"In each round, the aim is to answer enough questions correctly to reach your thousand-pound-target within the time-limit.

"The fastest way is to create a chain of nine correct answers, get your question wrong and you break the chain and lose all the money in that chain, but if you say "Bank!" before your question is asked, the money is safe, however, you start a new question from scratch. Remember - at the end of the round, only money that has been banked can be taken forward.

"We'll start with the person whose name is first alphabetically (round 1) / the strongest link from the last round (all subsequent rounds), let's play The Weakest Link!"

Essentially, that's it. But below, is a more detailed description of The Rules:

Round One

In Round One, there are three minutes on the clock. The person whose name is first alphabetically is asked the first question, the person on his left is asked the next and so on. Questions continue being asked until the time runs out.

If a player answers correctly, a 'link' is formed in a 'chain'. If the next person also answers correctly, another link is added and so on. The more questions answered correctly the longer the chain, and the higher the value of the chain. However, if a player answers incorrectly, the chain is broken, and all money in the chain is lost.

If a player says "bank" before their question is asked, the value of the chain is put into the team's bank. This money is safe, and answering questions incorrectly will not reduce the amount in the bank. However, if a player says bank, a new chain must be started from zero. The bank balance can therefore be raised more quickly by building longer chains.

Only money that has been banked can be taken into round two - if there is a chain that has not been banked when the time runs out, then that chain is lost.

At the end of the round, each player must vote for the person who he thinks was the Weakest Link (that is, the worst player). The player who has the most votes is eliminated from the team and must leave the studio with no share of the final prize money. If two or more players have the same number of votes, the player who was statistically the strongest link (the best player) must cast the deciding vote. The strongest link may change his original vote if he wishes.

Rounds Two to Seven

These rounds are played in the same way as round one, except each round has ten seconds less time on the clock than the previous round. So in round two there are 2:50 on the clock, round three - 2:40, round four - 2:30, round 5 - 2:20, round six - 2:10, round seven - 2:00. The strongest link from the previous round is asked the first question.

The money won in each round is added to the totals from the previous rounds.

Round Eight

When there are only two players left, the time is reduced to ninety seconds. This round is played in the same way as all the previous rounds, but whatever is banked in this round is trebbled (daytime show) or doubled (evening show) and added to the total to make up the final prize money.

After this round, nobody is voted off.

The Head-to-Head

As only one person can take the prize money, the two remaining players play against each other. The host asks alternate questions. Each player is asked up to five questions. The person who answers the most correctly wins. The strongest link from the previous round has the choice of who goes first.

If there is a tie after five questions each, there is a sudden death situation. The questions continue in pairs as before. If the first player gets his question right, the other has to get her question right or she loses, if the first player gets his question wrong, the other player has to get her question right in order to win. If both players answer correctly or both answer incorrectly, the questions continue.

The player who wins takes home the prize money. The loser leaves with nothing.

Confused? Want part of the rules explaining? Email John - bohemiauk@yahoo.co.uk