The popular ITV quiz show The 1% Club ended in disappointment for its contestants on Saturday night, May 3, 2025, as not a single player managed to answer the final question correctly, leaving a prize pot of £97,000 unclaimed. Hosted by Lee Mack, the show challenges contestants with a series of increasingly difficult logic-based questions, ultimately narrowing down the participants to the top 1 percent.
On this particular episode, five players made it to the final round, each hoping to walk away with a share of the substantial prize. The format of the show involves players answering questions that begin with ones that 90 percent of the public can answer and culminate in a single question that only 1 percent of people are expected to get right. This final question is often a real brain teaser, and this week was no exception.
As the clock ticked down, Lee Mack posed the final query: "What new word links the capitalised words below?" He then read aloud a sentence that included the capitalised words: "My SON TED ate raw FOOD and got SICK, then went to BED with me by his SIDE." With only 30 seconds to answer, the pressure was on.
Despite their best efforts, all five contestants failed to arrive at the correct answer. Lee Mack, visibly surprised, went around the group to collect their responses, which varied widely. One contestant admitted they hadn’t even written anything down, while another suggested the word "well" and another guessed "new." Unfortunately, none of these guesses were correct.
After the time was up, Lee revealed that the answer was "sea." This answer makes sense once you consider that the word "sea" can be added to the front of each capitalised word to form new words: SEASON, SEATED, SEAFOOD, SEASICK, SEABED, and SEASIDE. The complexity of the question left everyone in the studio stunned, and the significant prize pot went unclaimed.
This wasn’t the first time The 1% Club has seen contestants struggle with difficult questions. Earlier in the episode, a particularly tricky question knocked out 16 players in the second round. This question involved a cryptic puzzle that asked contestants to identify what linked images of a ball of string, a metallic square, and a cloud with a face blowing. The options given were: "In an orchestra, In a cinema, or On a football pitch." The correct answer was "In an orchestra," as the images represented the different sections of an orchestra: string, brass, and wind.
Lee Mack, who has previously expressed his admiration for challenging quiz shows, stated, "I like quizzes that are tough. I watch University Challenge knowing that if I’m lucky I’ll get a couple of questions right, and I’m more than happy with that because when you get it right, you feel great. That’s what I really like about The 1% Club." His enthusiasm for difficult questions is clear, but it seems that this week’s final question proved too challenging even for the sharpest minds in the studio.
As viewers tuned in to watch the episode, many likely found themselves stumped by the final question as well. The show’s format not only entertains but also encourages viewers to engage their minds and think critically. For those who enjoy a challenge, The 1% Club continues to deliver, even if it means leaving contestants and viewers alike scratching their heads at the end of the night.
The unclaimed prize pot has sparked discussions among fans of the show, with many sharing their thoughts on social media about the difficulty of the questions. Some have even attempted to solve the final question on their own, with varying degrees of success. The challenge of answering questions under time pressure adds an exciting element to the viewing experience, making it a thrilling watch for audiences.
As the show moves forward, fans will undoubtedly be eager to see what challenges lie ahead for future contestants. With Lee Mack at the helm, viewers can expect more tough questions that will test the limits of contestants’ knowledge and problem-solving skills. The show has carved out a niche for itself in the competitive landscape of quiz programming, and its unique format continues to captivate audiences.
In the world of quiz shows, The 1% Club stands out for its emphasis on logic and reasoning, pushing players to think outside the box. As the season progresses, it will be interesting to see if contestants can rise to the occasion and tackle the challenging questions that lie ahead. For now, the memory of the unclaimed £97,000 prize pot will linger as a reminder of the tricky nature of the final question.
