A challenging political question proved to be the downfall for two contestants on a recent episode of ITV's Millionaire Hot Seat, significantly reducing the potential jackpot.
The Fateful Question That Cost £900,000
During the episode aired on Wednesday, January 14, host Jeremy Clarkson posed a question that stopped two hopefuls in their tracks. The fast-paced quiz, a spin-off of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?, featured players Neil Dinsdale, Millie McGee, Rickesh Advani, Matt Whiteman, Tanya Biggs, and Lynne Murray, all competing for a top prize of £1,000,000.
The crucial query was: 'In 2019, the politician Ursula von der Leyen became the President of which body?' The multiple-choice options presented were: A) European Parliament, B) European Commission, C) European Central Bank, or D) European Court of Justice.
Contestants' Guesses and a Costly Pass
Matt Whiteman from Nottingham was first to face the question after the previous player was eliminated. Admitting he was 'not a whiz at politics', Matt decided to use his option to pass the question to the next contestant, though he suspected the answer might be the European Parliament.
This meant Tanya Biggs had to answer it directly, as the rules prevent consecutive passes. She managed to narrow the possibilities down to two: the European Parliament or the European Commission. Ultimately, she chose the European Parliament.
Clarkson revealed her answer was incorrect, stating: 'That I'm afraid is the wrong one. I'm so sorry, it was the other one you were considering, it was the European Commission.' As a direct result of the wrong answer, the total prize fund available plummeted from £1 million to just £100,000.
Viewer Backlash Against the New Format
The show's intense format, which gives contestants a maximum of 30 seconds to answer and features a queue of players ready to take over the 'hot seat', has drawn criticism from some viewers. Taking to social media platform X, formerly Twitter, fans branded the series an 'awful rehash' of the original.
One frustrated viewer complained about contestants' verbosity, writing: 'These people all like the sound of their own voices...' Another demanded: 'Just answer the question!' Others criticised the shortened thinking time, with one person stating it 'turns it into a guessing game' and another calling the new format 'horrendous'.
Despite the criticism, Clarkson has described Millionaire Hot Seat as 'pure concentrated Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? juice', emphasising its lack of lifelines and rapid pace. The show airs on ITV1 and is available for streaming on ITVX.
