There are not many more deliberately controversial figures on TV than Jeremy Clarkson (maybe one) but on Friday evening, the TV presenter upset fans by accident.
The car-mad star was hosting the new series of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? when he shocked viewers by “helping” a contestant. In fact, some even accused the show of being “fixed”.
The incident came when contestant, Seville, got stuck on the £16,000 question.
Jeremy, 58, had asked her: “Which of these mountains is not climbed in the National Three Peaks Challenge?”
Seville said she’d never even heard of half the mountains, and chose her 50/50 lifeline, leaving the answers Helvellyn, or Scafell Pike.
She admitted it would be a “pure guess” so went for another lifeline, phoning her friend, Graham.
Graham confusingly told her Scafell Pike IS climbed, and Seville thought he meant that was the answer.
Jeremy leapt in to explain that he meant Helvellyn was not climbed, with Seville looking confused and surprised, exclaiming: “Oh?”
Thanks to the presenter, she chose C, and won £16,000.
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ITV blamed Seville’s friend for the near-miss, tweeting: “Note to ‘Phone A Friend’ friends. Try to give a nice clear answer otherwise everyone gets confused! 😂#WhoWantsToBeAMillionaire @MillionaireUK.”
https://twitter.com/ITV/status/1081310746494074880
But many thought the former Top Gear star crossed a line in stopping her picking the wrong answer, with one tweeting: “Didn’t Jeremy Clarkson give away the answer to the three peaks answer??!!” Another said: “Clarkson carried her through!”
A third wrote: “This is definitely fixed.” And another said: “@JeremyClarkson gave her the answer!!! 🙈🙈🙈.”
“@JeremyClarkson helping that woman get to £16k! #cheat she’s the one that didn’t listen to the phone call! #WhoWantsToBeAMillionaire,” wrote someone else.
Some suggested the previous contestants might’ve liked the same ‘help’, tweeting: “Maybe if Jack and Theresa had been given the answer by the host they’d have got more?”
While another suggested the presenter would be in trouble over it, writing: “Jeremy has a [bleep]ing in his ear from producers for clarifying what her phone a friend said!!”
Many others criticised the show more generally with one lamenting: “Used to love #WhoWantsToBeAMillionaire but that was painful viewing 😵.”
Another tweeted: “I can’t watch anything that features Jeremy Clarkson.”
One more blasted: “Who thought it was a good idea to have that tedious, tripe faced [bleep] @JeremyClarkson fronting #WhoWantsToBeAMillionaire? It can only put decent people off watching.”
Some did defend the TV veteran for stepping in to help, with one writing: “That was admirable of Clarkson to clarify that, and the right thing to do. #WhoWantsToBeAMillionaire.”
Another said: “Liking this ‘Who wants to be a millionaire?’ with Jeremy Clarkson…. gew on son.”
A third gushed: “#WhoWantsToBeAMillionaire Jeremy Clarkson is infinitely funnier, wittier and better than Chris Tarrant ever was!!!”
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It’s not the first time the TV star has caused trouble on the show by thinking he knew better than contestants. Let’s hope he learns his lesson this time…
Do you think Jeremy crossed a line? Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know what you think.