Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? has become a TV staple over the past few decades, with many of its participants walking away with life-changing sums of money.
But while it’s had more than its fair share of big winners, there are also those contestants who crash and burn, leaving without new found fortunes after being outdone by a seemingly easy question.
Each player who makes it to the hotseat has four lifelines: phone a friend, ask the audience, 50/50 (which removes two wrong answers) or, the latest addition, asking host Jeremy Clarkson what he thinks.
But it all went wrong for one player in a recent re-run of the ITV Quiz, where instead of using those lifelines he trusted his own judgment — and it didn’t end well.
Contestant Sanjay Basu, who told Clarkson he was a big rugby fan, had been making steady progress, and was looking to double his £2,000 winnings to £4,000 when the question came up.
The question was: ‘Which of these sportsmen has not been knighted? A) Jonny Wilkinson B) Steve Redgrave C) Chris Hoy D) Andy Murray?’
Could you have got this one right? Unfortunately for Sanjay he pitched in without a second thought, saying: ‘I’m pretty sure the answer is Andy Murray.’
Having made that his final choice Clarkson didn’t miss a beat: ‘You know how they say a lot of money changes people? You’re never going to have to worry about that. It’s the wrong answer.’
Ouch.
The correct answer was A) Jonny Wilkinson, who has never received more than a CBE despite being regarded as one of England’s greatest ever rugby players.
The former fly-half, who played for Newcastle Falcons and Toulon during his career, is also famous for having scored the winning drop goal against Australia in the 2003 Rugby World Cup final, which saw England take the trophy home.
Reports suggested he was set to be knighted in the New Year’s honours list in 2014, with the speculation further fuelled after Wilkinson posted what appeared to be a thank you for the honour on social media. However, he later clarified that he was not becoming a Sir.
None of which helped our poor contestant, of course, with Clarkson positively scathing in his response.
‘That was pathetic. You’re a rugby fan aren’t you?’ he said as Sanjay looked apologetic, explaining he thought Wilkinson had been knighted because he was retired.
‘You don’t get knighted just because you retire,’ Clarkson said before sending him home with just £1,000.
We feel for him. Still, the lower ranked questions can sometimes catch the host out too.
Back in March contestant Aisling Carolan, from Edinburgh, had made it as far as the £2,000 question when she was faced with this: ‘What precedes ‘….Amazing Spaces’ in the title of a Channel 4 property series?’
The options were: Kevin McCloud’s, Kirstie and Phil’s, Sarah Beeny’s and George Clarke’s, and Aisling was quick to admit: ‘I can’t remember the name of it. Could I ask you please?’
Admitting he had never heard of George Clarke, which was the correct answer, Clarkson advised Aisling to take the 50/50, which left Clarke and Beeny as possible answers.
In the end she incorrectly guessed Sarah Beeny, seeing her leave the studio with just £1,000, saying ‘It is what it is’ as she left the set.
So clearly it can happen to us all. Can’t it, Jeremy?