Former contestant Ryan Alexander has revealed that appearing on ITV's The 1% Club is a very different experience from watching it on television. Speaking on behalf of OLBG, Alexander described the backstage area as resembling an airport terminal, located right next door to the studio where 8 Out of 10 Cats is filmed.
Behind the Scenes of The 1% Club
Alexander explained the process for standby contestants: 'As I was standing by, I went and sat in a separate section. If you aren't successful in replacing someone that day, you're welcome to come back every day to try and get on the show, which is quite good.' When a spot opened up, contestants were led to a roped-off area with about 100 seats and given a goodie bag containing memorabilia, chocolate, and a thank-you note.
Once selected, contestants were mic'd up, had makeup applied, and went through a rehearsal. 'You then get mic'd up, you get makeup applied, you sit back down, then once they've kind of done the rehearsal, you're then taken into the studio, you sit down, you plug yourself into all the systems, and then they just go through how the tablet works.'
Test Questions and Spelling Checks
Contestants completed a couple of test questions to ensure comfort with the timing, lights, and sounds. 'When that's done, Lee comes out. It is different from watching it on TV,' Alexander said. He noted that all answers were checked for spelling mistakes, which made the initial process time-consuming. 'Between every question, it takes a long time, and then as more people get eliminated, the gap shortens, so that's kind of why it goes on and on.'
After the 5% question, there was a comfort break, and producers checked on contestants' welfare. 'I would say from a welfare standpoint, it was really good. They were really attentive to people and made sure everyone was okay.'
Studio Layout and Proximity to Other Shows
Alexander also commented on the studio layout: 'It was like an airport terminal, like the seats were very airport terminal structured. There was a little bar thing, but I think that was shut at the time.' He was surprised by the size of The 1% Club set and its proximity to an active studio. 'Obviously, like we were in the very back studio, but 8 out of 10 cats were right in front of it, and they're so close. I didn't realise how big The 1% Club set would be and how close in proximity it would be to an active studio as well.'
