The 1% Club is undergoing a significant behind-the-scenes change after its host, Lee Mack, found the travel demands of filming increasingly challenging. The 57-year-old comedian has fronted the popular ITV game show since its launch in 2022, which sees 100 contestants apply logic and reasoning to answer riddles for a chance to win up to £100,000.
Relocation from Salford to Hertfordshire
Filming originally took place at Dock10 MediaCityUK in Salford, a hub for other game shows like Countdown and Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?, as well as ITV soap Coronation Street. After 62 episodes across five series, including a celebrity edition for Soccer Aid and themed specials for Christmas and Valentine's Day, production has moved. The decision came because commuting from Lee's home in the south became "a bit much."
Bosses reportedly offered Lee the option of using a helicopter to reduce travel time, but the Not Going Out star declined due to his fear of flying. Consequently, a new base has been secured at Elstree Studios in Hertfordshire, home to The Chase, Pointless, EastEnders, and Lee's sitcom Not Going Out.
Behind-the-Scenes Insights
A source told The Sun: "The travelling up North was beginning to be a bit much for Lee. Especially as he's based down South. Fortunately, ITV was able to find a new location, which is just a one-hour drive from his home. Lee has a well-documented fear of flying so the idea that he would chopper to and from work is untenable."
A spokesperson for Magnum Media, the production company behind the programme, confirmed: "We've decided to base the next series in a new location. There are always a range of factors involved when a television production changes their filming venue."
Lee Mack's Fear of Flying
Lee has previously opened up about his aviophobia, explaining that he often makes alternative arrangements when his family travels abroad. Speaking on the Walking the Dog podcast, he said: "If we go on holiday - and we have done for the last couple of years – Tara has flown with the kids and I've met them there. And I'm including Barcelona, I'm including Switzerland."
He added: "You know why - they won't let me sit up front and drive it. I've asked. I've said 'yeah, of course I'll fly - can I drive?' and they said 'no, and you don't drive a plane, you fly it'. And I've said 'forget it then, I'll go in the car'. I went on tour last year with Rob Brydon and David Mitchell and I did all my own driving."
Continued Success for the Show
The 1% Club has been a ratings winner for ITV, averaging around four million viewers per episode. Lee previously admitted that he often joins in the game at home because he forgets the answers by the time it airs. Speaking exclusively to the Mirror, he said: "I have to be prepared, so it's not the first time I've read them. But in the rehearsals in the afternoon, the producers come and see me and we play the game – just the three of us to see if I can answer them as well."
He added: "My memory is so bad, my kids love playing it – they take it very seriously with a pen, paper and scorecard. When we play, I'm allowed to play because they know I won't remember the answer from when I've filmed it. And I still don't win!"
