But like the most in-your-face contestant on a reality show, the president has successfully sucked much of the oxygen from the air, managing to make the election seem to be almost exclusively about him.
Contestants answered questions to earn dots; the dots would connect to reveal a celebrity's face, which contestants would try to identify.
They also announced that they would be teaming up with special effects artist, Robert Kurtzman (From Dusk Till Dawn) as well as director Gary Jones Axe Giantt) and Face Off contestants, Beki Ingram and David Greathouse.
But he admitted it was difficult to refresh the challenges faced by contestants, nine series in.
But perhaps Dating in the Dark could be given a Shakespearean twist in Masked Balls, with face-obscured contestants at a Venetian dance (bringing a useful slice of the Strictly Come Dancing vibe) not knowing until the end whether they are dancing with a man, woman or, if they go really Bardic, the twin from whom they were separated in a shipwreck.
This provided data on the anthropometric characteristics of the faces of contestants who were considered to be the more attractive, as they had passed the initial wide selection made by juries across the whole of Italy.
Although an official announcement of the new judges normally doesn't go out until September, when the second round of auditions bring the contestants face-to-face with the pros, this year may prove to be different as new executive talent steps in to revive the series.
As the competition ensues, as the cookies and cakes, the puddings and breads get whipped up and pushed into ovens, the personalities, the personal stories, the problems facing each contestant - and Mrs. Eaden herself - are revealed and the competition almost takes a backseat to the personal turmoil each contestant is going through... even as you are cheering them on in their baking.
In "Masterchef," at 9, the 11 remaining contestants face yet another mystery basket.
Recognition isn't always the biggest shock contestants face when they emerge from the production bubble.
