12 CONTESTANTS CRASHED OUT OVER THE 1% CLUB’S FIRST QUESTION — THEN LEE MACK’S ‘HARSH’ JOKE SPARKED BACKLASH
It was supposed to be one of the easiest questions of the night. Instead, it became the first controversy of the episode.
The 1% Club viewers were left divided after Lee Mack opened the February 22, 2025, episode with a seemingly straightforward brain teaser that still caught 12 contestants off guard.
The ITV quiz challenges 100 players to work through 15 questions based on logic and common sense, with the ultimate prize of £100,000 at stake. But even the opening 90% question proved more troublesome than expected.
Lee asked contestants:
“Which of these is the largest?”
The four options appeared simple enough:
- A — Circle
- B — Triangle
- C — Rectangle
- D — Square
The correct answer was C — Rectangle, because the word itself contains more letters than the other options.
Yet 12 contestants answered incorrectly, prompting frustration among viewers who felt the wording was needlessly confusing.
‘ISN’T THAT A STUPIDLY WORDED QUESTION?’
For some fans watching at home, the problem was not the logic behind the puzzle but the way it had been phrased.
One viewer complained: “Isn’t that a bit of a stupidly worded question? The actual question is ‘Which word is the longest?’ not ‘Which shape is the largest?”
Another admitted they had fallen at the first hurdle, writing: “Got the first question wrong. Didn’t understand it.”
Others, however, had no issue with the challenge, with one viewer commenting: “That was an interesting first question….good thing I got it right though.”
The disagreement highlighted one of the show’s familiar frustrations: contestants must work out exactly what a question means while the clock is ticking, even when the answer depends on spotting a simple wordplay trick.
LEE MACK’S ‘HARSH’ REMARK LEAVES A CONTESTANT RED-FACED
The reaction intensified when Lee spoke to one of the contestants who had answered incorrectly.
The player had made their selection faster than anyone else among the 100 contestants, despite getting the answer wrong.
When Lee asked about their mistake, the contestant explained that they usually wore contact lenses.
The comedian promptly replied: “But clearly not today.”
The quip prompted another wave of reaction, with one viewer taking aim at the host: “Lee Mack is harsh tonight.”
While the remark fitted Lee’s familiar teasing style, the exchange became another talking point in an episode that had already divided viewers over its opening puzzle.
THE CONTESTANT WHO TURNED THE TABLES ON LEE
Lee soon found himself on the receiving end of a question he couldn’t crack.
A contestant asked him:
“Which is the softest nut?”
The host struggled to identify the answer, only for the player to reveal the punchline: a doughnut.
The joke provided a playful reversal after Lee had spent the opening round putting contestants through their paces.
It also gave viewers another reason to discuss the episode, with the host’s own moment of confusion contrasting with his earlier teasing of a player who had missed the first question.
A 90% QUESTION THAT WASN’T SO STRAIGHTFORWARD
The opening puzzle was designed for a question that 90% of the public were expected to answer correctly. Yet the 12 wrong answers showed how easily a question about logic can become a test of interpretation instead.
For some viewers, the wording was the real stumbling block. Others saw it as a perfectly fair challenge that rewarded contestants who looked beyond the literal meaning of the question.
Either way, the debate began almost as soon as the episode started — and Lee’s quick joke ensured the discussion didn’t end with the answer.
The 1% Club is available to stream on ITVX.