Only Connect viewers left shouting at their TVs after contestants miss Katy Perry connection

Only Connect viewers were left shouting answers at their televisions after contestants failed to spot what many fans considered an obvious connection during the latest Connecting Wall challenge.

Victoria Coren Mitchell returned to BBC Two on Monday, August 12, 2024, for the opening episode of the show’s 20th series. The first heat saw the Al Frescans take on the Midlanders in a battle to secure their place in the competition.

The contest appeared to be progressing smoothly until the teams reached the third round, where they faced one of the show’s most recognisable challenges: the Connecting Wall.

The Connecting Wall proves decisive

For the Connecting Wall, contestants are presented with 16 apparently unrelated clues. Their task is to divide them into four groups of four, with each group sharing a common connection. They have two and a half minutes to complete the challenge.

The Al Frescans managed to identify all four groups, earning the maximum 10 points available.

The Midlanders had a much harder time. Although they successfully identified two groups, they struggled with four clues that viewers quickly recognised as being connected to pop star Katy Perry.

The words were Firework, Hot N Cold, E.T. and Rise, all of which are hit songs by Perry.

Rather than identifying the musical connection, the team suggested that the four clues were films starring Drew Barrymore.

The mistake proved costly. After the Midlanders used up all three of their lives, the wall became frozen and they were unable to make any further changes.

Victoria Coren Mitchell could barely hide her reaction to the missed connection.

“If I liked to bite my nails visibly on screen I would have done it there…I think you are clearly not fans of the work of Katy Perry. Katy Perry songs is what they are,” she said.

Viewers couldn’t believe they missed it

The contestants’ failure to spot the Katy Perry connection quickly became one of the talking points among viewers watching at home.

Several fans took to Twitter to share their disbelief, with some joking that they had found the answer almost immediately.

One viewer wrote: “Me yelling ‘KATY PERRY SONGS’ at the TV #onlyconnect.”

Another admitted that the episode had unexpectedly highlighted their knowledge of Perry’s music, writing: “Well, tonight’s Only Connect has made me realise I’ve a good knowledge of Katy Perry songs and Welsh Castles despite not owning any of her albums or visiting any of the said castles.”

A third viewer joked: “Just got an answer right on Only Connect (yes it was Katy Perry songs).”

Another was equally baffled by the contestants’ failure to make the connection, commenting: “Watching smart people on Only Connect not recognise Katy Perry songs like what planet are you living on?”

The moment captured one of the pleasures of Only Connect: connections that can seem almost painfully obvious when watching from home can become surprisingly difficult when contestants are working against the clock and surrounded by several possible answers.

Al Frescans take the win

By the time the final bell sounded, the Al Frescans had established a clear lead.

They finished the match with 28 points, while the Midlanders ended on 18.

The result means the Al Frescans progress to the next stage of the competition. The Midlanders, meanwhile, remain in the competition at the same stage and will have another opportunity to fight their way through in a subsequent match.

Hosted by Victoria Coren Mitchell, Only Connect is known for challenging contestants to identify links between seemingly unrelated pieces of information. The BBC Programme Index describes the format as a quiz in which contestants must make connections between things that initially appear random.

The next episode was scheduled for Monday, August 19, at 8pm on BBC Two.