Fans of Lee Mack's quiz series The 1% Club have been left puzzled by a final question that no contestant managed to answer correctly. The show, which tests common sense and logic, saw finalist Elliot answer 'four' to the question: 'What is the first number that when spelled out has its letters in alphabetical order?' The correct answer was 'forty', earning Elliot £97,000.
The confusion arose because many viewers believed 'forty' is spelled with a 'u', as in 'four'. However, the standard spelling is 'forty', without the 'u', though historical Middle English texts did include the vowel. Some fans also suggested 'eight' as a possible answer, but since 'g' comes before 'i' in the alphabet, 'eight' is incorrect.
Despite the controversy, Elliot walked away with a substantial prize. Season two of The 1% Club airs on ITV1, with episodes available on ITVX.
