Only three out of a record 12 contestants correctly answered the final 1% question on a re-run episode of The 1% Club, originally aired in April 2025. The puzzle, which host Lee Mack called the show's toughest, left both contestants and viewers at home stumped.
The Final Question
The question read: 'If you remove all the underlined letters from the sentence below, what word can be spelt if you rearrange all of the remaining letters? ONE SELLING FRESH SALMON.' Contestants had 30 seconds to solve it. After time expired, one contestant after another confessed they hadn't found the answer.
The solution was 'FISHMONGER'. The remaining letters after removing the underlined ones were 'ONESIGFRHM', which anagrams to the answer. Lee Mack noted that the record number of finalists—12—made the stakes even higher.
Winners and Prize Money
Players David Cain, Ellis Knox, and Govind Kharbanda each went home with £31,000 as their share of the prize pot. The other nine finalists left empty-handed.
Viewers took to social media to express their frustration. One said: 'Couldn't figure it out, went to the comments for the answer. Didn't even see the four words staring me in the face as a clue.' Others branded the question 'impossible'.
Children's Special Edition
In a more recent special edition, children aged 9 to 15 competed for a trip to Walt Disney World in Florida. Many were stumped by the 25% question: 'On Hannah's 6th birthday, she went to a theme park. She really wanted to ride this rollercoaster but she was only one metre tall. Every year, Hannah gets five centimetres taller. How old will she be when she becomes able to ride the rollercoaster?' The sign stated riders must be 140cm or 12 years old. While Hannah would reach 140cm at age 14, the correct answer was 12, as age is the qualifying factor. Lee Mack explained: 'On her 12th birthday she'll be able to ride the rollercoaster despite only being 130cm tall.'
