A former The Weakest Link contestant has opened up about their time on the BBC show - and revealed that Anne Robinson 'couldn't have been nicer' to her. 

The popular game show, which is currently presented by Romesh Ranganathan, has been on our screens since 2000 and still proves to be a huge hit with viewers.

Over the years Anne, 80 - who hosted the programme between 2000 and 2012, and again in 2017 - made a bit of a name for herself for being brutal towards the contestants. 

But Veronica Tuppen, who appeared on the show in August 2001, revealed that her experience was totally different. 

Speaking with has spoken to FruitySlots.com, Veronica said: 'I was voted off in the first round, I think that was only because I was in my 70s! 

'I wasn’t the weakest link, I hadn’t got any questions wrong but I was voted off by the other players. 

'I was the oldest one there. It was very good fun, though.

'Later on I was getting ready to leave the studio and I went up the stairs and Anne Robinson was at the top. 

'She said "Oh Veronica, I am so sorry you went so early, but never mind, you look lovely." 

'I thought that was very nice of her.'

Speaking about her encounter with Anne, she added: 'I only got to speak to Anne Robinson during that one chat on the stairs where she complimented my outfit. 

'I still have the suit I wore for it! 

'But, she was very very sweet, she is purposely very sharp and sarcastic on the show which would make people a bit apprehensive to meet her but off camera she was the most lovely woman. 

'She was very sympathetic.'

The Weakest Link was created by Fintan Coyle and Cathy Dunning.  

Between 2000 and 2012, the host was Anne and it was narrated by Job Briggs. 

In 2011 Anne revealed that she was stepping away from her role as presenter. 

Viewers were over the moon when it returned to our screens in 2017 for a celebrity special. 

And then four years later a revival series of the programme, with Romesh as host, returned in full. 

The Weakest Link originally aired on BBC Two, but it has been airing on BBC One since 2021. 

Last year Anne opened up about why she used to be so catty on the show. 

In an interview with The i, Anne said: 'I remember one rehearsal, in a shabby room at the BBC where I asked a man why he was voting off a woman called Janet.

'He said: "Anyone who can’t name the Teletubbies shouldn’t be here."

'That put a light on in my head. I thought 'Great! I can be myself!' I can look at the contestants and say what people on the sofa at home are thinking: why are you so fat? You’ve got an annoying laugh. Were you on medication when you bought that top?'

She later said in an interview with The Oldie: 'You’d never be able to say all that now. Half of it would be stamped out.' 

The Weakest Link airs on BBC One and is available to stream on iPlayer.