[tellyblues]

A lot of things have made celeb specials of gameshows normal and fairly unspecial. Slots have to be filled and there isn't the same amount of broad audience sitcoms and films that there used to be. Most of these were also imports and would now be found on streaming platforms and some viewers would rather watch people stuck down drains because TV moved towards that sort of cheap factual. It can't always be that of course but drama costs money so the compromise which looks good but costs less is celeb gameshows.

Some shows also need the leg up of a celeb version to create awareness for the civilian version, for example Bridge of Lies, otherwise they would only last a couple of series like most do. Then there are those that broadcasters will try to eke out as much as they can because they are failing (e.g. The Wall) and have celeb versions so they can get their money back and then axe them when the next big thing comes along.

Stars In Their Eyes springs to mind and was never off the telly when it became Stars In Anyone From Corrie's Eyes, which was a shame because although contestants had a good time they took it seriously, but maybe it had to go all silly to differentiate it from Popstars, Pop Idol and then The X Factor which were now the serious singing shows.

Re. the reboot of The Crystal Maze, it had celebs to start with which was a mistake and was later put in the wrong slot - should have been weekdays. C4 probably thought that celebs making idiots of themselves was what viewers wanted to see because that is largely what entertainment is now and in the years the show was off air most of the chat was about that woman falling in the water in the Aztec zone. Incidental but because of YouTube made out to be crucial to the show's success.