Sue Perkins says chess is ‘hot’ calling BBC series contestants ‘extraordinary’

Comedian Sue Perkins has described chess as “hot” adding that the players on her new BBC series are “extraordinary”.

Speaking on the podcast Dish, the 55-year-old former Bake Off presenter said she has never seen “passion like it” on new BBC series Chess Masters: The Endgame.

The chess competition follows 12 amateur players of all ages and backgrounds who compete against one another to be crowned the Chess Champion.

Perkins said: “I’m obsessed with sort of human psychology, and this is why I love chess.”

“When you think of chess, you think of maybe a 65-year-old white guy, with a sort of dusty sort of collar. Um, no. Chess is hot.

“This is what I discovered. They are on TikTok, they’re on Insta, they are whip-smart, and they are everywhere. It’s the fastest growing game slash sport in the world and billions of people play it, and yeah, it’s hot.”

The series, which debuted on March 10, has received mixed reviews, with television critics divided.

Speaking about the new series, Perkins said: “Chess has never been done like this with the prism of modern TV and the expectations of modern TV on it. So, I’m hopeful.

“I’ve never seen passion like it, but so quiet. It’s like a very quiet passion.”

With contestants from all walks of life, Perkins described one player who learned how to play in prison.

She said: “They’re all extraordinary. But one guy learnt in prison. And it was the thing that kept him alive. It’s the thing that made him believe that there was a way out, mentally.

“In all the chaos and all the overcrowding and the terrible situation, he would just sit at the board, sometimes with another, sometimes on his own. And all these players are, I mean, the top amateurs you can get. They’re nudging on masters.

“It’s a knife edge. But also, they don’t just sit politely like your Italian gentleman.

“You’ve got an 18-year-old that’s sort of brimful of all sorts. Not going to take it sitting down. Not having that. It’s really interesting.

“There’s this extraordinary thing that happens about five, six episodes in, where all the remaining players face one person. Simultaneous.

“It’s just extraordinary to watch.

“As somebody who has sort of late diagnosed severe attention issues it’s good to see some of my spectrum-y people involved in the show, do you know what I mean? All life is there and it’s brilliant.”

Perkins was announced as the host last year alongside Chess coach and former The Traitors contestant Anthony Mathurin, and three-time British chess champion and grandmaster David Howell who provide commentary for the show.

The eight-part series comes after a surge in the popularity of chess amid the release of the hit Netflix series The Queen’s Gambit starring Anya Taylor-Joy.

Dish, from Waitrose, is available on all podcast providers.