Michael McIntyre's confession about his calves on the new series of The Wheel left viewers baffled, but it was contestant Paul's £110,000 win that stole the show.
The popular BBC gameshow returned for its seventh series on Saturday, November 14, with celebrity experts including Michael Ball, Kate Garraway, Isa Guha, Harriet Kemsley, Matt Morsia, Katherine Ryan, Jordan Banjo and Perri Kiely. As always, the famous faces helped contestants from around the country win cash prizes by advising them on their pre-selected specialist subjects.
Michael's Freakish Confession
Before the latest competition began, host Michael McIntyre derailed the programme while introducing Gladiator Matt. Speaking to the well-known Gladiator about his muscles, he confessed: "I have a freakish part of my body, which is absolutely enormous."
He went on to reveal: "It is my calves. What's happened, is that I walk and run on my toes, really embarrassing." He then demonstrated his run by jogging around the studio. "Because of that, I've ended up with calves that I think might be bigger than yours," he continued, before revealing his calves, earning a wave of applause from the audience.
Singer Michael Ball unexpectedly jumped in to say: "By the way, my calves are bigger." This prompted the whole studio to chant "get them out" and he followed suit.
Getting Back on Track
The segment sparked laughter in the studio, but the host had to quickly get back to the game. He said: "Okay, I think we need to get back on track. So, ladies and gentlemen, we must unify. We must become more than the sum of our creepy body parts." He added: "For we have a purpose tonight, and that is to win someone a lot of money," before introducing the roster of contestants and starting the game.
Viewers at home were taken aback by the opening scene. One posted on X: "Didn't expect the Michaels to be showing off their legs to kick off the series there."
Paul's Huge Win
The standout moment came at the end of the show as contestant Paul, a dental practice manager from Gosport, took home £110,000, the second-highest prize ever won on the show. Fans gathered to congratulate him on social media. One said: "How lovely is Paul! Cracking win for him #TheWheel." Another added: "I'm so glad Paul won, what a lovely guy. #thewheel." A third posted: "Congratulations to Paul the winner of #TheWheel tonight. £110,000!!! What a lovely generous guy who deserved every penny."
The full expert line-up for season seven is also set to feature Shaun Ryder, Big Narstie, Briony May Williams, Chris McCausland, ChrisMD, Dermot O'Leary, Ellie Simmonds, George Clarke and Harry Hill, among others. The Wheel is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
