A recent episode of The 1% Club, the popular game show hosted by Lee Mack, has ignited a heated debate among viewers after a particularly tricky question left contestants — and fans at home — scratching their heads.

The Question

The puzzle read:
“Which of these groups of six symbols are in the same order whether you read them from left to right or from right to left?”

Contestants were given five options, and when the correct answer, C, was revealed, chaos erupted.

Viewers were convinced the show has accidentally announced the wrong answer. Credit: ITV

Viewer Reactions

Can someone please explain how it’s C?
— Kirstin Bailey (@Branstonmum) December 12, 2024

Social media lit up with baffled fans debating the answer:

Team A:
- “I said A, and I still think A. I don’t understand how it’s not.”
- Many insisted A was the logical choice based on their interpretation of the symbols.
Team C:
- Others explained that the reasoning behind the correct answer isn’t about mirroring but rather consistency in symbol order when read from both directions.
- “It’s not about being mirrored; it’s about what symbol is what. A changes order when reversed, but C doesn’t,” explained one savvy viewer.
Confusion All Around:
- Viewers called it a “trick question” due to the wording and ambiguous interpretation of “left to right” versus “right to left.”
- “This show always finds a way to make me question everything, including my sanity,” joked one fan.

The Explanation

For those still struggling to understand, here’s a breakdown:

Option A: Includes symbols like brackets, which inherently change their orientation when read in reverse. For example: ( becomes ) when reversed.
Option C: Features directional arrows (←, →) that remain consistent regardless of whether you start from the left or the right.

Hence, C is the only option where the sequence reads the same in both directions.

Fans Demand Clarity

Some viewers called for better phrasing in future questions to avoid confusion, while others defended the show’s format, noting that the difficulty is part of its appeal.

A History of Head-Scratchers

@shambles_3
1% Club Australia 15% question. #1percentclub #onepercentclub #gameshow #foryou #brainteaser
♬ original sound – absolute shambles

This isn’t the first time The 1% Club has left fans frustrated.

The Frodo Question (Australian Version):
- Contestants were asked how many hotel rooms numbered 1–100 could contain at least one “9.”
- The answer, 19, left viewers similarly baffled, with many assuming it should be higher.

A Silver Lining

Despite the debate, a handful of contestants cracked the code, with four winners splitting a £97,000 ($122,000) jackpot.

For everyone else? It’s back to the drawing board (or couch) to try again next time.

Key Takeaways

The 1% Club continues to live up to its name, not just testing intelligence but pushing fans to their wit’s end with tricky questions that challenge more than just logic. Love it or hate it, it’s got people talking—and that’s the mark of a great game show.