The 1% Club contestant regrets changing her answer on tricky Van Gogh picture puzzle
A contestant on The 1% Club was left kicking herself after changing her initial answer on a picture puzzle she had seemingly worked out correctly.
The ITV quiz show, hosted by Lee Mack, regularly challenges players with questions designed to test logic, observation and common sense rather than general knowledge. But one seemingly straightforward puzzle proved surprisingly easy to get wrong.
The question showed contestants three versions of a Vincent van Gogh self-portrait and asked:
“Which of these Vincent van Gogh self-portraits has been altered?”
With just 30 seconds to study the images, players had to identify the fake.
The tiny detail hiding in the picture
The correct answer was C.
The altered image showed Van Gogh wearing earbuds — an obvious clue once spotted, given that earbuds were not invented until around 100 years after the Dutch artist’s death in 1890.
The image also played on one of the most famous details of Van Gogh’s life: he famously cut off part of his ear during a violent dispute with fellow artist Paul Gauguin.
Despite the clue, several contestants failed to identify the altered portrait.
Margaret changes her mind
After revealing that four players had answered incorrectly, Lee Mack focused on one contestant named Margaret.
Rather than blaming the question, Margaret immediately turned the joke on herself.
“Thick as two short planks,” she quipped after Lee put the spotlight on her.
But the mistake became even more frustrating when Margaret explained that she had actually selected C initially — before changing her answer.
Lee asked why she had decided to switch.
“God alone knows, I don’t,” Margaret admitted.
Her response left the moment feeling even more painful, as she had initially picked the correct option before second-guessing herself.
Another picture puzzle eliminated 20 players
The Van Gogh challenge was not the only visual question to cause problems on The 1% Club.
In a previous 30% question, contestants were shown an image of footprints in the sand and asked:
“How many RIGHT FOOTPRINTS can you see in the sand?”
They had 30 seconds to distinguish the right footprints from the left ones.
The question proved particularly difficult, with 20 players eliminated after giving incorrect answers.
Lee eventually confirmed that the correct answer was eight.
The eight right footprints were then highlighted in green on the image, making it clear which prints contestants had been expected to identify.
The result demonstrated how quickly an apparently simple observation test can become difficult when players are working against the clock.
The 1% Club airs on ITV1 and is available to stream on ITVX.
