Comic actor Colin Mochrie has been picked to host Are You Smarter Than a Canadian 5th Grader?
The 49-year-old former star of This Hour Has 22 Minutes and Whose Line is it Anyway? will be the quizmaster for five episodes of the game show airing later this year on Global.
In the U.S., Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? is hosted by comedian Jeff Foxworthy.
"We¹re delighted to have Colin on board," said Barbara Williams, senior vice president of programming and production for CanWest MediaWorks in a statement. "His unrivalled wit and ability to engage and entertain audiences will be front and centre, and we look forward to all of the fun." Mochrie was born in Scotland, but his family moved to Montreal when he was still a boy and then settled in Vancouver. An alumni of Second City Toronto, he continues to perform improv comedy shows with his Whose Line co-star Brad Sherwood. Earlier this year he made a guest appearance on the CBC series Little Mosque on the Prairie.
"I have been from one end of this country to the other and met adults of all ages," said Mochrie, "and let me tell you ... those 5th Graders have nothing to worry about." Mochrie will donate part of his salary to CanWest Raise-a-Reader, a literacy program that runs across Canada.
Are You Smarter Than a Canadian 5th Grader? will be taped in Toronto this fall.
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