David Tennant has faced a double setback this week as his ITV game show Genius Game has reportedly been labeled the network’s “most expensive flop in years,” while a former colleague launched a scathing personal attack against him on social media.

The show, hosted by the 54-year-old former Doctor Who star, has struggled with disappointing viewer ratings, prompting ITV to reconsider its future. Sources indicate the show’s high production costs and lackluster audience numbers have made it one of the broadcaster’s most costly misfires in recent memory.

Adding to Tennant’s woes, filmmaker and writer Michael O’Bernicia took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to publicly criticise the actor, citing a negative personal experience during their time working together on the early 2000s series Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased).

“Having shared a car journey with him before he was famous, when we were both working on Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) 25 years ago, I have no hesitation in saying that he is one of the three most dislikable people I have ever had the misfortune to spend time with,” O’Bernicia wrote in response to a post about Genius Game’s poor performance.

Earlier this week, it was revealed ITV had pulled David Tennant’s new game show Genius Game from its Thursday night slot after receiving disappointing ratings. The new game show, which debuted to much fanfare, will now air only on Wednesdays at 9pm rather than twice weekly as it was originally planned.

The schedule shake-up comes after the programme became one of ITV’s lowest-performing shows in recent years. The series will now extend from its scheduled four-week run to seven weeks, with episodes also available on ITVX. The show initially launched with 1.2 million viewers for its first episode on Wednesday, April 30, but viewership has since fallen to 800,000.

This represents one of ITV’s lowest 9pm figures, particularly when compared to other recent commissions. For reference, The Fortune Hotel managed to rake in nearly 2.5million viewers for one episode last year.

Meanwhile, BBC’s Race Across the World, which also airs at 9pm, has thrashed Genius Game in the ratings battle, achieving a new series peak of 5.9million viewers. ITV has confirmed the schedule change, with Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? celebrity specials taking Genius Game’s Thursday night slot for the next two weeks.

When approached for a comment by RadioTimes.com, a spokesperson for ITV said: “Genius Game remains in the peak schedule on ITV1 at 9pm on Wednesdays and is available to view on ITVX.”

Genius Game, adapted from a South Korea format, sees the 10th doctor take on the role of ‘The Creator’ as he guides contestants through uniquely crafted challenges.

Contestants must use strategy, manipulation, and deception to outfox their opponents and take home the eye-watering cash prize. The eight-part series features 11 players competing across 12 rounds, each consisting of a main match and a death match.

Viewer complaints about the show’s format have been widespread since its launch, with many finding it overly complicated and others calling it a “cheap” impersonation of the BBC’s The Traitors.

On X – formerly known as Twitter – viewers were quick to share their disappointment for the new show within minutes of its debut. One user penned: “David Tennant doesn’t even show up and speak face-to-face with the contestants. Never seen such a pile of rubbish #GeniusGame.