23-07-2025
Only Connect viewers fume 'standards are slipping!' as they call out question blunder just minutes into BBC quiz - but can YOU spot it?
Only Connect viewers fumed 'standards are slipping!' after calling out a question blunder just minutes into the BBC quiz.
The game show, presented by Victoria Coren-Mitchell, 52, sees two teams of quizzing enthusiasts face off to answer tricksy brain teasers and logical puzzles.
Asking contestants to find connections between seemingly obscurely related clues, the BBC Two programme has a particularly cerebral reputation.
But even the cleverest of quiz shows does not always get things right - as fans saw when the first episode of the new series aired on Monday evening.
Eagle-eyed viewers spotted the answer Victoria said was the correct response to one of the first questions of the episode actually appeared to be wrong.
The host asked one of the teams: 'What is the connection between these apparently random picture clues?'
The game show, presented by Victoria Coren-Mitchell (pictured), 52, sees two teams of quizzing enthusiasts face off to answer tricksy brain teasers and logical puzzles
But even the cleverest of quiz shows does not always get things right - as fans saw when the first episode of the new series (pictured) aired on Monday evening
A picture of British snooker player Ronnie O'Sullivan, also known as The Rocket, appeared on screen.
This was swiftly followed by an image of Marvel comic book character Rocket Raccoon.
The players were quick to spot the connection between the two was 'rocket', with Victoria soon confirming they were correct.
She revealed the last two images they would have been shown to help them to get to the answer.
These were a sketch of the early steam train Stephenson's Rocket, built nearly 200 years ago, and a photo of some rocket salad leaves.
But viewers at home were adamant the sketch did not show Stephenson's Rocket - but rather another steam locomotive.
One suggested it could be Puffing Billy - the oldest train of its kind, constructed by a colliery in 1814 near Newcastle-upon-Tyne for hauling coal.
Meanwhile, another was determined it was Locomotion No 1, a different early steam train built by the same engineers as Stephenson's Rocket.
While Robert Stephenson and Company - also Newcastle-based - built the Rocket in 1829, Locomotion No 1 was built four years prior, in 1825.
One fan raged on X: 'First mistake on the new series of BBC Only Connect.
'This is Locomotion not Stephenson's Rocket.'
Another replied to their comment on the social media platform, 'And on the very first question too!', while someone else weighed in: 'Standards are slipping.'
One user was determined the correct image would have thrown them off had they been playing on the show themselves.
'Came here to the Only Connect trending comments to see this! I got the answer in two but if I'd needed a third, this would have thrown me.'
Someone else said: 'Probably says more about me than anything else but the picture of Stephenson's Rocket in round one tonight wasn't Stephenson's Rocket.
'It was Puffing Billy. I shall now go back to looking for my life down the back of the sofa.'
Meanwhile, another was determined it was Locomotion No 1, a different early steam train built by the same engineers as Stephenson's Rocket
But fans were even disagreeing among themselves, in the comments section of this user's post.
One corrected them saying, 'Locomotion No 1', while another threw their weight behind this too: 'It wasn't Puffing Billy either, it was Locomotion.'
Only Connect, led by the dry, sarcastic Victoria, has become a firm fan favourite since it began airing in 2008.
It is part of a mega brainy quiz schedule on BBC Two on Monday evenings, sandwiched between Mastermind and University Challenge.
But Only Connect seems to be a cut above the rest as it is consistently BBC Two's most watched title of the week.
Elsewhere on the channel's Monday night schedule, during Mastermind, viewers were also left shocked by a sense of deja vu around one of the contestants.
The latest episode of the programme saw presenter Clive Myrie, 60, return to our screens to grill four new players.
One contestant, Dennis Wang, took to the famous hot seat to answer his specialist subject questions about the Men's Euros between 2000 to 2004.
One contestant, Dennis Wang (pictured), took to the famous hot seat to answer his specialist subject questions about the Men's Euros between 2000 to 2004
He managed to bag himself an impressive 12 correct questions.
But his Mastermind debut did not mark the first time he has appeared on our screens.
Dennis took part in Jeopardy UK! last year and managed to win his episode.
He was also once the team captain for the so-called Crunchers team on Only Connect.
Not only that, he was part of the University of Oxford's Worcester College team while appearing on University Challenge in 2016.
Many recognised the player and flocked to X to share their frustrations.
'Don't think it's fair to have the same guy just competing on all the big quiz shows really? Seems a bit unfair #Mastermind.';
'Mr Wang from #OnlyConnect ? #quizzymonday #Mastermind.';
'Do they have a pool of people who are on every quiz show? You get the same people on this, Only Connect, University Challenge etc. #Mastermind.'
