Its definitely true for all of the chasers in the charity celeb editions, its mainly just Shaun in the normal ones.

From tonight's Two Tribes episode

"Which singer released an album titled "1989", in reference to the year of her birth?" The answer's Taylor Swift.

Contestant 1's answer: Madonna
Contestant 2: Bette Midler

I saw that as well and I couldn't believe my ears. Did they honestly think that these two singers, who were having hits in 1989, were also born that year?

This came up on The Chase today.

"Which chocolate bar shares its name with a ship which had a famous mutiny?"

"Cadbury?"

The legal system is in safe hands.

Are you sure it wasn't Captain Birdseye?

Some people do remember those ... a man answering on Pointless for "European-born Wimbledon singles winners" went for a correct answer of John McEnroe ... and it scored a few points too, not pointless!

I remember the round on Pointless where they were asked to name a U2 top 40 single and the first 4 or 5 answers were all wrong. One suggested 'Hello, Hello' was one but that's part of the lyrics to 'Vertigo'!

I think the point of the thread is that it should be answers which everyone should know, or can make an attempt at from the question.

I for one certainly couldn't name any U2 top 40 singles : how many people could?

It's great! Some absolute corkers in that column ..

Q "Where we're the recent winter Olympics held? " (Anne Robinson)

A " Taunton."

Not knowing the age of pop singers or when they had their hits doesn't make you stupid it just means you don't know the age of pop singers or when they had their hits.

The contestants knew the names of some pop singers and so had a guess rather than pass - not really stupid at all. Stupid answer would have been "Lillie Langtry".

But it's fairly obvious that Madonna & Bette Midler were not born in 1989 as that would make them 25/26 years old. They obviously knew who they were to have named them in the first place and would know how long they have been in the industry and that they are not under the age of 30. If they think Madonna & Bette Midler are in their twenties then they need to go to Specsavers.

They presumably paid no attention to the album title and why it was called 1989 and just said the first names that came in their head.

Or to be charitable they could simply have misheard the tens digit in the year; it's easy enough to miss things with quickfire questions. 1959 for Madonna or 1949 for Bette Midler could both have sounded plausible.

An equally daft answer would have been 'Frankie Valli'



I have subscribed recently to Private Eye and I love their 'Dumb Britain' section. Keep 'em coming!

They have plenty of material to choose from these days.

Beg, Borrow or Steal, BBC Two

Jamie Theakston: Where do you think Cambridge University is?
Contestant: Geography isn't my strong point.
Jamie Theakston: There's a clue in the title.
Contestant: Leicester.

People who have a passing interest in pop music over the last 35 years or so?

The National Lottery: Five Star Family Reunion

On tonight's episode:

Nick Knowles: "How many years in a millennium?"
Contestant: "10"

(Correct answer - 1000)

On an episode of The Chase
What country borders both France and Denmark
Answer given .................... Sweden .

My favourite answer from Family Fortunes, many years ago.

"Name a popular children's nursery rhyme"

A very posh family, and the fella with a plum in his mouth, replied "Prokofiev, Peter and the Wolf"

The top answer was Humpty Dumpty

Reminds me of an episode of Revenge of the Egghead. Captain Cook was given as an answer to a question.

Host : "I need a first name."

Contestant : "Thomas."

Sorry to be pedantic but surely that wasnt the full question. Did it refer to potatoes?

No. That was the full question. The contestant said Maris Piper composed The Four Seasons.

But obviously a potato connection there, even if only in the mind of the contestant.

The contestant had no idea who composed the Four Seasons so just said any name which came into his vacuous head.