Beat the Boss


Beat the Boss is a business gameshow broadcast in the United Kingdom as part of the BBC's children-oriented programming, CBBC. It was presented by Cameron Johnson and originally Saira Khan. The format features two teams, one team of children named "The Bright Sparks", and one team of adults named "The Big Shots", creating a product that will appeal to the children's market. At the end of each episode, a panel of children vote for their favourite product and the team with the most votes wins the beat the boss trophy and a limousine ride home while the losers take the bus.

Series 1

Fruit Drink

  1. Aired: Monday 22 May 2006
  2. Filmed: 2005
  1. Aired: Monday 29 May 2006
  2. Filmed: 2005
  1. Aired:
  2. Filmed:
  1. Aired:
  2. Filmed:
  1. Aired:
  2. Filmed:
A special version of Beat the Boss was shown before Red Nose Day 2007. It involved The Bright Sparks and a celebrity team of The Big Shots composed of Joe Pasquale, Duncan Bannatyne and Chantelle Preston. The teams had to design a suit for Lenny Henry to wear on the night. Viewers were asked to phone in and vote for their favourite.
During Red Nose Day 2007, Saira Khan and the two teams were on the stage, and Saira Khan announced that the winners were "The Bright Sparks", Lenny Henry came from backstage wearing the designed suit.

Series 2

Swim

  1. Aired:
  2. Filmed:
  1. Aired:
  2. Filmed:
  1. Aired:
  2. Filmed:
  1. Aired:
  2. Filmed:
  1. Aired:
  2. Filmed:
  1. Aired:
  2. Filmed:
  1. Aired:
  2. Filmed:
  1. Aired:
  2. Filmed:
  1. Aired:
  2. Filmed:
  1. Aired:
  2. Filmed:

Tent

  1. Aired:
  2. Filmed:
  1. Aired:
  2. Filmed:
  1. Aired:
  2. Filmed:
  1. Aired:
  2. Filmed:
  1. Aired:
  2. Filmed:
  1. Aired:
  2. Filmed:
Series 4 was partly filmed in America, with an American presenter, American Big Shots, and one of the three Bright Sparks was also American. It was filmed during the Summer of 2008 and aired beginning January 2009. The first five episodes are called "Beat the Boss USA".

Dog Outfit

  1. Aired:
  2. Filmed:
  1. Aired:
  2. Filmed:
  1. Aired: January 2009
  2. Filmed: August 2008 in San Francisco, Santa Cruz Beach, and Emeryville, California.
  1. Aired:
  2. Filmed:
  1. Aired:
  2. Filmed:
  1. Aired:
  2. Filmed:
  1. Aired:
  2. Filmed:
  1. Aired:
  2. Filmed:
  1. Aired:
  2. Filmed:
  1. Aired:
  2. Filmed:

Cricket

  1. Aired:
  2. Filmed:
  1. Aired:
  2. Filmed:
  1. Aired:
  2. Filmed:
  1. Aired:
  2. Filmed:
  1. Aired:
  2. Filmed:
In September 2008, an Irish version of the show in Irish language started on BBC Northern Ireland. Hosted by Céara Ní Choinn, it is titled Gaisce Gnó. In this version, the Big Shots appear to come more from the visual media world than from big business. The first challenge was to create a board game.