Shaken & stirred

Brian Cox is back as The Controller in the high-octane and highly charged reality challenge show 007: Road To A Million

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He's conquered the worlds of TV, stage and cinema but Brian Cox reckons his role as The Controller in 007: Road To A Million is one of his finest dramatic creations to date.

The Emmy-winning actor returns to guide (and torment) a new batch of contestants in their quest for James Bond-worthy glory - and a shot at winning the £1million jackpot. However, this isn’t just a repeat of the first series.

“There's more interaction between me and the contestants, which is a great improvement,” says Brian, 79. “It's also infinitely more Bond-related.”

The premise of 007: Road To A Million is as bold as it is brutal: eight pairs of everyday people — ranging from married couples and siblings to best friends, father and son — travel the globe to take on a series of high-octane, nerve-wrecking challenges directly inspired by the Bond franchise.

From climbing sky-high towers to facing sharks and decoding clues, the contestants must push their limits and tackle each mission as a team before knocking out the competition, knowing the two slowest pairs will face off in the dreaded Killer Question — an elimination riddle that lays everything on the line.

“It's infinitely more dramatic than it was the last time,” Brian says.