After a four-year break, Blankety Blank is back for a Christmas special.

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This time round, The Chase's Bradley Walsh will present the game show which sees celebrities answer tricky questions for contestants.

Walsh will be the sixth presenter to host Blankety Blank. He follows behind Vernon Kay and David Walliams, who each presented specials of the show in 2007 and 2016 respectively.

But, who was the original host on the show? And which celebs have fronted Blankety Blank over the years?

Read on for all you need to know about the presenters of the iconic gameshow from the late Terry Wogan in the 70s, right down to Paul O'Grady's alter ego Lily Savage.

https://twitter.com/BBCOne/status/1338498991114379275?s=20

Terry Wogan

The late and great Sir Terry Wogan was the pioneering host of Blankety Blank from its conception in 1979. For four years Wogan presented the show, and is remembered for his rather unusual stick-like microphone and his funny failure to keep the guests in check. On one memorable occasion, Kenny Everett bent the mic in half. From this moment on, every time Everett appeared on the show there’d be an attempt to destroy what became known as Wogan’s Wand.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egEkhdRjufA

Les Dawson

When Dawson took over from Wogan in 1984, he triumphantly snapped Wogan's Wand in two, and said he felt “about as comfortable as a lame turkey sat on a pile of paxo listening to Christmas carols”. Blankety Blank was infamous for its awful prizes, and Dawson once quipped: “You are not going away empty handed, you have a map of Penrith!” - he was known for his sarcasm and his deadpan wit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFjdp1u6Ecg

Lily Savage

From 1998 til the show’s end in 2002, Paul O’Grady hosted Blankety Blank as his drag alter-ego Lily Savage. Bringing pure sass to the studio, Savage was notorious for her hilarious cruelty to her guests – whose names she would often “forget” – and her haphazard approach to presenting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5vekOqfzxQ

Vernon Kay

In 2007, presenter and I'm A Celebrity 2020 contestant Vernon Kay hosted the Gameshow Marathon version of Blankety Blank on ITV.

Gameshow Marathon was originally hosted by Ant and Dec to commemorate the 50th anniversary of ITV in 2005, and saw some of our fave 90s games, from Price is Right to Play Your Cards Right, revived for a seven episode special.

After finishing as runner up on series one, Kay was asked to host the new series.

Vernon Kay
Vernon Kay Getty Images

David Walliams

The comedian, author and Britain's Got Talent judge hosted a one-off Christmas special of the show back in 2016.

Speaking of the role, Walliams said he had “very big shoes to fill" as he followed in the footsteps of Wogan, Dawson and O'Grady.

David Walliams Who Do You Think You Are?
David Walliams Getty Images
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Blankety Blank will air on Christmas Day at 7pm on BBC One. If you're looking for something to watch tonight, check out our TV Guide.

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Create an image depicting a festive scene with elements from the top Christmas songs, such as a snowy New York for 'Fairytale of New York', a cozy home setting for 'Last Christmas', and a glamorous Christmas party for 'All I Want for Christmas Is You'. Include musical notes and festive decorations to represent the spirit of these iconic Christmas songs.

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An image depicting a festive scene with iconic Christmas elements such as a beautifully decorated Christmas tree with twinkling lights, snow gently falling, and perhaps a cozy fireplace in the background. The image should capture the essence of popular Christmas songs, with musical notes and lyrics subtly included in the design, representing a playlist of classic Christmas tunes.

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Immediate’s iconic brands reach 21m people every month – that’s more than a third of the UK’s adults – through its world-class magazines, innovative digital products and exciting live eventsImmediate’s iconic brands reach 21m people every month – that’s more than a third of the UK’s adults – through its world-class magazines, innovative digital products and exciting live eventsImmediate’s iconic brands reach 21m people every month – that’s more than a third of the UK’s adults – through its world-class magazines, innovative digital products and exciting live events

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