LONDON (Brand Republic) - The Weakest Link has proved an overnight ratings success in the US, despite criticisms that it was tiresome and too confusing for Americans to understand.
The show, which features Anne Robinson humiliating contestants who fail to answer questions correctly, netted nearly 15m viewers when it aired in the US for the first time on NBC on Monday night.
The audience figure was a five-year record for NBC, beating rival US TV networks CBS and Fox TV.
Robinson was criticised by some reviewers in the US media who described her manner as that of a dominatrix but said her appearance -- in glasses and a practical cropped hair -- made her look more like a school librarian in a leather coat.
Robinson is reported to be under armed guard protection in the US amid fears for her safety, according to a report in The Sun.