Anne Robinson says contestants on the US version of the Weakest Link have "poor" general knowledge.
She says Americans' worst subjects are literature and politics, and they don't know anywhere outside Idaho.
The presenter is to host an IQ test in the UK, on BBC1 on May 11.
Viewers will get 70 questions on subjects including word power and mental arithmetic.
Anne and co-host Phillip Schofield will also grill 300 people in the studio, including a team of celebrities.
Viewers will be able to play the game at home using a score card distributed in newspapers and magazines, or on digital TV or the internet.