By Charlie Duffield
TV game shows are an endless source of entertainment and there are plenty on our screens to choose from.
Unsurprisingly, more than a third of Brits say quiz shows are actually their favourite form of TV entertainment.
With hundreds of contestants taking part in quiz shows every day, there’s plenty of room for embarrassing mistakes – and some have gone down in the TV history books.
To celebrate the United Nations World Television Day, Gala Bingo has put together a list of the most entertaining quiz shows in history. Have you forgotten any of them? Please comment with your suggestions.
1. Making funny faces
One The weakest link The guest thought that a civilization of apes laid the foundation for our highways.
Question: In UK geography, the road called Watling Street which is now part of the A5 was originally built by which civilisation?
She said: apes
Answer: The Romans
2. Cry a river
Contestants in One million pound drop They lost £1,000,000 on their first turn when they were asked about a prize won by Justin Timberlake.
Question: Justin Timberlake won an award in October of this year for helping to protect what?
They said: Your movie Friends with benefits
Answer: The environment
3. Problems with baking
One Inflection point The guest couldn’t figure out which cake rhymes with “cronut” to reveal the inspiration for the dessert, so they passed the question on to someone else.
Question: Created in a New York bakery in May 2013, the “cronut” is a cross between a croissant and what other food?
He didn’t know.
Answer: Donut
4. Lost in Austen
A contestant in Who wants to be a millionaire? Tragically he returned home empty-handed after a literary blunder.
Question: Which of these girls’ names is the title of a Jane Austen novel?
He said: Jane
Answer: Emma
5. A blatant mistake
Two self-proclaimed £100,000 drop Superfans lost £100,000 on the first question when they split the money between two incorrect answers.
Question: The name of which Italian sauce is derived from an Italian phrase that literally means ‘sailor-style’?
They said: Carbonara and Puttanesca
Answer: Marinara
6. Feeling bad
It was another disastrous round of Who wants to be a millionaire? when a guest used their 50:50 lifeline… and still got the answer wrong, and walked away without any money.
Question: What word means the prevailing climatic conditions of a region?
He said: Front
Answer: the weather
7. Happy Wednesday!
Sometimes it’s the simplest questions that can ruin your winning streak, as this confusing question… Inflection point The contestant noticed.
Question: On what day is Christmas celebrated every year?
They said: Wednesday
Answer: Christmas Day
8. What’s good for Goosey is good for Gandhi.
Remember when Bamber Gascoigne used to present? University challenge? Either way, one guest had a surprising answer to this question about the famous Indian activist.
Question: What is Gandhi’s first name?
They said: Goose
Answer: Mohandas
9. We all screamed for ice cream.
A guest in The chasing Bradley Walsh was left laughing when he thought about how active soft drink suppliers were at football matches.
Question: In 2009, Sunderland scored against Liverpool when the ball deflected off what object?
They said: Ice cream van
Answer: Beach ball
10. Calendar crisis
Back Who wants to be a millionaire?and one player was left without any prize money after getting confused about the number of days in the month.
Question: What is the second month of the calendar year that has only thirty days?
They said: September
Answer: June
11. Pink Lady?
Someone in The chasing I didn’t know what color the iconic New York landmark was.
Question: The Statue of Liberty is a pale shade of what color?
They said: Rose
Answer: Green
12. The home of witty banter?
A guest in The chasing I didn’t know which television channel with a man’s name was created 12 years ago.
Question: Which of these is a TV channel launched in 2007?
They said: Stan
Answer: Dave
13. For a penny…
A guest in The chasing I was not very informed about the history, suggesting that a 2015 £2 coin was minted depicting King John holding a mobile phone.
Question: A £2 coin issued in 2015 was criticised for a ‘schoolboy error’ because it showed King John holding what?
They said: Mobile phone
Answer: Feather
14. Oh deer
And finally, Who wants to be a millionaire Host Jeremy Clarkson accidentally congratulated this guest on the mistaken Answer. It was only when the correct answer appeared that Clarkson and the guest realized their mistake and immediately stopped their celebration.
Question: What kind of wild animal is an ibex?
They said: Deer
Answer: Goat
Maybe TV quizzes aren’t as easy as they seem! Try the quiz yourself
