Funniest incorrect quiz show answers of all time
By Charlie Duffield
TV quiz shows are an endless source of entertainment and there are plenty on our screens to choose from.
Unsurprisingly, over a third of Brits say quiz shows are actually their favourite form of TV indulgence.
With hundreds of participants taking part in quiz shows everyday, there’s plenty of scope for embarrassing mistakes - and some have been written into the TV history books.
To celebrate UN World Television Day, Gala Bingo has compiled a list of the funniest ever quiz show fails. Has one been missed off the list? Comment with your suggestions.
1. Monkeying around
One Weakest Link guest thought that a civilisation of apes laid the foundations for our motorways.
Question: In UK geography, the road called Watling Street that now forms part of the A5 was originally built by which civilisation?
She said: Apes
Answer: The Romans
2. Cry me a river
Contestants on Million Pound Drop lost £1,000,000 on their first turn when they were asked about an award won by Justin Timberlake.
Question: Justin Timberlake won an award in October this year for helping to protect what?
They said: His film Friends with Benefits
Answer: The environment
3. Pastry problems
One Tipping Point guest couldn’t figure out which pastry rhymes with ‘cronut’ to reveal the inspiration for the dessert. So he passed the question to someone else.
Question: Created in a New York bakery in May 2013, the ‘cronut’ is a cross between a croissant and what other food item?
He didn’t know.
Answer: Doughnut
4. Lost in Austen
A contestant on Who Wants to be a Millionaire? tragically went home empty handed after a literature faux paux.
Question: Which of these girls' names is the title of a Jane Austen novel?
He said: Jane
Answer: Emma
5. A saucy mistake
Two self-proclaimed £100k Drop superfans lost £100,000 on the first question when they split the money between two incorrect answers.
Question: The name of which Italian sauce derives from an Italian phrase literally meaning ‘in sailor’s style’?
They said: Carbonara and Puttanesca
Answer: Marinara
6. Feeling under the weather
It was another disastrous round of Who Wants to be a Millionaire? when a guest used his 50:50 lifeline...and still got the answer wrong, walking away with no money.
Question: Which word means the prevailing weather conditions of a region?
He said: Front
Answer: Climate
7. Merry Wednesday!
Sometimes it’s the simplest questions which can throw off your winning streak, as this confused Tipping Point contestant realised.
Question: On which day is Christmas celebrated each year?
They said: Wednesday
Answer: Christmas Day
8. What’s good for the Goosey is good for the Gandhi
Remember when Bamber Gascoigne used to present University Challenge? Either way, one guest had a surprising answer for this question about the famous Indian activist.
Question: What is Gandhi’s first name?
They said: Goosey
Answer: Mohandas
9. We all scream for ice cream
One guest on The Chase had Bradley Walsh in stitches when she thought refreshment providers took a very hands-on role at football games.
Question: In 2009, Sunderland scored against Liverpool when the football deflected in off what object?
They Said: Ice Cream Van
Answer: Beach Ball
10. Calendar crisis
Back to Who Wants to be a Millionaire?, and one player left with no prize money after getting confused about the number of days in the month.
Question: Which is the second month of the calendar year to have only thirty days?
They said: September
Answer: June
11. Pink Lady?
Someone on The Chase didn’t know what colour the iconic New York landmark.
Question: The Statue of Liberty is a pale shade of what colour?
They said: Pink
Answer: Green
12. The home of witty banter?
A guest on The Chase didn’t know which TV channel with a man’s name was created 12 years ago.
Question: Which of these is a TV channel launched in 2007?
They said: Stan
Answer: Dave
13. In for a penny...
A guest on The Chase wasn’t too informed on history, suggesting that a 2015 £2 coin was made depicting King John holding a mobile phone.
Question: A £2 coin issued in 2015 was criticised for a ‘schoolboy error’ because it showed King John holding what?’
They said: Mobile Phone
Answer: Quill
14. Oh deer
And finally, Who Wants to be a Millionaire host, Jeremy Clarkson, accidentally congratulated this guest for the wrong answer. It was only when the correct answer lit up that Clarkson and the guest realised the error, immediately putting a stop to his celebrating.
Question: What type of wild animal is an ibex?
They said: Deer
Answer: Goat
Perhaps TV quizzes aren’t as easy as they look! Try the quiz for yourself