Lee Mack Pauses The 1% Club to Apologise to Contestant After Admitting His Joke Went Too Far

Lee Mack interrupted The 1% Club to apologise to contestant Ally Davies after realising that his joke about her wrong answer had been too harsh. Although Davies appeared to take the remark in good humour, the ITV presenter, 56, felt he had gone too far and openly admitted that he was ashamed of his comments.

The moment unfolded during the episode broadcast on Saturday, 15 February 2025, after Davies became the first contestant eliminated from the game.

Ally Davies Is Eliminated After the First Question

The 1% Club challenges 100 contestants, each with £1,000 at stake, to work through 15 questions of increasing difficulty. Those who make it to the final stage face a question that only 1% of the nation is expected to answer correctly, with a potential £100,000 cash prize on offer.

In Saturday’s episode, Lee Mack opened with the show’s first 90% question. Contestants had to unscramble letters displayed on a can to identify a two-word food: tomato soup.

Davies was the only player to answer incorrectly, bringing her time on the show to an early end.

“So, we’ve lost one person, Ally Davies,” Mack announced.

Davies responded by calling herself “such a div”, prompting the presenter to ask what had gone wrong.

The contestant explained that she would turn 70 in March and had hoped to do well on the programme. She also revealed what she would have liked to do with the prize money: buy lots of different pairs of glasses to match her outfits.

Lee Mack Realises His Joke Was Too Harsh

Mack initially responded with a joke, telling Davies: “Well, you came on the show, the first part worked.”

He then added that she could keep trying different pairs of glasses until she was able to see the word “soup”.

While Davies seemed to understand the humour behind the remark, Mack quickly reconsidered his words and apologised.

“Sorry, that was a bit harsh. I’m sorry, that was too much,” he said.

The presenter went on to explain why he felt uncomfortable with his own joke. He said he usually teased one contestant before moving on to another, allowing everyone to share in the banter. This time, however, Davies was the only person who had been eliminated, making the situation different.

“I’ve forgotten you’re the only one that was out. Unlucky, Ally,” Mack said, acknowledging that his comment had landed differently because she had been the sole player to get the answer wrong.

The Previous Episode’s Final Question Also Divided Viewers

The moment came just a week after another The 1% Club puzzle sparked debate among viewers. In the episode aired on 9 February 2025, a winner walked away with £99,000, but the final question left fans divided over its wording and difficulty.

Lee Mack asked contestants to remove all the underlined letters from the sentence “ANIMAL TOSHUNINSTAMPEDE” and rearrange the remaining letters to form a word.

The letters left after the underlined sections were removed were presented as “Thpelean”. Rearranging them produced the answer “Elephant” — but the puzzle prompted differing reactions from viewers at home.

The two episodes once again demonstrated how The 1% Club can generate discussion beyond the competition itself, whether through a challenging word puzzle or an unexpected moment of on-air banter.