A contestant on Saturday's episode of ITV's The 1% Club narrowly avoided a disastrous loss after fumbling a notoriously tricky calendar question that could have cost her a staggering £96,000 jackpot. The brain-teasing puzzle left viewers wondering if they could have cracked it under pressure.
The High-Stakes Dilemma
As the show's name implies, The 1% Club aims to identify the top one percent of intellects among 100 contestants through a series of progressively harder quiz questions. The prize pot accumulates, potentially reaching up to £100,000 for the final challenger. In this episode, only one player, Rebecca, remained in contention for the ultimate question.
A Risky Decision
Host Lee Mack presented Rebecca with a critical choice: she could walk away with a guaranteed £10,000 prize or risk it all by attempting the 1% question for a shot at the £96,000 jackpot. Mack said, 'Rebecca, because you have done so well and made it to our final question, you win £10,000. But now you face a dilemma. You can leave the show now and take the £10,000 or you can risk it all by attempting the 1% question.'
He added, 'If you get it right, you will win everything in the prize pot, which stands at £96,000. So, what's going on in your head right now?' Rebecca admitted, 'I kind of thought that if there was more than one person here, I would probably carry on. But £10,000 is a lot of money.' Ultimately, she opted to take the secure £10,000, confessing that when playing along at home, she typically answers the 1% question correctly only about fifty percent of the time—making the risk too great.
The Tricky Calendar Conundrum
The question that could have made or broken her fortune read: 'On their first date, Noah and Evie discovered they were both born in the same year, 2001, and in the same month, May. Evie asked Noah on what date in May he was born, and their conversation is shown below. What is Evie’s date of birth?'
The dialogue provided clues: Noah stated, 'If you add the two digits in the date together, you get 11.' Evie replied, 'In that case, I am exactly four weeks older than you.' This riddle required contestants to deduce the dates based on these hints.
The Reveal and Relief
After Rebecca's decision, Lee Mack asked what her answer would have been if she had dared to attempt the question. She guessed May 30, but Mack revealed the correct answer was May 1—exactly 28 days earlier, aligning with the four-week age difference clue. Mack said, 'Well done, Rebecca, you did the right thing,' acknowledging her prudent choice.
Rebecca appeared visibly relieved, spared from a potential loss of her hard-earned progress. Viewers took to social media to applaud her judgment, with comments on Twitter/X such as, 'Well played Rebecca. You made the correct decision. Enjoy. #The1PercentClub,' and 'Woop! Well done Rebecca. #The1PercentClub.'
Show Details
The 1% Club continues to air on Saturday nights on ITV1 and is available for streaming on ITVX, offering more mind-bending challenges for quiz enthusiasts. This episode serves as a reminder of the high-pressure decisions and intellectual hurdles that define the popular programme.
