Mastermind’s best celeb mistakes — from geography gaffes to book blunders
AFTER 18 years as the host of Mastermind, John Humphrys is stepping down.
Thousands of contestants have appeared on the BBC quiz show in his time as inquisitor, including plenty of hapless celebrities.
Can you guess which famous faces thought eco warrior Greta Thunberg was called Sharon and which didn’t know what a bank sort code is?
Sarah Arnold has the answers.
David Lammy
MP David Lammy’s answer didn’t add up when he was asked “Who acceded to the English throne . . . after the death of his father Henry VIII in 1547?” and replied: “Henry VII”.
Correct answer: Edward VI.
Amanda Henderson
Casualty star Amanda Henderson offered an ill-advised response to the question: “The 2019 book No One Is Too Small To Make A Difference is a collection of speeches made by a Swedish climate change activist. What is her name?”
Amanda said: “Sharon?”
Correct answer: Greta Thunberg.
The moment went viral and Thunberg even briefly changed her Twitter name to “Sharon”.
Monty Panesar
Cricketer Monty Panesar also became an overnight internet sensation after he was repeatedly stumped by Humphrys, including when asked: “In an 1819 poem, what season of the year does Keats describe as ‘a season of mist and mellow fruitfulness’?”
Monty said: “Oliver Twist”.
Correct answer: Autumn.
And to the question: “What is the title of AA Milne’s stage adaptation of Kenneth Grahame’s children’s novel The Wind In The Willows?”, Monty replied: “Harry Potter”.
Correct answer: Toad Of Toad Hall.
Bez
Happy Mondays star Bez, aka Mark Berry, couldn’t figure it out when asked: “What six-digit number used on a bank statement and debit card is issued to identify the branch?”
He said: “Pass”.
Correct answer: Sort code.
Chris Johnson
CBBC star Chris Johnson made a balls-up when asked: “What is the name of the American tennis champion famous for his outburst ‘You cannot be serious!’”.
He replied: “Roger Federer”.
Correct answer: John McEnroe.
Lydia Bright
The Only Way was exit for Lydia Bright who, when asked: “What is the sea between the UK and Norway?” said, “The Pacific”.
Correct answer: The North Sea.
Vogue Williams
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Host Vogue Williams had a bad time with the question: “What alteration to clocks abbreviated to BST was introduced in 1960?”
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In a disastrous general knowledge round, she replied: “GST?”
Correct answer: British Summer Time.
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