Have you noticed that most of Britain has seemed a lot more grumpy and incomprehensible over the last couple of months? And have you ever wondered why? We’ve got the answer for you right here.

The answer is Quizmania – the new ITV late-night game show. Quizmania has made the nation grumpy and irritable because everyone – everyone – is staying up way past their bedtime to watch it. And, in particular, everyone is staying up to watch Debbie King, the glue that holds Quizmania together. One night she was dressed as a doctor or a nurse or something – it was late, we can’t remember – and that’s entertainment that you just can’t buy.

hecklerspray was lucky enough to catch up with Debbie King to talk Quizmania, Pink Floyd and the legal technicalities surrounding polygamy in the British Isles…

Who are you, and where are you?
I’m Debbie King, a Leeds girl who
now lives in and loves London – I am currently sitting at my computer
at 22.33 hrs writing responses to your interview and waiting for Quizmania to start at 2am.

Explain Quizmania to our readers with normal bedtimes.
It’s a
live, interactive game show, where the viewers are the contestants and
can call up and win up to £6000 by answering various popular culture
based questions. Aside from that, it is also an entertaining (we like
to think) bizarre, random and lighthearted show on which an eclectic
mix of presenters chat to callers, liaise with the crew and react to
viewer correspondence – think Tiswas for adults.

How’s Quizmania going for you? You’re the talk of the town, you know.
Really?
I didn’t know and must say I am flattered… well that depends on what
"the town" is saying about me. It’s going amazingly well – I LOVE IT -
honestly, I have been working in TV for years and this is a great
opportunity for me to be on ITV1. I love the live, spontaneous element
of the show and really am having the time of my life. I have no time
for anything else at the moment so it’s a good job I like it!

General consensus is that you’re the nice one on Quizmania, while
the two male hosts are a bit terrifying. Chuck just confuses us…
Well
again – I am flattered, and yes I try to be as nice as I can, it is
honestly such a great feeling to hear someone cheer when they win money
- I love it. I am also totally overwhelmed by the response we have
received from viewers – we get hundreds of letters and emails a day – I’ve had marriage proposals, crockery, soap, jewellery, chocolates,
nodding dogs, teddy bears, pens, cards, poems… oh yes, and a rather odd
sparkly curtain tie back?? But I do like glitter. It’s quite phenomenal
and I just really appreciate it all.

Anyway I am digressing – you
didn’t ask me this did you? (sorry!) Oh yes the boys – well, I have
to totally disagree with you – there are four boys – Greg, Nigel, Lee and
Chuck. They are all fab presenters with their own individual
personalities. Freddy Kruger is terrifying, Nigel Mitchell isn’t!! They
are funny (especially Greg) and lovely boys who are really down-to-earth blokes. As for Chuck – he is one of my best friends and I really
respect him as a presenter. Yes he is quirky, but I reckon that’s his
charm – maybe you don’t get him – but he’s a clever boy and he makes me
laugh buckets (is that a real phrase?). Anyway I like being on screen
with him cos he makes me smile. So there…..

What we like about Quizmania is the staggering level of stupidity
from some of the late night telephone contestants. What’s been your
most memorable call?
Um… the best was when we got a call from a woman who wasn’t even
watching the show – she was out of the house and had seen the show the
day before. She took it upon herself to just dial our number to see if
we were "open"! This was the conversation:

Debbie: "Hi you’re live on Quizmania, what’s your name"
Caller:"Hi, my name is X"
Debbie: "OK, what’s the answer?"
Caller: "To what?"
Debbie: "To the game – you know – what’s the answer to the anagram?"
Caller: "What game?"
Debbie: "Um… right – are you actually watching the telly?"
Caller:
"No I’m not – in fact I’m not even at home – it’s just that I saw you the
other night and am now addicted so thought I’d call to see if you were
open!"
Debbie (laughing): "Wow – well, yes we are ‘open’, and we are
making TV history – we actually have a caller who is NOT watching the
show."

Anyway as she was on the air – I explained the game to her and she won a few hundred quid! Maybe you had to be there but it was funny at the time!!

You’ve also presented serious shows as well as Quizmania. Which type of show do you prefer?
It’s
difficult to say, because I presented a serious chat show for teenagers
about four years ago where I had to study really hard before each live
show about various issues from teen pregnancy to homelessness, and so it
was a massive challenge for me. I found it rewarding, educational and
pretty full on – it really stretched me. I got to interview people like
Ken Livingstone and Glenda Jackson. However Quizmania is so much fun -
its not like work at all and I get such a natural buzz from the show,
and can really be myself, so I like it just as much. I guess the serious
stuff commanded more respect for my work and put me in a totally
different direction career-wise – however this is where I have ended up
for now, so no complaints!

Aside from Quizmania, what TV show would you like to present?
Well X Factor is my dream show – however, I am not sure that is likely.
Perhaps in the future I might be lucky enough to present a similar
talent/light entertainment show – but we will have to wait and see. I
would also love to present something like This Morning when I mature a
little, as it’s just the perfect mix of human interest and entertainment.

A woman has 5 potatoes to feed 3 children how can she give them equal portions without fractions?
Eat two herself? I mean they’re only kids they don’t need more than one each anyway.

You were in the Pink Floyd film The Wall (DVDs) as a child. Who were you in it? Any memories?
I
was a little girl (obviously!) whose Dad had gone to war – there is a
scene where my Dad comes back from war and me and my real Mum go and
great him at the train station – there is a big close up as my Mum
hands me over to him and he spins me round.

As for memories – well
all I have is that Mum went for the audition and took me with cos she
couldn’t find a babysitter… anyway, they took one look at me and said
they wanted me as well. The problem was I was very shy and didn’t want
to do it, so my Mum bribed me with a lipstick and I agreed to do it. (I was obsessed with makeup back then – I never did get the lipstick I
was promised either!)

Preach about something you love (not related to your work) in 100 words.
Listening
to LBC – honestly i have just discovered it and its so mind-numbingly
fab. I love listening to all the advice that the presenters give, even
though I can’t relate to most of the problems – cos they involve divorce,
having babies, which schools to send the kids to and haemorrhoids  -
all of which I am yet to experience. However it’s such fun, and for some
reason is totally addictive and soothing – try it and you will never look
back. The end – quite frankly I have nothing else to say on the matter so
I hope I have inspired you all.

What do you do to relax?
Sleep, take hot baths, go to the cinema
in a tracksuit, eat, hang with friends, and the best thing is place a
hot cup of tea under your eyes and it’s really soothing! (be careful not
to spill the tea… not good.)

We hear you’re a genius at making pineapple upside down cakes. What’s your secret?
Its
all in the wrist action – you have to put the right amount of golden
syrup over the pineapple rings by controlling the spoon!! Enough said.

Will you marry us?
How many of you is "us"? I might get arrested – polygamy is illegal, isn’t it?

Go on, we’re really nice.
Can you cook?

Will you mention hecklerspray on Quizmania instead, then?
Maybe – what will you do in return?

What are you going to do right now?
Spell check this….then do a show. Oh the life of a Quizmania presenter – honestly, I need to get out more…

Quizmania is on ITV1 all the time when you should probably really be in bed – check newspapers for listings. Find out more about Debbie King at DebbieKing.co.uk

[interview by Stuart Heritage]