A contestant on BBC One's The Wheel saw his hopes of a life-changing jackpot vanish after receiving some spectacularly unhelpful advice from celebrity helper Jordan North.
The Costly Tap Dance Confusion
The dramatic moment unfolded during the sixth series premiere, which returned to screens on Saturday, October 25. Host Michael McIntyre presented player Gordon with a question about tap dance terminology: 'In tap dance, a step, shuffle, jump is known as what?'
Gordon was given four animal-themed options: Buffalo, Elephant, Penguin, and Gazelle. After logically ruling out Buffalo and Elephant, saying 'I don't imagine a buffalo jumping or an elephant, I suppose,' he turned to his celebrity helpers, North and etiquette coach William Hanson, for guidance.
The discussion took an unfortunate turn when Radio 1 DJ Jordan North revealed his confusion, asking: 'What's a Gazelle? I thought that's what you had barbecues with.' Gordon corrected him, explaining 'That's a gazebo,' but the damage was done. Persuaded by the penguin's shuffling walk, Gordon selected that answer. The correct answer, to the shock of viewers and Strictly judge Shirley Ballas alike, was Buffalo.
Viewer Fury Over Music Mishaps
This wasn't the only question that left viewers 'so mad' during the episode. The show's music round proved particularly troublesome for both contestants and celebrities.
Comedian Katherine Ryan and contestant Hannah struggled with a musicals question asking which character Eddie Redmayne, Billy Porter, and Alan Cumming had all portrayed in the West End. Despite Katherine's attempt at deduction, Hannah incorrectly selected Charlie Price from Kinky Boots. The right answer was EmCee from Cabaret.
Elsewhere, rugby player Joe Marler faced a question about the Sugababes' 2002 line-up when they released Freak Like Me. After some back-and-forth, he correctly identified Mutya, Keisha and Heidi, but the difficulty of the music questions left fans fuming on social media.
Audience Reaction and Fallout
Viewers took to X, formerly Twitter, to express their frustration. One exasperated fan wrote: 'Why don't the really smart celebrities on The Wheel get every question wrong? That way the player can choose them at the end and go for the most money. Selfish that is.'
Another simply exclaimed: 'I'm so f***ing mad!' while a third commented on Joe Marler's musical knowledge with: 'Not sure Joe Marler should release an album of music anytime soon.'
The episode demonstrated the high-stakes and unpredictable nature of the popular BBC gameshow, where a single piece of bad advice can cost a contestant a fortune. The Wheel is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
