The Weakest Link

Image: Adam Woodyatt, Mel Giedroyc, Vanessa Feltz, Simon Biagi, Alice Beer, Nicholas Parsons, Charlotte Hudson, Sue Perkins, Louis Theroux face down the withering stare of Anne Robinson in a celebrity special from 2000.

The quick-fire general knowledge quiz The Weakest Link was launched on 14 August 2000. The producers hoped that viewers would accept a female presenter being rude to the contestants more readily than a man. Anne Robinson was the inspired choice - known for her forthright championing of consumer rights on Watchdog - and made such a success of her role as quiz mistress that she was soon dubbed 'The Queen of Mean'.

Anne outlines the rules of The Weakest Link. The music, which ran throughout the episodes, is by Paul Farrer.

Robinson's sarcastic put-downs were a controversial talking point and outraged many viewers, who thought that, alongside the advent of Big Brother, the show was championing victim-based television. However, the programme was very popular, and Robinson's dismissive "You are the weakest link, goodbye" was even used by Tony Blair in the House of Commons.

The Weakest Link was one of the BBC's most successful franchises versions of it have been seen in over 100 countries. Robinson went to the US for the American version of the show, and at home has presided over themed specials including EastEnders, Comic Relief, Doctor Who, Puppets, and Drag Queens. The impact of The Weakest Link on popular culture was confirmed when Robinson appeared in Doctor Who as the voice of a deadly Anne-droid.