BBC viewers were left fuming over what many branded the “worst question ever” during Monday evening’s episode of Only Connect.
The quiz show, hosted by Victoria Coren Mitchell, saw both teams and audiences at home completely stumped by a particularly challenging question.
The popular programme, where knowledge alone isn’t enough to succeed, requires contestants to find hidden links between seemingly unrelated clues before time runs out.
But one question in particular had viewers taking to social media to express their frustration, as neither the competing teams nor those playing along at home could make sense of it.
The controversial question revolved around body parts, with contestants presented four cryptic clues: “Swelling: on bones,” “Finger: at the tip of the middle finger,” “Mouse: throughout the body” and “Pan: in the knees”.
The solution required adding the word “little” before the first word of each clue to reveal different body parts.
The Only Connect contestants were stumped by the question
BBC
This complex connection proved too challenging for both teams competing on the show.
One team attempted to answer with “Dead”, which host Victoria Coren Mitchell quickly dismissed.
The correct answer involved understanding that terms like “little pan” referred to the patella (kneecap), while other clues referenced anatomical terms derived from Latin.
Viewers quickly took to X, formerly Twitter, to express their dismay at the challenging question.
Only Connect fans deemed the question the ‘worst ever’
BBC
“It’s not often I simply say ‘NO. NOPE. ABSOLUTELY NOT. TERRIBLE QUESTION’ on #OnlyConnect, but that ‘little’ question was one of those times,” wrote one frustrated fan.
Another viewer commented: “And suddenly, the ‘little’ question isn’t the worst one ever on #OnlyConnect.”
“‘Little’ Body Parts possibly a contender for worst question ever #onlyconnect,” added a third viewer.
The criticism continued as one viewer quipped: “I had LITTLE understanding of that one. #OnlyConnect.”
Another simply stated: “The ‘little’ question was terrible. #OnlyConnect.” (sic)
After both teams failed to solve the puzzle, Victoria Coren Mitchell provided a detailed explanation of the answer.
Victoria Coren Mitchell had to explain the complex link
BBC
“What it is, is if you put the word ‘little’ before the first word, you are getting body parts,” she explained to the bewildered contestants.
She began with the final clue, referencing a classic crossword puzzle: “We surely all know the great crossword clue ‘two girls, one on each knee’? Pat. Ella. Patella. The kneecaps are little pans.”
The host then delved into the Latin origins, explaining that “Mouse from the latin ‘mus’. Musculus. Little muscles, we have those throughout the body.”
The explanation highlighted just how intricate the connection was, combining wordplay with anatomical terminology.
Victoria Coren Mitchell completed her explanation by breaking down the remaining anatomical terms.
She detailed how “the dactylion – that’s a little dactyl, little finger” formed part of the connection.
The final element involved understanding that a “little swelling” referred to “a tubercle from the latin ‘tuberculum’, which means little swelling.”
