, first being broadcast on its launch day on 1 February 1983. The idea was created by Kevin Sim as a chance to look around some of the most influential homes with Grossman at the helm as the tour presenter. Grossman was mistakenly given the job after someone had confused him with another journalist. It became a regular feature of TV-am throughout 1983 until May 1985.
In Spring 1986,Brief Note: Scunthorpe Evening Telegraph, P2: Monday 05 May 1986Role reversal, Newspaper: Aberdeen Evening Express P15, Saturday 10 May 1986 Frost transferred the concept to Yorkshire Television who picked up the format, to produce a full half-hour programme for ITV, where a celebrity panel tries to guess whose house is being looked at. From 1987, it ran in primetime on Friday nights for eight years on ITV and was rarely out of the top ten entertainment programmes on television. The executive producers were Kevin Sim and Chantal Rickards. From 1996, it was produced by Frost's own production company, Paradine Productions, at Yorkshire Television. That same year, the show also moved to Sky One for one series. It then moved to BBC One Daytime in 1998 until 2004. The final three series aired on BBC Two from 2006 to 2008, after which it was cancelled by the BBC. However, a special aired in March 2011 for Red Nose Day 2011 as part of marathon panel show 24 Hour Panel People.
Revival
In 2013, the programme returned on its original broadcast channel ITV with Leigh Francis (in character as Keith Lemon) taking up the dual roles of studio presenter and house detective. The new series was filmed at Pinewood Studios until 2018, with series 6 filmed at the BBC Elstree Centre's Studio D in the latter half of the year. Dave Berry was a regular panellist. The first episode of the revived series aired on the same day that former host Sir David Frost died, although the news did not break until the following morning.
Before his death in August 2013, Frost gave his backing to ITV's remake, saying: "I am delighted that the Keyhole format is now entering its fourth decade on TV. I know the pilot show went down very well with the studio audience and I wish Keith and his team the very best of luck for the series."
Format At the start of each episode, Frost introduces a panel of three celebrities with the catchphrase "And what a panel they are ..." and some gently humorous or mocking descriptions. He then hands over to the location presenter who gives the panellists a guided tour of a property, noting particular items, though there is typically a large amount of misdirection involved as the items pointed out by the presenter are not necessarily the most pertinent clues to the person's identity. Items not specifically mentioned may provide much more useful clues. Once completed, Frost reveals the identity of the guest to the audience and the panel are given turns at guessing their identity. The audience participate with varying degrees of applause according to the accuracy of the panellists' guesswork.
The panellists are either successful at identifying the guest or Frost reveals their identity, after which they are interviewed and given a key-shaped trophy as a memento. Starting during Loyd Grossman's reign as location presenter, the geographic spread was extended with one of the properties on each episode being located in the US and one in Europe. When Stefanie Powers joined in 2007, she was based in the US and conducted the US property tours, whilst in the UK Lisa Snowdon conducted the European part.
