The 1% Club contestant faced a brutal £97,000 gamble — but was taking £10,000 the smarter move?
Reaching the final of The 1% Club is an achievement in itself. But for Clint, making it that far left him facing an even tougher challenge: whether to protect £10,000 or gamble it for a shot at a £97,000 jackpot.
As the last contestant standing, Clint had already survived round after round while the rest of the field disappeared. Now, with the biggest decision of the game in front of him, he had to choose between walking away with guaranteed money or attempting the notoriously difficult 1% question.
He chose the £10,000.
But when Lee Mack revealed the question anyway, Clint was given the chance to try it without anything at stake.
And it turned out to be far trickier than it first appeared.
Could you solve the £97,000 question?
Clint was shown a series of simple mathematical calculations:
100 – 2
71 + 5
54 × 1
31 + 1
2 × ?
The question was straightforward:
“Which number replaces the question mark below?”
There were no complicated instructions or specialist knowledge required. Just five short calculations and a missing number.
But with only 30 seconds to find the pattern, even simple maths can become surprisingly difficult.
Before looking at the solution, try solving it yourself.
What number belongs in the final space?
@1percentclubitv **pulls out the GCSE maths book** #the1percentclub #leemack #itv #quiz #quizshow #quiztok ♬ original sound – The 1% Club
The decision that saved Clint £10,000
By the time Clint reached the final, he had already been given the option to play for the £97,000 jackpot or take the guaranteed £10,000.
He decided not to risk it.
Lee Mack still showed him the 1% question and invited him to have a go simply for fun. Clint admitted that he had “not a clue” how to solve it.
At home, however, viewers have the luxury of trying without thousands of pounds depending on the answer.
The calculations initially appear to have little connection. You might start looking for a pattern among the numbers themselves or try to work out whether the changing mathematical symbols hold the key.
But the crucial step is much simpler.
You have to complete every calculation first.
The hidden pattern
Work through the four completed lines:
100 – 2 = 98
71 + 5 = 76
54 × 1 = 54
31 + 1 = 32
Now place those answers together:
98, 76, 54, 32
That reveals the real sequence:
98, 76, 54, 32, 10
The numbers are stepping backwards through the digits, eventually reaching 10.
So the final calculation must be:
2 × ? = 10
That means the missing number is:
5
A deceptively simple ending
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The puzzle is a classic example of how The 1% Club can make straightforward maths feel much harder than it really is.
Each individual calculation is easy. The real challenge is recognising that the answers themselves form the sequence.
Once 98, 76, 54 and 32 are lined up, the final 10 becomes much easier to spot.
For Clint, choosing the guaranteed £10,000 meant he didn’t have to rely on finding that pattern under pressure. After seeing the question, his admission that he had no idea how to solve it made his decision look even more sensible.
For viewers, though, there was no money on the line — just the challenge of finding the answer within 30 seconds.
So, did you spot the pattern in time?
