A former Pointless contestant has revealed the awkward moment she forgot her microphone was still switched on while commenting on host Alexander Armstrong.
Fortuna Burke, founder of Contact Journalists, appeared on the BBC quiz show in 2010 alongside her friend Satish. Looking back on her time on the programme, she recalled being struck by Armstrong’s polished manner and distinctive voice.
“I thought Alexander Armstrong was really fun, suave and sophisticated,” Fortuna told Mecca Bingo. “He has such a distinctive, very polished way of speaking.”
Microphone reminder
But after making a comment about the presenter to Satish, she was quickly reminded that their conversation was not necessarily private.
“I remember saying to Satish at one point, ‘He sounds so sophisticated, he’s got such a posh accent,’” she said. “Satish immediately reminded me that our microphones were still on and that everyone could probably hear us!”
Fortuna admitted she was relieved that, at least, she had not been saying anything critical about the presenter. “I remember thinking, ‘Well, at least I’m not saying anything bad!’”
Professional atmosphere
The contestant said the incident was a reminder of just how professional the atmosphere behind the scenes could be, with contestants not necessarily spending much time chatting to the presenters between takes.
“We didn’t actually get much opportunity to chat to Alexander off camera,” she explained. “You don’t really become pally with the hosts or spend lots of time chatting to them behind the scenes. Everything is quite professional and there are clear boundaries.”
Despite the embarrassing moment, Fortuna had nothing but praise for Armstrong, describing him as a “brilliant host” who is “a great speaker, very quick and funny”.
“He has that suave, relaxed quality that makes hosting look effortless,” she added. “He comes across as incredibly polished and sophisticated while still being entertaining, which I think works perfectly for a programme like Pointless.”
Winnings and memories
Fortuna and Satish also have fond memories of their time on the quiz show after successfully tackling a question about countries on Greenwich Mean Time.
Drawing on Fortuna’s family connections to Ghana and Satish’s childhood memory of an African countries puzzle, the pair worked out the answer under pressure and went on to win around £1,632 each.
Fortuna said the winnings helped pay for a new laptop and a skiing holiday — but it is clear that the unexpected reminder about her live microphone remains one of her most memorable moments from appearing on television.
You can stream Pointless on BBC iPlayer.
