Another Sunday night, another amazing bit of ’90s telly rebooted for our enjoyment.
This past weekend saw the triumphant return of the Crystal Maze to Channel 4. As part of their Stand Up To Cancer campaign, a number of celebrities battled the brand new Crystal Maze for a special episode.
Led by new host Stephen Merchant, a team comprised of Rio Ferdinand, Michelle Keegan, Paralympics champ Jonnie Peacock, TV and radio host Sara Cox, and comedian Josh Widdicombe took on the Crystal Maze to the delight of viewers everywhere.
They couldn’t get enough of Stephen Merchant’s presenting.
.@StephenMerchant is brilliant! Really funny & adds a touch of charm too! Loving #CrystalMaze & all for such a fantastic cause: @StandUp2C!
— Jonny Meah (@JonnyMeah) October 16, 2016
Stephen Merchant is really good on the #CrystalMaze bring it back permanently!!!
— Dave (@Dave797) October 16, 2016
They couldn’t stop laughing when Rio had bit of a mare after failing to re-wire a plug in the Aztec zone.
No crystal this time, but the team are staying positive (to positive)… #TheCrystalMaze #CrystalMaze @RioFerdy5 pic.twitter.com/cvfXM3zGRZ
— The Crystal Maze (@TheCrystalMaze) October 16, 2016
https://twitter.com/WelshTricky1/status/787750476624396289
Watching Rio Ferdinand trying to do basic maths is probably better than the rest of the show. #CrystalMaze
— Chris Lewis (@ChrisTheLewis) October 16, 2016
They fell in love when Josh renamed himself Puzzle Boy…
It’s a Crystal from Puzzle Boy! 💎 @JoshWiddicombe #TheCrystalMaze #CrystalMaze pic.twitter.com/PpgJiCxxsx
— The Crystal Maze (@TheCrystalMaze) October 16, 2016
https://twitter.com/the_squiglet/status/787752589114892288
And then it all fell apart when Sara Cox got herself locked in a challenge just before they entered the dome.
Rip Coxy #CrystalMaze
— Chris Smyth (@merrychrissmyth) October 16, 2016
In the end, team captain Rio led the team to five crystals (which Stephen topped up to six because he’s a nice fella), and once they entered the Dome, they managed to bag themselves £25,000 (approximately €27,700) for Stand Up To Cancer.
In the end, it was weird and wonderful, just like how the ’90s classic always was.
Bring it back for a full series Channel 4?
The celebrity Crystal Maze special was just one part of Channel 4’s ongoing Stand Up to Cancer campaign. To find out more about fundraising activities related to the campaign, you can visit Stand Up To Cancer’s website here, or the Channel 4 site here.