Rugby international and Celebrity Traitors star Joe Marler found himself in an embarrassing predicament during a charity edition of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, needing to ask the studio audience for help with a remarkably straightforward question worth just £500.
A Costly Fashion Faux Pas
The 35-year-old sportsman, participating in a festive special of the quiz show hosted by Jeremy Clarkson, hit a stumbling block at the fourth question. Despite the query being the easiest he had faced so far, Marler was completely stumped. Clarkson posed the question: 'Which snake shares its name with a type of long scarf often made from feathers?' The multiple-choice options were Adder, Python, Cobra, and Boa.
Marler confessed his ignorance live on air, stating, 'I'm not a big scarf man. I am gonna have to use a lifeline on this one.' He decided to place his faith in the audience, activating the 'Ask the Audience' lifeline. The response was overwhelmingly clear, with 93% of the audience correctly selecting 'Boa'. The other options garnered minimal support, with Python at 4%, and Adder and Cobra each receiving just 1%.
From the Traitors Castle to the Hot Seat
Trusting the public vote, Marler correctly answered Boa and progressed to the £1,000 question. The incident provided light-hearted relief on the Christmas charity special. Marler rose to wider fame this year as a hugely popular contestant on the BBC's Celebrity Traitors, where he played as a Faithful and made it to the final, albeit failing to stop Traitor Alan Carr from claiming the prize fund.
Reality TV Pay Revelation
In a related revelation, the rugby player has disclosed that his appearance fee for Celebrity Traitors was less than the widely reported flat rate for the cast. It was previously suggested by presenters Richard Osman and Marina Hyde on their podcast that all stars received £40,000 for taking part, regardless of how long they lasted in the game.
However, Marler told The Times that his wife, Daisy, questioned him after hearing that figure, as he had actually received £30,000. He clarified, 'No, I don't think everyone got paid the same. But I'm not bothered. It was 30 grand whether you lasted two days or three weeks — a no-brainer.' This contrasts with the perception of equal pay on the hit BBC show, highlighting that fees in reality TV can still vary.
