Hilarious TV quiz show mistakes revealed - but would you have got these questions right?

TV quiz show

A new survey has revealed the UK's funniest quiz show moments, but would you have answered these questions correctly?

With hundreds of contestants taking part in quiz shows everyday in our favourite shows such as The Chase, The Weakest Link and Pointless, there’s plenty of opportunity for TV bloopers.

You have probably watched a TV quiz show (perhaps with your favourite TV snacks) and found yourself shouting at the TV about how dim-witted some of the contestants are. Whether it’s down to someone’s mind going blank in the pressure of the moment, completely misunderstanding the question, or simply being a bit daft, GalaBingo.com has hunted down some of the UK’s funniest quiz moments.

To also mark World TV Day (21 November), Gala Bingo analysed YouGov data to reveal the most popular TV quiz shows in the UK - and can reveal The Chase, came in top, closely followed by Alexander Armstrong and Richard Osman’s Pointless. Who Wants to Be a Millionaire currently hosted by Jeremy Clarkson, ranked third. But, how do these compare to these classic 90s gameshows?

The most hilarious TV quiz show moments

1. Merry Wednesday!

When asked on which day Christmas is celebrated each year, this confused Tipping Point contestant responded with ‘Wednesday!’.

Really? However, the public did well this one, with only 1 per cent getting this question wrong.

2. Monkeying around

This Weakest Link was asked which civilisation laid the foundations for the UK's motorways. Of course, we know it was the Romans. Her answer? Apes!!

Worryingly, after testing the general public, GalaBingo found that 36 per cent also got this question wrong.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvVMWfOmFTs

3. Pink Lady?

This The Chase guest didn’t know what colour the iconic New York landmark, the Statue of Liberty, is - opting for ‘pink’ instead of ‘green’.

Oops! Surprisingly, 30 per cent of those surveyed also got this question wrong.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=GBpNvYh5BLc&feature=emb_title

4. Pastry problems

This Tipping Point guest couldn’t work out which pastry rhymes with ‘cronut’ to reveal the inspiration for the dessert. Instead he passed the question to another guest. If you haven’t sussed it out, the answer is ‘doughnut’.

Only 3 per cent of the public got this question wrong.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTrkpeH63OI

4. Lost in Austen

This Who Wants to be a Millionaire guest went home with nothing after selecting ‘Jane’ as the title of an Austen book instead of the classic novel ‘Emma’.

We agree that this is an easy mistake to make, and turns out 35 per cent of those tested  made this blunder.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwke8zQHDfw

5. A saucy mistake

These self-proclaimed £100k Drop superfans lost £100,000 on the first question, splitting their money between ‘carbonara’ and ‘puttanesca’ for the sailor-inspired Italian sauce. The answer was actually ‘marinara’.

It seems the general public aren't pasta sauce connoisseurs either, with 23 per cent getting this question wrong.

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6. Feeling under the weather

This Who Wants to be a Millionaire guest used his ‘50:50’ lifeline and still got the answer wrong, walking away with no money after choosing ‘front’ rather than ‘climate’ as the ‘prevailing weather conditions of a region’.

Surprisingly, a whopping 47 per cent got this same question wrong.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUIO6dJjs6w

7. We all scream for ice cream

This guest on The Chase had Bradley Walsh in stitches when she thought refreshment providers took a very hands-on role at football games. When asked 'In 2009, Sunderland scored against Liverpool when the football deflected in off what object?

The answer was in fact ‘beach ball’, not 'ice-cream van'. Hilariously, 59 per cent of the public also got this TV quiz show question wrong.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5b3Wiu9CUdo

8. Calendar crisis

This Who Wants to be a Millionaire guest didn’t know which months have 30 days and chose ‘September’ instead of ‘June’. He left the show with no prize money.

Turns out the general public don't know the classic rhyme to remember number of days in each month as 21 per cent of the public also answered ‘September’.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUIO6dJjs6w

9. The home of witty banter?

This The Chase guest didn’t know which TV channel has a man’s name and chose ‘Stan’ instead of popular UKTV channel ‘Dave’.  An easy mistake to make... Though, only 5 per cent got this question wrong.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eyzoerRnbI

10. In for a penny...

This guest on The Chase wasn’t too informed on history, suggesting that a 2015 £2 coin was made depicting King John (who died in 1216) holding a mobile phone.

The correct answer was ‘quill’, as he was illustrated famously signing the Magna Carta. However, The chase contestant wasn't the only one to get this question wrong, with a whopping 64 per cent making the same mistake.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAj5wMusNaE

11. Oh deer

And finally, Who Wants to be a Millionaire host, Jeremy Clarkson, accidentally congratulated this guest for the wrong answer, assuring him that an ibex was indeed a type of deer. It was only when the correct answer lit up that Clarkson and the guest realised the error, immediately putting a stop to his celebrating.

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Oh deer, oh deer, Jeremy and the contestant weren't the only ones to get this one wrong. Three-quarters or the public also made this blooper.

Sibelle Mehmet
Junior Digital Writer

Sibelle Mehmet is a Junior Digital Writer at Goodto.com. She joined the team in April 2019 and was her first job since completing a MA in Magazine Journalism at City, the University of London in the summer of 2019. Sibelle previously interned at a number of national titles including OK!, Heat, Closer, Mother & Baby, and The Times Newspaper magazine. She's written extensively about the latest celebrity, showbiz, and royal news.