Tom Daley is set to host a knitting competition show in the style of ‘The Traitors’.

Tom Daley is set to host a knitting competition show in the style of The Traitors

Tom Daley is set to host a knitting competition show in the style of The Traitors

The Olympic star, 30, will front More4’s ‘Game of Wool’, which will see a group of contestants taken to a house in Scotland for eight weeks, where they will face off against one another in a series of knitting challenges for a chance to win a big prize.

A TV insider told The Sun newspaper’s TV Biz column: “Staging such a ferocious-sounding contest for what seems like a genteel pastime may sound wild, but the world of elite knitting can be as competitive as cage fighting.

“Channel 4 realises that there is an irony to it all, particularly as the show’s title seems to reference the backstabbing fantasy thriller ‘Game of Thrones’.

“But giving it such a grand staging - and lining up a big name like Tom - is also a reflection of how much producers respect the craft and how seriously they take it.”

‘Game of Wool’ - which is due to air on More4 next year - was announced by Channel 4 in July, and was said to be inspired by a string of celebrity knitting fans like Lorde, Ryan Gosling, Nicholas Hoult and Tom Daley.

In a statement, Senior Commissioning Editor, Clemency Green said: “I am thrilled to be commissioning this compelling format for More4 and I’m looking forward to seeing the incredible creations our knitters come up with.

“My main hope is that ‘The Game of Wool’ encourages people, young and older, to pick up the needles and experience the joy which knitting and creating can bring.”

Executive Producer Wendy Rattray teased: “This is knitting but not as you know it. Expect a rainbow coloured extravaganza set in the Scottish countryside where brilliant knitters, young and old, will produce the most unexpected and jaw dropping knits: homewares; jewellery; sculptures; shoes; furniture … and much more. Wool is officially cool and we’re delighted to showcase the best of the best in this exciting new format.”