The 1% Club Contestants Wiped Out by One Question as Viewers Clash Over Whether the Wording Was Fair
A new episode of the popular quiz show, hosted by Lee Mack, pictured, aired on Saturday evening but left some viewers confused
On the recent instalment, a question that only 5% of the population were able to answer was read to the remaining five contestants who had made it through the various rounds.
It read: ‘Without reordering any letters, how many animals appear in the sequence below?’ The sequence was, ‘PHEASANTORTOISEALION’
A single puzzle brought every remaining contestant on The 1% Club to a halt — but it was the answer revealed afterward that sparked an even bigger argument among viewers at home.
Five players were still in contention when host Lee Mack presented a question that only 5% of the public had reportedly answered correctly.
They were shown the continuous sequence:
“PHEASANTORTOISEALION”
The challenge sounded straightforward: “Without reordering any letters, how many animals appear in the sequence below?”
Every one of the five contestants got it wrong.
Six Animals Were Hidden in the Letters
Some viewers were left divided online and debated whether an ant is classed as an animal
The official answer was six.
Hidden within the sequence were:
- Pheasant
- Tortoise
- Sea lion
- Lion
- Seal
- Ant
Despite all five contestants failing the question, they remained in the competition because nobody else was left.
But the puzzle quickly became the talking point of the episode for another reason.
Viewers Disagree Over One Tiny Creature
Out of the four who chose to face the coveted final question, only one was brave enough to answer, and he got it wrong, meaning no one walked away with any cash
The question was: ‘The words below share a specific pattern. Why could VOTING also be part of the group?’, and the words listed were ‘Bandleader, Nickelodeo and Silverback’
Some viewers objected to “ant” being included among the six animals, arguing that an ant is an insect and that the question should instead have used a broader term such as “creatures.”
Others immediately pushed back, pointing out that insects are animals and therefore the programme’s classification was correct.
The disagreement turned what appeared to be a simple word puzzle into a surprisingly heated debate, with viewers arguing not only about the answer but also about whether the question itself had been worded fairly.
Another Question Caused Even More Drama
The controversy didn’t end there.
Later, the remaining contestants reached the show’s decisive 1% question with £96,000 potentially available.
Each player had a choice: take a guaranteed share of £10,000 — worth £2,000 each — or continue for the much larger jackpot.
Christopher decided to take his £2,000, explaining that he felt his luck could be about to run out. The other four chose to continue.
Then came the final puzzle.
Contestants were shown the words “Bandleader,” “Nickelodeon” and “Silverback” and asked why “VOTING” could also belong to the same group.
Only one of the four contestants attempted an answer — and it was incorrect.
That meant none of those who continued walked away with any money.
The Hidden Pattern Viewers Spotted
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The solution was buried inside the words themselves.
“Bandleader” contains LEAD, “Nickelodeon” contains NICKEL and “Silverback” contains SILVER.
“VOTING” could therefore join the group because it contains TIN.
All four are metals.
Yet rather than celebrating the difficulty of the 1% puzzle, many viewers were stunned that the contestants had failed to spot it. Some claimed they solved it within seconds, while others described it as one of the easiest final questions they could remember.
In one episode, The 1% Club managed to produce two very different controversies: one question that eliminated every contestant and had viewers arguing over a single ant — and another supposedly reserved for the smartest 1% that some people at home believed was almost too obvious.