Comedian Richard Ayoade to host new series of Crystal Maze

The hit game show The Crystal Maze is returning to television later this year with comedian Richard Ayoade as the new 'Maze Master'.

Channel 4 has announced 20 hour-long episodes have been commissioned, including a set of celebrity specials for Stand Up to Cancer.

Producers are already looking for teams of five contestants to take part and have said details of how to apply will be released soon.

It has been nearly 30 years since the original show first aired with Richard O'Brien presenting between 1990 and 1993, followed by Ed Tudor-Pole until 1995.

At the time, the programme featured teams of six people navigating their way around the Aztec, Medieval, Industrial and Future zones of 'The Crystal Maze'.

They competed in skill, mystery, physical and mental challenges aiming to win crystals, which gave them more time in the final zone, 'The Crystal Dome', where they would try and claim a major prize.

The programme returned to Channel 4 in October 2016 for a Stand Up To Cancer celebrity special with Stephen Merchant as the host.

It proved a huge hit with fans, both old and new, having gained an audience of 4.3 million viewers.

Tom Beck, Head of Live & Events at Channel 4 said: "The Stand Up To Cancer special was so brilliant and so successful that commissioning a series of The Crystal Maze was almost a no-brainer.

"And I couldn’t be more pleased and excited that Richard [Ayoade] has agreed to become the new Maze Master – he’s an inspired choice."

The reboot is going to filmed at The Bottle Yard Studios in Bristol, where a maze spanning over 30,000 square feet is being created by the original Crystal Maze designer, James Dillon.