The 1% Club fans left fuming after ‘impossible’ question breaks show record

A seemingly simple question on The 1% Club caused chaos among contestants and viewers, with a staggering 30 people eliminated after falling for what host Lee Mack described as a record-breaking question.

The ITV quiz show is known for testing contestants on logic, observation and common sense rather than relying solely on traditional general knowledge. But this particular question left a huge number of players kicking themselves after they misread what was being asked.

Would you have spotted the trick?

For anyone unfamiliar with The 1% Club, the Saturday night show puts 100 members of the public through a series of questions designed to test their intelligence and ability to think logically.

As the competition progresses, the questions become increasingly difficult. Those who manage to answer the question that only one percent of the nation would get right can ultimately compete for a share of up to £100,000.

The format has made the programme a favourite among quiz fans, alongside shows such as The Chase and Pointless. It has even picked up an NTA.

But, as with any quiz show, viewers can become particularly frustrated when a question catches them out.

That was certainly the case with one question in the latest series, which Lee Mack revealed had set a new record for the number of contestants eliminated by a single question.

The host asked: “How many eyes can you see in the image below?”

Contestants were then shown two rows containing emojis and letters of the alphabet while the clock counted down.

It may sound straightforward, but 30 contestants got the answer wrong and were knocked out of the competition.

The answer was 15

The trick was in paying close attention to the wording.

Some viewers may have been tempted to answer 22 because of the letter “i” appearing in the sequence. However, the correct answer was 15, because contestants were specifically being asked to count the eyes they could see.

The wording was enough to catch out a remarkable number of players, making it a record-breaking moment for the show.

And it wasn’t only the contestants who struggled. Viewers watching at home also took to social media to discuss the question and admit they had been caught out.

One user on X was pleased to have avoided the trap, writing: “Wow 30 out in one go. That’s the most ever on 1 question. I got that right only counting the eyes. So easy.”

Another viewer admitted they had overthought the question and arrived at a different answer despite counting 15:

“I tend to try and outsmart and second guess the questions at #The1PercentClub and it doesn’t work!

“At the ‘eye’ question, I counted 15, but because the question was ‘how many eyes can you see’, and you can’t really see the eyes of this [emoji] I thought it was 13.”

For another contestant watching at home, the question was simply a painful reminder not to get too confident.

“What a cheeky question. Caught me out and kicking myself. I was flying until this happened,” they said.

With 30 contestants eliminated in a single round, the question certainly lived up to its reputation as one of the show’s most successful traps.