Wordle to become TV quiz show with Savannah Guthrie as host

The popular online word game Wordle to get its own primetime TV show next year, broadcaster NBC has confirmed.

Filmed in Manchester, England, and set to be shown in both the UK and US, the programme will be hosted by Savannah Guthrie, who anchors the American network's morning news show Today.

It will be based on the puzzle game of the same name, which has been set daily by the New York Times since 2022 and challenges players to find the same five-letter word in six guesses or less.

US chat show host Jimmy Fallon, whose production company Electric Hot Dog will co-produce the series, said he felt "very honoured to be working with Savannah Guthrie on this show".

The filming of Wordle - which will see contestants compete for a cash prize - was delayed after the disappearance of Guthrie's 84-year-old mother, Nancy, in February.

She took an extended break from her duties on Today before returning to the programme in April.

Guthrie previously noted how the word game had been a point of connection between her and her mother, who is still missing.

In his statement, Fallon said: "Savannah has that rare combination of intelligence, charm, and warmth that makes everyone feel instantly welcome.

"And she obviously knows how to host a show. I am super proud and happy and I think we developed a solid gamer for prime-time."

Episodes will last half an hour and the series is expected to replicate the Wordle typeface and colour scheme.

The New York Times collaborating with a major network on the show follows the publication's move into games apps - including the Crossword, Spelling Bee and Wordle - in recent years.

Wordle was originally created and developed by Welsh software engineer Josh Wardle in 2021 and acquired by the NYT in 2022, when it was also the most Googled word of the year.

Wardle recently told The Sunday Times: "I haven't played since the day I sold it."

Inspired by the 1970s board game Mastermind, Wordle players have six attempts to guess a five-letter word, receiving feedback only through coloured tiles.

A single puzzle is released every day, with all players attempting to solve the same word.

Casting for the first season of the TV series is now open, NBC said. Production on the show is set to begin later this year and is scheduled to premiere in 2027.