ITV Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? host Jeremy Clarkson was forced to make a last-minute U-turn after the last contestant of the series was left in a meltdown.
Lisa Golden was the last contestant to join Clarkson in a bid to win a life-changing sum of money, safely making it to the £1,000 safety net mark.
However, when it came to answering the £2,000 question, it seemed the pressure was too much for Golden and left Clarkson to make a rash decision.
The question read: “Which of these is not a piece of apparatus used in Olympic rhythmic gymnastics? A. Ribbon, B. Clubs, C. Hoop, D. Pom-poms.”
Going over her thought process, Golden explained: “So, sport is the subject I did not want to come up, and when I saw this, I thought, ‘Ooh, ribbon’.
“But then I’m like ‘Do they sue a hoop or pom-poms?’. They could use clubs, I really don’t know. And it’s terrible but I'm going to have to use a lifeline, please.”
The player was stuck on the question for a while
|ITV
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Golden initially wanted to use the ‘Ask the Audience’ lifeline, to which Clarkson was about to set up for her but she quickly changed her mind.
Gasping, she exclaimed: “Oh, I’ve just re-read the question again. Is it too late... I was like ‘Oh I don’t know if they use hoops or pom-poms, they probably don’t use clubs and...’.”
In a show first, Clarkson was forced to make a decision about her retraction on the spot and said: “Ok, well, on the basis that we hadn’t actually got to the point where we asked the audience and they hadn’t, well the lights hadn’t even gone up.
“I believe we’re going to be all right to turn around and say, ‘Fine, you can change your mind now that you’ve read the question’.”
Oh no 😭😭😭 Lisa has gone crashing out and leaves us with £1,000 #WhoWantsToBeAMillionaire pic.twitter.com/bGibzZE9zU
— Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? (@MillionaireUK) March 23, 2025
Thankful, Golden continued: “Ok, so I thought ribbon, and then I saw hoop and I thought, I can imagine someone using a hoop’.
“And then I saw the ‘not’ and it wouldn’t be unreasonable that they would use pom-poms. So, ‘Which of these is NOT a piece of apparatus used in rhythmic gymnastics’.
“Well, now, after all of this, I’m gonna hope that I’m right. I think clubs, final answer.”
Clarkson delivered the unfortunate news that she had gotten the answer wrong, and it in fact was option D. Pom-poms.
He added: “That was... it’s not hilarious but sort of was. Pom-poms are the things American cheerleaders use
“Not a particularly easy question. Well, listen you have won £1,000! It was fun having you albeit briefly.”
The guest backtracked on her use of a lifeline
|ITV
Fans of the show were left feeling awkward for Golden, as one penned on X: “'I'd be so embarrassed and never show my face at work ever again. What a joke she was lol. #whowantstobeamillionaire.”
Someone else said: “What a fucking disaster. What a shit way to end a series. #WhoWantsToBeAMillionaire.”
“Oh my. A shocker. #whowantstobeamillionaire,” a third added before another expressed: “#WhoWantsToBeAMillionaire shame it was such an early finish but suspiciously convenient at the end of the series.”
A fifth noted: “Lisa wanted to use Ask The Audience lifeline and changed her mind. Then realised she read the question wrong and still got the wrong answer anyway. #WhoWantsToBeAMillionaire.”
Someone else replied: “Dear God….i have no words …It didn’t bode well with that penultimate answer. Hey ho. Getting a £1k for that shambles though is pretty good overall #whowantstobeamillionaire.” (sic)