Fans of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire were left bemused within moments of the latest episode, which aired on ITV last Sunday night.
The show, hosted by Jeremy Clarkson, returned to screens on 30 March with a repeat of the celebrity special, featuring Alexander Armstrong, the host of BBC's Pointless.
Clarkson briefed Armstrong on the game's rules, saying: "You've got four lifelines. You've for 50/50, two Phone a Friends, no Ask the Audience because there isn't one and then Ask the Host which is when, if you're in real trouble, ask me. Is that all clear?".
After Armstrong acknowledged the instructions, Clarkson proceeded with the first question. However, viewers were quick to express their confusion on social media over the sound of applause despite the absence of an audience.
One individual took to X, previously known as Twitter, commenting: "So I don't watch tv but here I am watching who wants to be a millionaire, no audience but plenty of clapping lol.", reports Bristol Live.
Another pointed out the inconsistency, tweeting: "Watching Celebrity Who Wants To Be A Millionaire right now. Jeremy Clarkson announced that there are 2 'phone a friend' lives and no 'ask the audience' because there is no audience. So who on earth is applauding every time Alexander Armstrong gets a correct answer?".
A viewer commented: "I'm guessing this is a repeat from 2021 Alexander Armstrong #whowantstobeamillionaire."
The episode in question was indeed a throwback to 2021, during the height of Covid-19 restrictions, which meant filming took place without the usual live audience.
Alexander, much-loved for his role as host on the BBC quiz show 'Pointless' since 2009, embarked on a bid to raise a substantial sum for his charity of choice, but faced an unexpected hurdle at the £1,000 milestone.
After relying on his 50/50 lifeline, Alexander sailed through a series of questions before stumbling upon a tricky one that promised him £16,000 if answered correctly.
Faced with uncertainty, he reached out to a friend, who, unfortunately, couldn't shed any light on the matter, prompting Alexander to then call upon his 'Pointless' co-star Richard Osman. The challenging question pertained to: "Which of these famous spaceships features in a film by Stanley Kubrick?".
In a stroke of bad luck, even Richard was stumped by the spaceship conundrum, and time trickled away before the duo could settle on a solid answer.
But all wasn’t lost, as Alexander still had the Ask the Host safety net, and, lucky for him, Jeremy Clarkson declared himself a die-hard Kubrick aficionado.
Clarkson confidently passed on the correct response – Spacecraft Discovery One – allowing Alexander to lock it in and claim the £16,000 prize.
The journey didn't end there, as the 'Pointless' maestro advanced further, ultimately snagging a commendable £32,000 for The Cathedral Music Trust.
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire is available to watch on ITVX
English (United States) ·