Celebrity panellists and homeowners ITV Series 1 # Celebrity panellists Celebrity homeowners Original air date 1 Alan CorenMary ParkinsonKenneth Williams Spike MilliganStirling Moss 3 April 1987 2 Willie RushtonEve PollardChris Tarrant Linda LusardiFreddie Starr 10 April 1987 3 Chris TarrantNina MyskowLord Lichfield Tony BlackburnRobert Maxwell 17 April 1987 4 Alan CorenMary ParkinsonKenneth Williams Lynsey de PaulMagnus Pyke 24 April 1987 5 Chris TarrantNina MyskowLord Lichfield Bryan RobsonBeryl Reid 1 May 1987 6 Willie RushtonEve PollardChris Tarrant Molly ParkinVince Hill 8 May 1987 7 Alan CorenMoira StuartWillie Rushton Five StarMary Whitehouse 15 May 1987 8 Chris TarrantEve PollardKenneth Williams Suzanne DandoLennie Bennett 22 May 1987 9 Steve BlacknellAnna RaeburnWillie Rushton Rick WakemanSandy Gall 29 May 1987 10 Alan CorenMoira StuartWillie Rushton Jack CharltonStan Boardman 5 June 1987 11 Chris TarrantEve PollardKenneth Williams Denis HealeyJanet Brown 12 June 1987 12 Chris TarrantNina MyskowLord Lichfield Tessa SandersonGeorge Melly 19 June 1987 13 Chris TarrantEve PollardKenneth Williams Harvey SmithDuchess of Argyll 26 June 1987
Series 2 # Celebrity panellists Celebrity homeowners Original air date 1 Chris TarrantEmma FreudWillie Rushton David SteelRuby Wax 15 April 1988 2 Pattie ColdwellLord LichfieldEve Pollard Uri GellerBob Carolgees 22 April 1988 3 Willie RushtonClare RaynerChris Tarrant Michael FishSu Pollard 29 April 1988 4 Chris TarrantAnna RaeburnNigel Dempster Jane RossingtonFred Trueman 6 May 1988 5 Willie RushtonSarah KennedyAlan Coren Clive SinclairKenny Everett 13 May 1988 6 Willie RushtonEve PollardJudith Chalmers Katie BoyleBernard Manning 20 May 1988 7 Willie RushtonClare RaynerChris Tarrant Bob ChampionDebbie Greenwood 27 May 1988 8 Pattie ColdwellLord LichfieldEve Pollard Gordon HoneycombeLiz Dawn 3 June 1988 9 Willie RushtonSarah KennedyAlan Coren Clare FrancisBill Oddie 24 June 1988 10 Chris TarrantAnna RaeburnNigel Dempster Mike ReidMike Read 1 July 1988 11 Chris TarrantEmma FreudWillie Rushton Kenny BallLucinda Green 8 July 1988 12 Willie RushtonEve PollardAlan Coren Lord Montagu of BeaulieuFatima Whitbread 15 July 1988 13 Chris Tarrant Eve Pollard Alan Coren Jean RogersClement Freud 5 August 1988
Series 3 # Celebrity panellists Celebrity homeowners Original air date 1 Chris TarrantAlan TitchmarshEve Pollard Henry CooperRuth Madoc 17 February 1989 2 Willie RushtonChris TarrantEve Pollard Bruce KentJimmy Savile 24 February 1989 3 Willie RushtonPatti ColdwellNed Sherrin Bernie CliftonDelia Smith 3 March 1989 4 Sue LloydBill OddieChris Tarrant Lance PercivalMaria Whittaker 10 March 1989 5 Alan CorenDebbie RixChris Tarrant Nina MyskowEddie "The Eagle" Edwards 17 March 1989 6 Willie RushtonChris TarrantEve Pollard Jim BowenOssie Ardiles 24 March 1989 7 Clement FreudAnna RaeburnWillie Rushton Victor & Marilyn LownesPaddy Ashdown & Jane Ashdown 31 March 1989 8 Chris TarrantEve PollardAlan Coren Rachael Heyhoe FlintRussell Grant 7 April 1989 9 Katie BoyleWillie RushtonCarol Vorderman Mary PetersScreaming Lord Sutch 14 April 1989 10 Judi SpiersChris TarrantSue Lloyd Sharron DaviesBernard Matthews 21 April 1989 11 Patti ColdwellWillie RushtonNed Sherrin Annabel CroftKenny Lynch 28 April 1989 12 Willie RushtonAnna RaeburnClement Freud Norman St John-StevasSteve Wright 5 May 1989 13 Judi SpiersChris TarrantBill Oddie Eddy ShahKathy Staff 12 May 1989
