Tipping Point viewers were left fuming after one contestant appeared to repeatedly pass questions to his rival in what fans branded an “unfair tactic” to gain an advantage.
The moment unfolded on the ITV game show when Steve found himself competing against Jean and decided to pass on several questions rather than attempt to answer them himself.
That meant Jean was repeatedly forced to step in and tackle the questions instead.
Ben Shephard called out a ‘smug’ contestant(Image: ITV)
While Steve appeared happy with the strategy, host Ben Shephard was quick to notice what was happening — and delivered a sarcastic remark that left the contestant’s tactics firmly in the spotlight.
As Steve passed another question across to Jean, Ben told her: “He’s being very generous Jean, passing to you a lot.”
But Jean certainly did not see it that way.
“Is that generous?” she replied, clearly unimpressed by the situation.
The exchange quickly caught the attention of viewers, many of whom felt Steve was deliberately avoiding questions so he could preserve his chances while putting pressure on his competitor.
Jean was not happy with the tactic used against her(Image: ITV)
Jean, meanwhile, had little opportunity to build up her cash total during the quickfire round.
With her winnings still frustratingly low, she was eventually eliminated from the competition.
Viewers wasted little time taking to social media to vent their frustration.
“Passing to Jean again!” one angry viewer wrote.
Ben Shephard thought the tactic used was not fair(Image: ITV)
Another accused Steve of deliberately using the tactic so he could answer more questions himself, writing that he was “only passing so he can smugly answer more questions.”
A third viewer simply summed up their feelings with: “Steve = smug.”
However, Steve’s apparent advantage did not ultimately guarantee him victory.
Once Jean was out of the competition, Steve was left facing Michael — and the final battle proved remarkably close.
In the end, Michael managed to edge past Steve by just £50.
Ben then delivered the bad news, telling Steve: “Hard luck Steve, that means Michael is our winner.”
Michael was left celebrating his victory and had Ben laughing when he revealed what he hoped to do with the money.
The winner explained that he planned to use the jackpot for a trip to the United States, with his girlfriend able to come along — provided she “behaves herself.”
It was a light-hearted ending to an episode that had already sparked plenty of debate, with viewers clearly divided over Steve’s decision to repeatedly pass questions.
For many watching at home, however, the biggest talking point was not the money — it was whether Steve’s strategy had been clever gameplay or simply an unfair way of putting his opponent under pressure.
And in the end, Michael’s narrow victory ensured that the controversial tactic did not pay off.
Tipping Point airs weekdays at 4pm on ITV.