Viewers of BBC's Celebrity Mastermind were left scratching their heads just minutes into Monday night's episode, with many taking to social media to voice the same complaint: they had no idea who the famous contestants were.
Audience Reaction to 'Unfamiliar' Celebrities
The latest instalment, hosted by Clive Myrie and aired on Monday, January 19, featured a quartet of celebrities: Olympic gold medallist rower James Cracknell, stand-up comedian Jen Brister, TV presenter Craig Rowe, and Emmerdale actor Bradley Riches. However, the promised star power failed to resonate with a significant portion of the audience at home.
Frustrated fans quickly turned to platform X (formerly Twitter) to express their bewilderment. One viewer posted, "I'd forgotten how important it is to turn on #mastermind in time for the introductions when it's the 'celebrity' version... I recognise none of them." The sentiment was widely echoed.
"#mastermind I've heard of one of the celebrities," wrote another, while a third quipped, "And here's the token celeb for tonight. The rest you'll have to Google." The criticism was blunt, with one person questioning if it was "still the celebrity version" and another sarcastically noting the loose definition of fame required to appear.
Specialist Subjects and Tense Tie-Breaker
Despite the audience's unfamiliarity, the contestants faced their specialist rounds in the iconic black chair. James Cracknell answered on the life of Russian mystic Grigori Rasputin, while Jen Brister tackled questions about comedian Tina Fey. Craig Rowe chose singer Grace Jones, and Bradley Riches took on the musical Little Shop of Horrors.
After the first round, Craig led with 9 points, followed by Jen on 8. James had 7 points, and Bradley found himself trailing with just 3 correct answers.
The general knowledge round saw a dramatic turnaround. Bradley recovered well to score 7, while James, Jen, and Craig all dominated, each finishing the round on a total of 14 points with no passes. This created a three-way tie for the lead, forcing a nail-biting tie-breaker.
Cracknell Clinches Victory in Close Finish
In the tense finale, host Clive Myrie posed the same questions to each of the three front-runners. James Cracknell ultimately triumphed, securing victory with a final score of 16 points. Both Craig Rowe and Jen Brister were narrowly defeated, finishing just one point behind on 15 points each.
The episode, which aired at its usual time of 7:30 pm on BBC Two, proved that quiz prowess isn't dependent on public recognition, even if it left some viewers reaching for their search engines.
