The 1% Club host Lee Mack forced to apologise after | UK News

ITV’s The 1% Club bought off to an awkward start when host Lee Mack delivered a stinging one-liner to a contestant – and then had to backtrack with an apology. The second got here when participant Ali failed the very first query, which challenged contestants to clear up an anagram of “tomato soup.” Instead of discovering the 2 phrases, she guessed just one – “tomatoes.” The 70-year-old held her head in her arms, branding herself “a div,” before Lee requested what she would have accomplished with the prize money.

Ali revealed she’d have splashed out on “lots of different pairs of specs like Prue Leith, one for each outfit,” referencing the Great British Bake Off star’s trademark daring glasses. Without lacking a beat, Lee shot back: “Yeah, get lots of different pairs so you can see the second word.” The studio erupted in awkward laughter, prompting the comedian to rapidly add: “Oh no, I’m so sorry, that was really harsh, I’m sorry.”

Another contestant soon determined to call it quits, taking the £1,000 prize money to bow out early. But before she left the studio, she sparked an surprising back-and-forth with host Lee Mack over her reasoning.

When Lee requested why she was strolling away, the participant bluntly replied it was down to the “cost of parking” to be on the show. “It costs £30 to park here!” she exclaimed, prompting a ripple of laughter from the viewers.

Not lacking a beat, Lee reminded her that even after paying for parking, she was still £970 in revenue.

ITV lately announced  a major shake-up to the show – and the stakes have never been increased. The hit quiz show will likely be returning this autumn for a particular week-long event called The 1% Club Rollover.

The format will keep the same – questions based on logic, reasoning and common sense – but with one big twist.

Any prize pot that isn’t received on one show will now roll over to the next. If the pots keep rolling, gamers might be competing for an unbelievable jackpot of up to £500,000.

There’s another big change too – anybody who reaches the ultimate 1% query will routinely return for the next episode, with the possibility to win again and probably double, treble or even quadruple their prize money.

Sue Murphy, ITV’s Head of Factual Entertainment, promised: “The 1% Club Rollover as event TV is a perfect fit. This special Rollover week will really be a primetime event that will have the nation hooked. Five nights of The 1% Club and Lee Mack… What’s not to like?”

Since launching three years in the past, The 1% Club has turn into ITV’s largest unique quiz show in more than a decade, drawing over six million viewers per episode, streamed 40 million occasions, and successful a number of awards – including two NTAs.