Mastermind viewers switch off BBC quiz show as they fume questions...

Mastermind viewers switch off BBC quiz show as they fume questions are ‘dumbed down’ – but how many would you get right?

Published on April 01, 2025 at 03:15 PM

Mastermind viewers switch off BBC quiz show as they fume questions are being ‘dumbed down’ - but how many would you get right-

MASTERMIND viewers furiously switched off the quiz as they declared questions were ‘dumbed down'.

The long-running BBC programme has long been renowned for its difficulty and prestige.

Clive Myrie on the set of Celebrity Mastermind, holding the trophy. — Clive Myrie welcomed back contestants for a Mastermind semi-final

Screenshot of a woman wearing glasses and a teal cardigan. — Some viewers weren't impressed by Phil Nowek's choice of specialist subject

Clive Myrie welcomed back four contestants for their semi-final round – but some viewers were not happy with the specialist subjects.

Teacher Phil Nowek chose classic sitcom Blackadder and ultimately scored 11 points.

Among his questions was the following: “In the Blackadder 2 episode ‘Money‘, Edmund reveals that his father squandered the family fortune and made a living doing humorous impressions of which wife of Henry VIII?”

Phil incorrectly opted for Anne Boleyn, while the answer turned out to be Anne of Cleves.

One person wrote on X: “I haven't seen Blackadder in about five years, but I got four, so that set of questions was clearly far too easy…”;

Another remarked: “Blackadder?! What's that, 14 hours of TV to bone up on? Pathetic. I managed to answer all bar two of those and I've not seen any of it for years. So dumbed down now.”;

Project manager Lewis Jones tackled the Legend of Zelda video games as his specialist subject.

He was asked: “In Oracle of Ages, Link restores harmony to Symmetry Village by repairing a sacred treasure known by what palindromic two-word name?”

Lewis took a punt but was incorrect – learning the right answer was, in fact, the Tuni Nut.

He scored a total of four points altogether in the specialist subject round.

BBC Mastermind viewers slam show after 'ridiculous' subject choice

A viewer wrote on X: “The Legend of Zelda. Make sure you know your stuff before you start. Poor effort.”

Another said: “Lewis is never going to be able to even look at the box for The Legend Of Zelda after that …”

The episode also featured Rashmi Bhardwaj, a retired chartered accountant, who had selected Oscar-winning Hollywood legend Gregory Peck.

Having scored six points, she faced this tricky question: “Peck made his Broadway at the age of 25 in the leading role of what play by Emelyn Williams, though the production closed after 24 performances?”

Rashmi guessed The Chief Thing but the right answer ended up being The Morning Star.

A fan wrote online: “Those Qs on Gregory Peck were desperately dull ! #Mastermind.”

Another person penned: “Blackadder, Joseph Chamberlain, Gregory Peck and The Legend of Something video game. Mixed bag.

“Gone are the days of the Life of Viscount Alexander of Tunis, the history of the Eisteddfod Council, Dockland Settlements and cockroaches. We must move with the times.”

Meanwhile, actuary Claire Reynolds had Joseph Chamberlain as her specialist subject.

Despite being runner-up in her heat, Claire took the place of Mike Noise, who was unable to be present for the semi-final.

Among her questions was: “Chamberlain was instrumental in encouraging which peer to donate more than 25 acres of his land in Edgbaston for the construction of the campus of Birmingham University?”

Hardest Quiz Show Questions

Would you know the answers to some of quizzing TV's hardest questions

Who Wants To Be A Millionaire – Earlier this year, fans were left outraged after what they described as the “worst” question in the show's history. Host Jeremy Clarkson asked: “From the 2000 awards ceremony onwards, the Best Actress Oscar has never been won by a woman whose surname begins with which one of these letters?”; The multiple choice answers were between G, K, M and W. In the end, and with the £32,000 safe, player Glen had to make a guess and went for G. It turned out to be correct as Nicole Kidman, Frances McDormand and Kate Winslet are among the stars who have won the Best Actress gong since 2000.
The 1% Club – Viewers of Lee Mack's popular ITV show were left dumbfounded by a question that also left the players perplexed. The query went as follows: “Edna's birthday is on the 6th of April and Jen's birthday falls on the 15th of October, therefore Amir's birthday must be the ‘X' of January.” It turns out the conundrum links the numbers with its position in the sentence, so 6th is the sixth word and 15th is the fifteenth word. Therefore, Amir’s birthday is January 24th, corresponding to the 24th word in the sentence.
The Chase – The ITV daytime favourite left fans scratching their heads when it threw up one of the most bizarre questions to ever grace the programme. One of the questions asked the player: “Someone with a nightshade intolerance should avoid eating what?” The options were – sweetcorn, potatoes, carrots – with Steve selecting sweetcorn but the correct answer was potatoes.

Looking uncertain, Claire opted for Lord Selborne but soon learned it was Lord Calthorpe.

By the end of both rounds, Phil had 22 points, Lewis had 19 and Rashmi achieved 11.

But Claire was the clear winner, scoring 25 and earning a place in the final.

Mastermind continues on BBC One and iPlayer.