A little-known Manchester agency has hit the jackpot after landing a plum contract to turbo-charge the social media buzz around Jeremy Clarkson’s hotly debated new quiz show spin-off.

Social Media Makes Sense (SMMS), a boutique digital firm based in the heart of the Northern Powerhouse, has been handpicked by producers to handle the online promotion for Millionaire Hot Seat – the fast and furious 30-minute twist on the iconic Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? that has already got viewers spitting feathers.

As the show – hosted by the irreverent Top Gear legend – kicked off its run on ITV this week, furious fans branded it an ‘awful rehash’ and a ‘guessing game with no strategy’. But behind the scenes, SMMS bosses are rubbing their hands with glee at the chance to ‘turn up the heat’ on one of Britain’s most beloved TV brands.

Jo Booth, director at SMMS, could barely contain her excitement as she told industry bible Prolific North: ‘It’s a real honour to be picked to promote one of the UK’s most iconic TV brands, delivered in a new and exciting way. We can’t wait to turn up the heat on their social media!’

And turn up the heat they will need to, because Millionaire Hot Seat has sparked a firestorm since its debut on Monday night.

Viewers at home slammed the format as ‘measly’ and ‘lacking everything that made the original a hit’, with one furious tweeter raging: ‘This is just an awful rehash – bring back the proper Millionaire!’

Another fumed: ‘It’s a guessing game with no strategy. Stop it now!’

Even seasoned TV critic Christopher Stevens weighed in, describing it as a ‘bland, unsatisfying recipe’ that leaves a ‘tacky taste in the mouth’.

But defenders insist the ruthless new rules make for nail-biting telly. Clarkson himself has hyped it as ‘Millionaire after a massive can of energy drink’ and ‘fitted with a supercharger’ – pure concentrated juice with ‘no lifelines, no hesitating, and five people waiting to jump into the chair when someone makes a mess of things’.

So what’s all the fuss about?

Unlike the classic format where one contestant agonises over questions with lifelines to fall back on, Hot Seat throws six players into the fray at once. They battle against each other and a brutal 15-second clock, with no safety nets.

Wrong answer? You’re out – and the jackpot plummets. Pass? You slink to the back of the queue. Only the survivor in the titular hot seat at the end gets a shot at the big money, with a potential £1 million on the line if the team nails every question.

It’s based on an Australian version that’s been running for nearly two decades, but this is its UK premiere – produced by Belfast-based Stellify Media (backed by Sony Pictures Television) and filmed at Manchester’s glittering dock10 studios in MediaCity.

That’s where SMMS comes in. The Manchester outfit, which specialises in ‘online storytelling’ and ‘generating talk-a-bility’, has been tasked with whipping up viral clips, memes and behind-the-scenes teasers to keep the conversation bubbling – even if half of it is complaints.

Industry insiders say it’s a massive coup for the agency, putting them firmly on the map in the cut-throat world of TV digital marketing.

SMMS boasts a team with roots in PR, children’s television and data-driven campaigns. Their website proudly declares they are ‘TV’s Digital Agency’, experts at ‘creating & curating’ content that engages audiences.

Past clients have raved about their workshops and results, with one testimonial gushing: ‘We received excellent feedback.’

Now they’re going head-to-head with the big London agencies who usually snap up these prestige briefs.

One source told the Mail: ‘Manchester is booming for creative talent. Places like the Northern Quarter are packed with hip agencies full of young guns who know TikTok and Reels inside out. Beating the capital crowd to a show like this? That’s proper Northern grit.’

As episodes continue to air at 7.30pm on ITV (and on catch-up via ITVX), all eyes are on whether SMMS can turn the tide of negativity into viral gold.

Will cheeky Clarkson clips of contestants crumbling under pressure rack up millions of views? Or will the backlash drown them out?

One thing’s for sure: in the high-stakes world of social media, SMMS have just taken the hot seat themselves.

And with Jeremy at the helm cracking his trademark sarcastic quips, there’s no shortage of material.

As Clarkson put it: ‘It’s fast, it’s exciting…’

Whether viewers agree remains to be seen. But for a Manchester agency, this brief is worth a million.