Series 4 # Celebrity panellists Celebrity homeowners Original air date 1 Chris TarrantStephanie CalmanAlan Coren Judge James PicklesDoc Cox 9 March 1990 2 Katie BoyleWillie RushtonChris Tarrant Sheila FergusonLord Oaksey 16 March 1990 3 Willie RushtonPatti ColdwellMike Read Barbara CastleBarry McGuigan 23 March 1990 4 Willie RushtonChris TarrantKatie Boyle Viscount WeymouthJohn Conteh 30 March 1990 5 Chris TarrantNina MyskowDanny La Rue Patrick MooreGerald Harper 6 April 1990 6 Willie RushtonHilary KingsleyMike Read Acker BilkRose-Marie 13 April 1990 7 Willie RushtonNina MyskowAndrew O'Connor Debbie MooreRoger De Courcey 20 April 1990 8 Willie RushtonNina MyskowAndrew O'Connor Phil DrabblePeter Stringfellow 27 April 1990 9 Chris TarrantStephanie CalmanAlan Coren Simon & Annette HowardWilliam Roache 4 May 1990 10 Willie RushtonEve PollardLord Lichfield Zandra RhodesRay Illingworth 11 May 1990 11 Lord LichfieldEve PollardDanny La Rue Jeffrey ArcherGlynn Christian 18 May 1990 12 Willie RushtonEve PollardMike Read Gerry & Susan GoldwyresPhil & Frances Edmonds 25 May 1990 13 Eve PollardChris TarrantAlan Titchmarsh Tony HartDon Maclean 1 June 1990
Revival
Series 1 # Celebritypanellists Celebrityhomeowners Originalair date Viewers(millions) 1 Dave BerryEamonn HolmesMartine McCutcheon Louis SmithJohn PrescottDuncan JamesLee Ryan 31 August 2013 5.13 2 Dave BerryJonathan RossDenise van Outen Mary BerryCarol McGiffinTom Fletcher 7 September 2013 4.21 3 Dave BerryCilla BlackHolly Willoughby Louis WalshKerry KatonaGreg Rutherford 14 September 2013 4.25 4 Dave BerryTerry WoganCatherine Tyldesley Bruno TonioliStacey SolomonKelly Hoppen 21 September 2013 3.95 5 Dave BerryEmma BuntonLarry Lamb Linda RobsonMel BJoey Essex 28 September 2013 3.27 6 Dave BerrySimon GregsonMollie King Amir KhanDaryl HannahSarah Harding 5 October 2013 3.64 7 Dave BerryJulian ClaryBarbara Windsor Gino D'AcampoNeil MorrisseyDenise Welch 15 December 2013 3.58 Note: Episode 7 was a Christmas special.
Series 2 # Celebritypanellists Celebrityhomeowners Originalair date Viewers(millions) 1 Alan CarrRuth LangsfordJonathan Ross SinittaShaun RyderLaurence Llewelyn-Bowen 30 August 2014 3.35 2 Joe SwashGabby LoganPaddy McGuinness Harry JuddGeorge TakeiJohn Thomson 6 September 2014 3.31 3 Jimmy CarrNatalie AndersonDave Berry Will MellorChris PackhamClaire Richards 13 September 2014 3.61 4 Kian EganChristine BleakleyWarwick Davis Gene SimmonsSam BaileyDuncan Bannatyne 20 September 2014 3.59 5 Craig CharlesFearne CottonDave Berry David DickinsonJB GillClaire Sweeney 27 September 2014 3.24 6 Vernon KayCarol VordermanKatherine Ryan Rylan ClarkHilary DeveyNicky Clarke 4 October 2014 3.39 7 Des O'ConnorMyleene KlassDave Berry Dave MyersVerne TroyerToyah Willcox 11 October 2014 2.85 8 Jonathan RossKym MarshLouis Walsh Jane SeymourLouie SpenceAlex James 26 December 2014 2.65 Note: Episode 8 was a Christmas special
Series 3 # Celebritypanellists Celebrityhomeowners Originalair date Viewers(millions) 1 Gino D'AcampoSue CleaverJohnny Vegas Germaine GreerJames ArgentLou Ferrigno 29 August 2015 2.85 2 Jonathan RossKimberley WalshAndi Peters Penn JilletteCarl FogartyJames and Ola Jordan 5 September 2015 2.69 3 Paddy McGuinnessTess DalyJerry Springer Craig Revel HorwoodBill OddieYvette Fielding 12 September 2015 3.09 4 Bruno TonioliDavina McCallDave Berry David HayeVanessa FeltzCharlotte Crosby 19 September 2015 2.71 5 Antony CottonSara CoxJimmy Carr Sharon OsbourneDom JolyKimberly Wyatt 26 September 2015 2.01 6 Mark WrightJanet Street-PorterVernon Kay Peter AndreKate SilvertonSimon Webbe 3 October 2015 Under 2.01 7 Michael BuerkAshley RobertsDave Berry Anthea TurnerKen HomGeorgia May Foote 10 October 2015 Under 2.13 8 Jimmy CarrStephen MulhernClaudia Winkleman Russell GrantJack OsbourneJo Wood 24 December 2015 Under 1.91 Note: Episode 8 was a Christmas special.
Series 4 A fourth series began airing on 7 January 2017, with a Christmas episode airing two weeks previously, on 24 December. Eight episodes were recorded at Pinewood Studios in July 2016.