Popular Alan Carr TV series gets future confirmed with brand new episodes on the way

Channel 4 has confirmed its hit show Secret Genius will be back for an extended second season.

The competition series, which sees hosts Susie Dent and Alan Carr guide audiences through a set of mind boggling challenges designed to uncover the hidden potential of ordinary people with extraordinary minds, will be back for a run of seven episodes – up from six episodes last season.

The first season aired back in January and saw people from all different walks of life descend on Genius HQ to take on a series of games based on the challenges Mensa uses to measure IQ, and soon became a big hit for the network, with episode 1 Attracting 2.1 million viewers.

The new series will have "more games for viewers to play along with at home and test the smarts of both viewers and contestants in exciting new ways", Channel 4 has teased.

Carr said in a statement: “I’m absolutely thrilled Secret Genius is back and to be doing this alongside Susie again! We met people last series with unbelievable brains who had no idea how brilliant they were, and watching that penny drop was genuinely magical.

"This series feels really special – bigger, more playful, and giving everyone at home the chance to join in and maybe discover a bit of hidden genius themselves. I can’t wait to meet our next batch of undercover geniuses… and try to keep up!”

Dent added: “I’m delighted that Alan and I will have the chance to discover more people who have as yet no idea just how special they are. The first series of Secret Genius proved genuinely life-changing for some of our participants, and I can’t wait to witness the incredible minds of our new cohort!”

Madonna Benjamin, senior commissioning editor, documentaries and factual entertainment at Channel 4, added: “Secret Genius and the wonderful Alan and Susie struck a real chord with the audience by celebrating intelligence in all its forms and turning it into a joyful, shared experience.

"We’re delighted to be bringing it back with a bigger, bolder new series, helping even more people from across the country to unlock their hidden genius.”

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