Audiences tuning into Celebrity Mastermind on Monday evening found themselves reaching for the remote within moments of the programme beginning, with many declaring they were abandoning the BBC quiz show entirely.
Viewers took to social media to express their dismay at what they perceived as excessively simple questions, accusing producers of significantly lowering the difficulty level compared to the standard version of the long-running series.
The backlash centred on claims that the celebrity edition had been "dumbed down," with fans arguing the questions posed by presenter Clive Myrie were far too gentle for a programme renowned for its challenging format.
Critics branded the opening round questions as "soft" and accused the show's makers of being overly lenient with their famous contestants.
Mastermind fans 'switched off' from the BBC show
|BBC
The fury erupted over the very first question of the evening, which asked BBC journalist Maryam Moshiri to identify the actress who portrays the titular character in the Bridget Jones film series.
One disgruntled viewer posted: "Who plays Bridget Jones?? Really tough questions..."
Another sarcastically remarked: "Tricky one to start with, who played Bridget Jones?"
A third viewer was particularly scathing, writing: "Is that the standard of knowledge for celebrities on this show? Not worth my time – I'm switching off! Ask real hard-hitting questions next time!"
The fury erupted following the very first question of the evening
|BBC
Ms Moshiri correctly answered Renée Zellweger, the American actress who has portrayed the beloved character across all four films since 2001 and earned an Oscar nomination for her debut performance in the role.
The episode featured four celebrity contestants competing to raise money for charity, each tackling questions on their chosen specialist topic.
Alongside Ms Moshiri, 48, the programme welcomed singer Chesney Hawkes, 54, who selected The Beatles' White Album as his subject, while American comedian Desiree Burch, 46, opted to answer questions about actress Viola Davis.
Broadcaster Danny Robins, 49, completed the line-up with The Mandalorian, the Star Wars television series, as his chosen area of expertise.
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The Celebrity Mastermind episode left viewers fuming
|BBC
Ms Moshiri performed strongly in her specialist round on the Bridget Jones franchise, accumulating eight points before moving on to the general knowledge section.
The 61-year-old Mr Myrie, who has become a familiar face fronting the iconic quiz show, guided the contestants through their respective rounds from the programme's famous black chair.
The criticism follows a turbulent period for the programme, with the regular version of Mastermind also facing viewer complaints just days earlier.
During the December 16 episode, the winning contestant David progressed to the semi-finals with a mere 15 points, prompting accusations that the BBC was "scraping the bottom of the barrel."
The Celebrity Mastermind episode aired on December 22
|BBC
One viewer expressed disbelief, writing: "Fifteen points to win #Mastermind. Absolutely shocking."
Another questioned: "15 point wins it? How is that Mastermind. Talk about a programme being downgraded to the bottom of the barrel."
Some fans pondered whether the questions had become more difficult or whether contestants were simply less capable, with one recalling that 30 points was once considered the benchmark score.
Celebrity Mastermind airs on BBC Two on Monday evenings and is available on iPlayer.