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Bridge of Lies (game show)

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Bridge of Lies
Image
GenreQuiz show
Developed by
  • Josephine Brassey
  • Ben Justice
  • Dorsa Nam
Directed by
  • John Smith
  • Janine O'Connor
Presented byRoss Kemp
Theme music composerLawrence Oakley
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series5 (Regular)
4 (Celebrity)
No. of episodes124 (Regular)
36 (Celebrity)
Production
Executive producerGary Chippington
ProducerNick Gunaydin
Production locations
Camera setupMulti-camera
Running time45 minutes
Production companySTV Studios
Original release
NetworkBBC One
Release14 March 2022 (2022-03-14) –
present

Bridge of Lies is a British quiz show presented by Ross Kemp that has aired on BBC One since 14 March 2022.[1] In each episode, a team of four attempts to cross the titular bridge by identifying correct answers to a given category of knowledge or general knowledge through two rounds in order to win a cash prize.

Development and production

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Alongside The Tournament, Bridge of Lies was commissioned in 2021 following a seven month tender process overseen by the BBC to find new game show formats made in Scotland. These two shows were described by the BBC as "stand out formats in a competitive field".[2] In 2022, a celebrity edition of the show was commissioned off the success of the first regular series aired that year.[3] The show is reportedly inspired by shows such as Divided, The Chase, The Cube and Tenable.

The show has been filmed at the BBC's Pacific Quay studios in Glasgow since the first series; except for the second series, which was filmed at the Kelvin Hall studios operated by BBC Studioworks, a commercial arm of the BBC.[4][5] Three episodes of the show were filmed every day during production as of 2025.[6] As of October 2026, 5 regular series and 4 celebrity series have been aired; the sixth regular series and fifth celebrity series had been commissioned and is due to film in November 2026.[7][8]

Format

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Each episode features a team of four contestants. The game has two rounds, the Individual Crossings and the Final Crossing. Each contestant undertakes their own individual crossing to earn money for their team, and the final crossing is to determine whether they go home with the money they've banked.

Individual Crossings

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Before each individual crossing, the team is told the category. They must then choose who, of the people that haven't already played, will play with that category.

The contestant selected to cross the bridge is presented with a variety of true or false options/statements (truths or lies) as circular steps gradually revealed as they progresses, and has 5 minutes to complete a crossing. There are 32 steps on the bridge, consisting of 22 truths and 10 lies. They cannot confer with other players and must step on the truths to progress across the bridge.[9] Stepping on a truth is worth £100 (£200 for the final contestant to play the Individual Crossing since Series 2) and reveals more statements, but stepping on a lie halves the accumulated total for the crossing. Stepping on 3 lies during one crossing or running out of time ends the crossing immediately, and eliminates the contestant from the show. Should a contestant successfully make it from one end to the bridge to the other one, they bank the money accumulated from their crossing to the team's prize fund and are through to play in the Final Crossing. The maximum total each player can bank at this stage is £2,200.[1] Since Series 2, the fourth member of the team to undertake the Individual Crossing is given double money for each truth they step on, meaning the maximum total they can bank is £4,400.

In the Celebrity series, each truth for the first 3 players in a team is worth £200, with the fourth player earning £400 per truth (and a maximum of £8,800).

Panic Button

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The team also has a panic button they can press once per show. The button is available from the team's Waiting Room; only the contestants who are present there (thus yet to attempt a crossing) may press the button. The button automatically guarantees the contestant in play a place in the final and banks their accumulated money at the moment of pressing the button, but renders any actions taken after that null and void.

Final Crossing

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Any team member that completes their Individual Crossing or is saved by their team's panic button will join forces to play the Final Crossing for the team's prize fund. Before the round begins, the team can buy back one eliminated contestant for half of their prize fund, or sell a contestant, thus eliminating them, to double the prize fund, for a jackpot of £22,000. Eliminated contestants may not be involved in any gameplay in the final. The team then decides the order of play of each team member for the round.

Similar to the Individual Crossing, only one contestant is on the bridge at all times; however, they are allowed to confer with their teammates standing in the wings. The bridge presents six sets of statements (seven for Series 1–2) across a row on the floor, which are general knowledge rather than corresponding to a specific category. Only one of the statements in each set is true. Picking a true statement progresses the game, while picking a lie results in a contestant's elimination. If a contestant is eliminated, the next player continues at the same point as the eliminated contestant. Play continues until either one contestant manages to reach the other end of the bridge, thus winning the prize, or the entire team is eliminated, leaving with nothing.

Transmissions

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Regular

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SeriesStart dateEnd dateEpisodes
114 March 2022[10]15 April 2022[11]25[11]
223 January 2023[12]24 February 2023[13]25[13]
311 March 2024[14]12 April 2024[15]25[15]
42 June 2025[16]17 July 2025[17]24[a][18]
527 April 2026[19]22 October 2026[20]25[20]

Celebrity

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SeriesStart dateEnd dateEpisodes
114 January 2023[21]1 April 2023[22]8[22]
26 April 2024[23]22 June 2024[24]8[24]
315 February 2025[25]12 July 2025[26]10[26]
411 April 2026[27]27 June 2026[28]10[28]

International broadcasts

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Bridge of Lies is available on BBC Nordic and BBC Africa, two channels owned by BBC Studios, the BBC's commercial arm. It is also acquired by RTÉ in Ireland.[29] Since 2025, both the regular and celebrity versions of the programme have been shown on the Seven Network in Australia.[30][31]

