Fans of ITV’s The 1% Club were left frustrated just minutes into the latest episode after the opening question sent 12 contestants out of the game.

The question was intended to test the players’ ability to think beyond the obvious, but its wording quickly became the focus of controversy. Viewers watching at home were equally divided over what exactly the question was asking.

Hosted by comedian Lee Mack, The 1% Club puts 100 contestants through 15 questions designed to test logic and common sense rather than general knowledge. The questions are also tested through public polling, with their difficulty determined by the percentage of people who answer correctly. Contestants compete for the chance to win up to £100,000.

Twelve contestants eliminated by the first question

In the episode broadcast on Saturday, February 22, Lee introduced a first-round question rated at 90%.

Contestants were shown four options:

• A) Circle
• B) Triangle
• C) Rectangle
• D) Square

The question asked: “Which of these is the largest?”

The correct answer was C, Rectangle. The intended trick was that the question referred to the word itself rather than the shape. “Rectangle” contains the most letters, making it the largest word of the four.

However, 12 contestants selected the wrong answer and were eliminated immediately.

Lee pointed out how unusual it was to lose so many players on the opening question. But the reaction from viewers was just as strong, with many taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, to complain that the wording was unnecessarily confusing.

One viewer wrote that the question “made no sense”, arguing that although “rectangle” is the longest word, “largest” does not necessarily mean the longest word. They added that they had managed to get the answer right but still considered the wording odd.

Another viewer questioned whether the question should instead have asked which word was the longest, rather than which shape was the largest.

Others were equally unimpressed.

“This has weirdly outraged me,” one fan posted, describing it as a poorly worded question.

Another said they loved the programme but remained annoyed by what they considered the “stupidity” of the question, adding that they were not surprised 12 contestants had been eliminated by it.

A different kind of quiz show

Despite the criticism, The 1% Club remains popular with viewers because of its unusual approach to quiz questions.

Rather than relying on contestants’ ability to memorise facts, the programme focuses on logic, lateral thinking and common sense. The questions are based on how successfully members of the public can solve them, with the percentage of correct answers determining their difficulty.

During the episode, Lee also spoke to one contestant who had chosen the wrong answer and had made their selection faster than anyone else among the 100 players.

When the contestant explained that they normally wear contact lenses, Lee responded with a joke: “But clearly not today.”

A £99,000 winner made show history

The episode also comes against the backdrop of a major recent win on The 1% Club, when one contestant walked away with the programme’s biggest jackpot to date.

The contestant secured £99,000 after reaching the final challenge, which involved solving an anagram.

Five contenders remained at that stage, but only one managed to work out the answer: “elephant.”

After a tense wait, Lee confirmed that Matthew had found the correct answer.

Matthew reacted with disbelief before celebrating with a fist pump as Lee congratulated him.

“Congratulations Matthew! You are the winner of everything in the prize pot! That’s £99,000!” the host told him.

While the £99,000 victory provided a memorable highlight for the programme, the latest episode showed that contestants can face trouble much earlier in the game. For the 12 players who were eliminated by the opening question, the challenge was over almost as soon as it had begun.