Hosting and Presence

Year 9 Power of Speech • Game Show • Hosting

The host is the audience's guide. They set the tone, explain the rules, keep the pace and make the room feel welcome. This page breaks the host's job into practical choices a student can rehearse.

The three-beat opening

Beat	Purpose	Example
Welcome	Name the show and greet the room.	“Welcome to Three of a Kind.”
Explain	Give the audience the rules in one breath.	“Three contestants, three rounds, one winner.”
Invite	Bring the room into the show.	“Let's meet our first contestant.”

These are original teaching examples. The show title is invented for this packet.

Keep the opening under sixty seconds. The audience should understand the game before the first question.

Voice

Element	Host choice	Watch for
Volume	Project to the back row.	Shouting into the microphone.
Pace	Slower for rules; quicker for banter.	Rushing the reveal.
Pitch	Vary to mark questions and reveals.	Rising endings on statements.
Pause	Hold before the answer.	Filling every silence.
Warmth	Smile with the voice.	Sounding patronising.
Clarity	Articulate names and numbers.	Mumbling the question.

Stance and presence

Stand where the audience can see you and where you can see both the contestant and the room. Keep your weight balanced, your hands visible and your notes low. Move with purpose: a step towards a contestant creates intimacy; a step back opens the stage for a reveal.

Plant your feet for the rules and the reveal.
Turn your shoulders towards the contestant, not your back.
Keep the microphone at a consistent distance.
Use your free hand to invite, not to conduct every word.
Do not fiddle with cards, clothes or the microphone cable.
Hold still for the punchline or the answer.

Eye contact

Moment	Where to look	Why
Welcome	The whole room.	Invites everyone in.
Rules	The audience, then the contestants.	Ensures both groups understand.
Question	The contestant.	Focuses attention.
Reveal	The contestant, then the room.	Shares the moment.
Consolation	The contestant.	Preserves dignity.
Close	The whole room.	Ends the show together.

Pace and suspense

The host controls time. A question asked too quickly feels like a race; a reveal held too long feels like a stall. Rehearse the beats until they feel natural.

Moment	Pace	Pause
Welcome	Warm and steady.	After the show title.
Rules	Measured.	Between each rule.
Question	Clear and even.	After the question.
Contestant answers	Do not interrupt.	Let them finish.
Reveal	Slow.	One beat before the answer.
Score	Brisk.	After the number.
Close	Warm and slow.	After the winner is named.

Warmth

Warmth is not a fixed smile. It is the host's attention to the people in the room: learning names, noticing effort, thanking contestants and making a wrong answer feel safe.

Warm move	Example
Use the contestant's name.	“Over to you, Maya.”
Thank them for playing.	“Thanks for that answer.”
Normalise difficulty.	“That one was tricky.”
Celebrate effort.	“Good thinking.”
Offer a pass.	“Would you like to pass?”
Include the audience.	“What did everyone else think?”

Recovery

Live shows go wrong. A question is misread, a buzzer fails, a contestant freezes. The host's recovery sets the tone for everyone else.

Problem	Host response
Misread question	“Let me say that again, clearly.”
Wrong answer key	“We need to check that. Give us a moment.”
Contestant freezes	“Take your time. Would you like a hint or a pass?”
Technical failure	“While we fix that, let's ...”
Audience noise	Pause; lower your voice; wait.
Overrun	Cut a round; tell the audience what is happening.

Host script template

Section	Your words
Welcome
Show title
Rules in one breath
Contestant introduction
First question
Reveal phrase
Consolation phrase
Close

Activity: host a minute

Write a sixty-second opening for an original show.
Include the welcome, the rules and the first contestant.
Rehearse it with a timer.
Perform it to a small group.
Ask for one specific response about warmth and one about clarity.
Repeat with one change.

The host's job is to make everyone else look good. The show is the star, not the host.

Common errors

Talking over the contestant. It creates confusion.
Rushing the reveal. The suspense disappears.
Filling every pause. The audience has no time to think.
Mocking a wrong answer. Trust is lost.
Hiding behind the microphone. Presence disappears.
Ignoring the audience. The room becomes passive.

Next, study format and rules to design the game the host will run. The questions and answers page builds the content.