Pointless Helen and Alexander Armstrong
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Pointless: Contestant Helen sparks call for changes to final round format

The technical support advisor smashed the final round

Pointless viewers are calling for changes to the format after one contestant’s ‘brilliant’ performance on the BBC quiz show.

During yesterday (Wednesday, October 22) afternoon’s episode, hosted by Alexander Armstrong and Richard Osman, technical support advisor Helen and her retiree dad David were back on the programme.

Richard said at the start of Pointless: “David and Helen back again, we only saw them for one round last time, didn’t we? I hope they’re going to stick around for a bit longer.”

Pointless winners Helen and David (Credit: BBC)

What happened with Helen on Pointless?

The duo, from Gateshead, beat the other contestants to get to the final round, where Helen pulled it out of the bag by getting not one pointless answer, but three.

They chose the category History in Musicals because Helen is a huge fan of musical films and theatre.

The pair had to offer any named – and pointless – character in either Barnum, Hamilton or Stephen Ward.

Helen managed to get three pointless answers in the final round (Credit: BBC)

Helen, after wracking her brains, had as her choices Hercules Mulligan, Maria Reynolds and Samuel Seabury.

Read more: Pointless: Viewers in hysterics as contestant appears to be wearing no trousers 

She said: “If this works, I want to go to New York and see Hamilton.”

Sure enough, her first, Hercules Mulligan, was a pointless answer, netting them the £4,000 prize pot.

Helen, over the moon, said: “This was just the best category ever.”

The pair, from Gateshead, were over the moon (Credit: BBC)

Richard Osman then revealed: “Yeah, listen, even by the standards of some of the pointless answers here, you’ve gone for some obscure ones even by these… Maria Reynolds, Samuel Seabury, both pointless answers as well…

“Congratulations, it’s lovely when the right category comes up for the right person, isn’t it?”

Alexander agreed it was.

Pointless hosts Alexander Armstrong and Richard Osman praised the duo (Credit: BBC)

What did BBC viewers say about the duo’s win?

Reacting on Twitter, a number of those watching at home said they thought the BBC needed to switch up the Pointless format.

Some called for the show to introduce a special bonus for contestants who managed to get three pointless answers in the final round.

You should get a bonus if all your answers are pointless.

One said: “There should be a special prize for getting three #pointless answers in the final round. Superpointless?”

Another wrote: “Arguing with my husband. He thinks if they get three #pointless answers on the final round they should get an extra £500 (£250 per answer), whereas I think they should get a gold trophy.”

A third put: “You should get a bonus if all your answers are #Pointless
@richardosman.”

https://twitter.com/PolygoniaSpec/status/1318961353575587847

https://twitter.com/Sturdygirl0803/status/1318959943505055755

However, a fourth argued: “Not all subjects will have many Pointless answers so it would be unfair to get more money for three correct.”

Read more: Pointless viewers left swooning as ‘fittest contestant ever’ Polly returns to screens

Someone else tweeted: “Well done Helen for finding three #pointless answers!”

“Brilliant,” said a sixth, adding: “Well done Helen and David #pointless.”

https://twitter.com/DANJO_UK/status/1318961686192279553

https://twitter.com/JohnGor91084301/status/1318959486623690753

What did you think of the episode? Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know.


Nancy Brown
Associate Editor