University Challenge viewers have been left wildly unimpressed as the popular TV programme appears to have got something wrong.
During one of the Christmas special episodes of the BBC Two show, a question about the value of words played in a game of Scrabble caused a Twitter uproar.
The question, aimed at the well-known alumni from City, University of London – led by journalist and presenter Samira Ahmed – asked for the value of the word ‘party’ before put on a board.
After a few moments of deliberation, the team answered 17, but were told by host Jeremy Paxman that the answer is 11.
Wait, what?
If P is worth three points, A, R and T are worth one each and Y is worth four, then that’s 10 points. Unless, in other editions of the word game – which has been around for nearly 80 years – P is worth four.
And it didn’t take long for fans of the programme to work out the apparent misstep, as they took to Twitter in their droves to call it out.
#UniversityChallenge 'PARTY' (3-1-1-1-4) is worth 10 in scrabble not 11 - hang your heads...
— kevin parr (@kevin_parr) December 21, 2016
Oh dear #UniversityChallenge, Party scores 10 in scrabble, not 11. Paxo should perhaps have been less smug giving that answer.
— Nicola Roberts (@nikki_roberts) December 21, 2016
Question wrong!!! On #UniversityChallenge PARTY in Scrabble is valued at 10 not 11. How stupid are they? Haha.
— Farmer Logs (@lizzielogs) December 21, 2016
Parents waited patiently for end of #UniversityChallenge to hear an apology from BBC for giving the wrong answer on a Scrabble question pic.twitter.com/tx3zGu7YK3
— Charlie Elliott (@charlienin) December 21, 2016
@BBCTwo PARTY is surely 10 points in Scrabble, not 11? #UniversityChallenge
— Michelle Goulty (@MichelleGoulty) December 21, 2016
"Party" is ten points in Scrabble, not eleven. #UniversityChallenge
— Andrew Craig (@GoodClearTweets) December 21, 2016
#UniversityChallenge party = 10 not 11
— Carol Usher (@Carol_Usher) December 21, 2016
"PARTY" scores 10 in Scrabble! 10! Not 11! #UniversityChallenge
— Sue Sabine (@ktsh30) December 21, 2016
@fionagilsenan Didn't Paxman say "party" was 11 points? It's 10. #UniversityChallenge
— Andrew Craig (@GoodClearTweets) December 21, 2016
"Party" is ten points in Scrabble, not eleven. #UniversityChallenge
— Andrew Craig (@GoodClearTweets) December 21, 2016
Party = 10. What are they on about! #scrabble #UniversityChallenge
— KC (@kacsh100) December 21, 2016
Still, the error appears to have gone unnoticed by Samira, who wrote on Twitter that Scrabble really isn’t her thing after her team got all three questions wrong.
Her team won the game with flying colours, too, regardless of their word game woes.
Sod scrabble.
— Samira Ahmed (@SamiraAhmedUK) December 21, 2016
We were more of a video gaming family. #universitychallenge
Press Association has contacted the BBC for comment.
