Mastermind viewers have questioned the BBC after it appeared a wrong answer decided the champion.
TV chiefs have come beneath fire after 59-year-old Judith Lewis argued the Mastermind crown by answering whether the Army’s Desert Rats mascot was a gerbil rather than a jerboa.
The point won by Judith on this inquiry ended up being the difference and reached the NHS psychiatrist the honor of being Mastermind champion.
She finished on 28 points, one more than second-place Ian Orriss.
Another viewer angrily said, “Gerbils and jerboas are not the same. She’s won with a wrong answer!”
The last was filmed around seven months back, and Judith, from Ashby-de-la-Zouch in Leicestershire, said her response was scrutinized on set.
She was even asked to spell it to ensure her answer was heard correctly.
Judith confirmed: “I know a jerboa is separate from a gerbil, but it was the final questioning.
“I could attend the bleep going and listen to my voice drop because I knew this was the last syllable I would say.
“What I said sounded not unlike ‘gerbil.’
I know it should be pronounced ‘jer-bo-a,’ but I didn’t know that then.
“There was a conversation among the specialized crew, they went back and attended to it too, and in the end, they were optimistic about taking it.”
Ultimately, it would have mattered little as Judith would have even won the final if scores had finished level as she was the contestant with the fewest passes.
She had only passed on one question corresponding to the two Ian had passed on.
A BBC spokeswoman said: “Judith Lewis was the obvious Mastermind winner, having answered the most questions correctly, with the minor passes.
Fans of the TV quiz show Mastermind are angry after it appeared a wrong answer decided the latest series.
Bosses of the prestigious BBC quiz have been denounced after Judith Lewis claimed the crown by answering whether the Army’s Desert Rats mascot was a gerbil rather than a jerboa.
The point won by Judith, 59, ended up being the difference, and she rated the NHS psychiatrist as the Mastermind champion.
She finished on 28 points, one more than second-place Ian Orriss.
The correct response was the jerboa, as the desert-dwelling rodent is found in North Africa and is depicted on the 7th Armoured Division’s insignia.
Question master John Humphrys, 75, was the subject of upset and ridicule on social media as viewers took him to task for missing the ‘incorrect answer.’
A national newspaper has reported that a professional lip-reader confirmed that the contestant had said “gerbil” and that the point should have been removed, leaving a tie.
Actor Barnaby Edwards, known for living as a Dalek operator in Doctor Who, shared his contempt by tweeting: “Thrilling final of Mastermind as that huge ignoramus John Humphrys erroneously asserts someone the winner because he doesn’t know a gerbil is a separate animal from a jerboa.”
Another viewer angrily pointed out: “Gerbils and jerboas are not the same. She’s won with a wrong answer!”
The final was filmed over seven months ago, and Judith, from Ashby-de-la-Zouch in Leicestershire, said her answer was scrutinized on set
Mirror Online reports that she was even asked to spell it out to ensure her answer was heard correctly.
Judith confirmed: “I know a jerboa is distinct from a gerbil, but it was the previous question.
“I could attend the bleep moving and listen to my voice drop because I knew this was the last syllable I would say.
“What I said sounded not unlike ‘gerbil.’ What I’d said was ‘jerboa.’ I know it should be enunciated as ‘jer-bo-a,’ but I didn’t know that then.
“There was discussion among the specialized crew, they went back and attended to it too, and in the end, they were sunny to accept it.”
