Irish broadcaster and journalist Angela Scanlon makes up one half of the newRobot Warspresenting team.
Move overTop Gear, theres a new sheriff in town…
We loveRobot Wars.
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[Laughs] Me too!
That is a perfect, perfect summary of the show.
Tell us about the relationships between the teams.
Youve got rival teams sharing welding irons one minute then trying to obliterate each other the next.
How does that dynamic work behind the scenes?
Then they come out of the arena and theyre back to being jolly and helping each other.
Youve got people lending motors to each other, lending tyres…
I quite like that there arent WWE-style taunts between teams, it seems nicely polite.
But its also a lot of fun.
People do get really into it but its all slightly tongue-in-cheek.
They really know how to poke fun at themselves.
Im not surprised its emotionally charged; theres a lot at stake in the battles.
Some of the robots cost 25,000 to build?!
People remortgage their houses to build them?
Robot Warsmust have destroyed some marriages.
I dont know that its destroyed marriages!
The wives tend to support that.
It brings them together too.
We actually have a husband and wife team in the process of making little cluster-bots as we speak!
Are there more women engineers this time around?
Yes there are, and teams with a couple of young girls in charge of the weapons.
Theyre definitely much more involved.
We have a robot called Glitterbomb, which says it all.
Weve getting the gender balance up!
Thinking about the children in the series.
They were such good little sports, very brave, they just kind of got on with it.
Obviously theyre there with their parents or siblings and so they kind of put on a brave face.
He crumbled, because in his mind he had just… he wasbrokenby it.
They love to do battle and I love watching them!
I do have one request for the new series.
A Red Button option to hear the drivers mics all the way through a battle.
When theyre like Dave!
Spin!Spin, Dave!
[Laughs] You do get some of that, dont you?
Theres a little bit.
I didnt know if some of it wouldnt have been broadcast-able before the watershed.
Also, there would need to be a few bleeps.
People really get into it, you know.
How important are the roboteers personalities and personal stories?
This isnt like anX-Factor-style talent show where were going to get sob stories…
I dont even think its a talent show.
Can we expect to see more teams like Nuts then, the underdogs from the first episode?
The slightly rubbish robots are always more interesting than the really slick, NASA-engineered robots, arent they?
Yeah, I completely agree.
It pays to be a bit quirky then, in terms of design?
I think so, purely from a visual perspective at least.
Its an interchangeable team.
Basically, the person who built Sir Killalot will be the best person at driving it.
They know all its secrets, so yes, they tend to be the same.
Theyre an amazing company calledRobochallengewho are two brothers, a mother and a father and in-laws.
Its an extended robot family who are absolutely brilliant and in charge of all the house robots.
What is it that the winners actually win?
Is there prize money, or just the trophy?
They winare we allowed to pay them?
I have no ideathey win the trophy.
Its a magical trophy made of shrapnel and metal.
They also win the glory and the gloating rights.
Now were twelve years on, how have the restrictions changed on robot designs for the new series?
The weight has gone up.
Do the teams ever take a stab at stretch the rules, or even blatantly cheat?
No, its not in the spirit ofRobot Wars.
The rules are good!
Thats where the innovation comes from.
You get people skating close to the edge but its very strict.
One team had to remove armour because they were overweight ever so slightly.
They have to be really careful about what they put where.
Presumably youve seen the episode ofSpacedthemed aroundRobot Wars?
[Laughs] Yes!
In that, a robot gets sabotaged.
Do accusations ever fly about that sort of thing?
No, no, no.
I tell you why I ask.
So…
Thats a very,veryharsh accusation!
I obviously wouldnt presume to say thats what happened at all.
Im just saying what I saw*.
Im sure youre not.
They said yeah, well, we might have lied a little bit about our problems.
Its more tactical with them.
Now, its taking the much more prominentTop Gearspot 8pm on Sundays.
Is that because robotics is less niche now?
Im like, dude, the nerd from your school is now your boss.
People respond to geekery in a way that we all understand.
Angela Scanlon, thank you very much!
Robot Wars continues next Sunday the 31stof July at 8pm on BBC Two.