Reception

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Bridge of Lies has received generally favourable reviews from critics. Writing for The Guardian, Stuart Heritage called Bridge of Lies "sleek and gleaming and finely engineered programme-making" and praised Kemp's presenting style.[32] The Halifax Courier wrote that the show had proved that there were "plenty of life in the old dog of the quiz show format".[33] In a mixed review, The Telegraph's Anita Singh praised the accessibility of the format and the adequate question difficulty; however, she was critical of Kemp's overfocus on chatting to the contestants instead of the gameplay.[34]

International versions

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International format rights are held globally by BBC Studios Distribution except for the United States and Australia, which were retained by format owners STV Studios.[35]

CountryNameHost(s)NetworkPremiereFinaleRef(s)
Image Spain El puente de las mentiras Paula Vázquez La 1 26 July 2023 30 August 2023 [36][37]
Image United States Beat the Bridge Cameron Mathison Game Show Network 10 June 2024 1 July 2025 [35][38]

Notes

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  1. ↑ Commissioned for 25 episodes, 1 episode is unaired until Series 5 has finished.

References

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  1. 1 2 "Ross Kemp says fans don't mention EastEnders to him – it's always Bridge of Lies | Radio Times". www.radiotimes.com. Retrieved 2 June 2025.
  2. ↑ Goldbart, Max (22 June 2021). "STVS and QITV win BBC quiz tender". Broadcast. Retrieved 14 October 2026.
  3. ↑ Fallon, Heather (3 August 2022). "BBC's Bridge of Lies returns with primetime celebrity edition". Broadcast. Retrieved 14 October 2026.
  4. ↑ "Ross Kemp returns to Glasgow for Bridge of Lies". Prolific North. 8 March 2024. Retrieved 14 October 2026.
  5. ↑ "Ross Kemp is relishing his role in Glasgow-filmed The Bridge of Lies". The Sunday Post. 7 January 2023. Retrieved 14 October 2026.
  6. ↑ STV (25 April 2025). Bridge Of Lies is back!. Retrieved 14 October 2026 – via YouTube.
  7. ↑ "Ross Kemp back for more Bridge of Lies as hit quiz show returns for new series". BBC Media Centre. Retrieved 14 October 2026.
  8. ↑ "Bridge of Lies Series 6". Airtable. Retrieved 14 October 2026.
  9. ↑ "STV | BRIDGE OF LIES TRAVELS TO SPAIN". www.stvplc.tv. 2 June 2025. Retrieved 2 June 2025.
  10. ↑ "Bridge of Lies – Series 1, Episode 1". BBC Online. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  11. 1 2 "Bridge of Lies – Series 1, Episode 25". BBC Online. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  12. ↑ "Bridge of Lies – Series 2, Episode 1". BBC Online. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  13. 1 2 "Bridge of Lies – Series 2, Episode 25". BBC Online. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  14. ↑ "Bridge of Lies – Series 3, Episode 1". BBC Online. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
  15. 1 2 "Bridge of Lies – Series 3, Episode 25". BBC Online. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
  16. ↑ "Bridge of Lies – Series 4, Episode 24". BBC Online. Retrieved 28 March 2025.
  17. ↑ "Bridge of Lies – Series 4, Episode 24". BBC Online. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
  18. ↑ "The BBC announces the fourth series of Bridge of Lies". Objective Media Group. 22 May 2025. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
  19. ↑ "Bridge of Lies – Series 5, Episode 1". BBC Online. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
  20. 1 2 "Bridge of Lies – Series 5, Episode 25". BBC Online. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
  21. ↑ "Bridge of Lies Celebrity Specials – Series 1, Episode 1". BBC Online. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  22. 1 2 "Bridge of Lies Celebrity Specials – Series 1, Episode 8". BBC Online. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  23. ↑ "Bridge of Lies Celebrity Specials – Series 2, Episode 1". BBC Online. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
  24. 1 2 "Bridge of Lies Celebrity Specials – Series 2, Episode 8". BBC Online. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  25. ↑ "Bridge of Lies Celebrity Specials – Series 3, EastEnders". BBC Online. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
  26. 1 2 "Bridge of Lies Celebrity Specials – Series 3, Episode 10". BBC Online. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  27. ↑ "Bridge of Lies Celebrity Specials – Series 4, Episode 1". BBC Online. Retrieved 13 April 2025.
  28. 1 2 "Bridge of Lies Celebrity Specials – Series 4, Episode 10". BBC Online. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
  29. ↑ "STV | BRIDGE OF LIES TRAVELS DOWN UNDER". STV Group. 23 October 2025. Retrieved 14 October 2026.
  30. ↑ "Ross Kemp heads down under with Australian Bridge of Lies deal". Prolific North. 24 October 2025. Retrieved 14 October 2026.
  31. ↑ "Seven Network in Australia set to cross BBC Studios, STV's Bridge of Lies". C21media. 24 October 2025. Retrieved 14 October 2026.
  32. ↑ Heritage, Stuart (14 March 2022). "Bridge of Lies: 'Ross Kemp has found his fourth age – daytime quizshow presenter'". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
  33. ↑ "Five things for your week...". The Halifax Courier. 12 January 2023. p. 2.
  34. ↑ Singh, Anita (14 March 2022). "Nothing tough about Ross Kemp's genial new quiz show". The Telegraph. Retrieved 14 October 2026.
  35. 1 2 "STV Studios' Bridge of Lies format gets US order". 2 April 2024.
  36. ↑ "El puente de las mentiras: Tus programas favoritos de TVE, en RTVE Play".
  37. ↑ "El puente de las mentiras".
  38. ↑ "Shows A-Z – beat the bridge on gsn".
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