The 1% Club: How new ITV game show with Lee Mack works

Lee Mack is to front a new quiz show on ITV called The 1% Club – here’s all you need to know.

ITV say the series will allow everyone of all ages and backgrounds can take part in, because, unlike most quizzes, you don’t need to swot up on general knowledge to do well. All you need is logic and common sense.

They explain: “In The 1% Club, 100 contestants begin every show – but to make it to the end and win the top prize of up to £100,000, contestants must correctly answer a question only 1% of the country would get right.

“Each contestant starts with £1,000 and one free pass, but if they answer incorrectly, they are out and their grand goes into the prize pot.

“Beginning with questions that 90% of the country got right, based on a sample of answers given by 1,000 people across Britain, and building up step by step to puzzlers smaller and smaller percentages answered correctly, each time contestants flunk their answers, the prize money swells.”

“As the questions get harder and the contestants numbers dwindle, host Lee breaks the tension with his quick-fire wit, teasing the contestants as their brains do somersaults in the battle to make it to the end of the show and a shot at the prize pot.”

The 1% Club will start on Saturday, 9 April at 8:30PM on ITV and ITV Hub.

Lee Mack said: “If, like me, your lack of general knowledge frustrates you when doing quizzes, then watch the 1% Club. That way, like me, you can instead be frustrated by your lack of logic.

“Great contestants, loads of cash to win, and guaranteed ‘I can’t believe you couldn’t work that one out Dad!’ moments to cause family disputes. I love it!”

Lee added: “I like quizzes that are tough. I watch University Challenge knowing that if I’m lucky I’ll get a couple of questions right and I’m more than happy with that because when you get it right you feel great.

“That’s what I really liked about The 1% Club, producers shared some questions with me and if I’d been able to get them all right, I probably wouldn’t have done the show. But I quickly realised, if someone gets these right, they’re a proper brainbox.”

On how he’d get on taking the quiz himself, Lee continued: “I would say it’s like when you have an IQ test and there’s no general knowledge, it’s different types of questions… intelligence and knowledge can be quite different things, people that aren’t academic can have high IQs and this is more logic based than just remembering facts.

“I’m not going to lie – I went through the whole series without getting a 1%, the best I did was a 5% question. I always thought I would be a contestant that wouldn’t go for the option of taking a grand and ending my go, but as the series went on I realised it was too hard and I changed my mind. I’d have snatched the grand off them!

“It’s great that the show gives the contestants that option. The other good thing is if you do go out early, you’re still part of the show.”

The new eight-part series will air in primetime on ITV from Saturday, 9 April at 8:30PM.