He stands behind the chip board set,

Perma-tan and bleached white teeth

Polished up and ready to be flashed

At audiences in their seats, shuffling

And fluttering with pure excitement.

They want the thrill of quiz show questions

That they can whisper under bated breaths,

Waiting for contestants to trip up,

Knowing they could win the prize,

If only they’d been chosen for

The shiny podium with buzzers to be pressed

To win the holiday, the car, the pots and pans

That really are not needed. But meeting him,

That famous face in sparkling polyester coats

Is just as thrilling as the win, he knows

He’s star attraction, selfie taken

For their Instagram, he’ll smile for them,

For money and for fame. But underneath it all

He’d like to strip away the sequin blazer and

The lights that blind and make him sweat,

To be at home with just his cat, his slippers on

And watching someone else be fake for half an hour.