[DE88]

The big issue with this version of the show remains the casting. Having contestants who just shrug their shoulders and say ‘that’s fair enough’ to losing out on £32,000 proves that casting is wrong. The famous Fiona Wheeler episode was on Challenge a few weeks back and her winning £32,000 was much more entertaining than seeing a Doctor or Solicitor winning big or even crashing down from £125,000. I know the fear is people who need the money won’t gamble, but that’s all down to casting and I’m sure they can get around that by casting people who aren’t risk averse. Ultimately if the money doesn’t mean a meaningful change to their lives, the might as well be playing for Monopoly money or a Mastermind glass vase.

Duncan Bickley had no regrets about losing £218,000, and he was great fun throughout. "It's only money, innit?" (Chris: "It's quite a lot of only money!")

I also love the title of the BBC News article about his big loss: "Who wants to lose a fortune?" Simple, but effective.

I think the problem even existed with the original version after the initial buzz had died off, with FFF first lines ups mainly being middle class males and now famous quizzers appearing on FFF multiple times. I suspect that was partly down to professional syndicates becoming involved who knew how to game the system. But at least then you still had a variety of professions represented.

When 2waytraffic took over the show in 2007, they changed not only the money ladder and the music but also the application process, to a mix of auditions and the traditional phone line - almost certainly in response to those professional syndicates, and the number of men getting on the show being a bit too great.

Then in 2010, as well as bringing in the clock they eliminated the phone line *and* FFF, so that everyone had to audition and if you were successful, you were straight into the hot seat. (Though by then, of course, the majority of contestants who got to £20,000 were stopping there - yes, the recession almost certainly had something to do with that, but IIRC even Chris wasn't too happy.)

But then the vote may well have been influenced by him so confidently ruling it out beforehand. Just one of those questions that end up being more subjective in people's knowledge of it than you realise. I knew the answer before the options came up, thought it was very easy and was surprised to see what happened.

The ATA fail in this video (if you can forgive that it's a 16:9 picture squashed into 4:3) might well have been influenced by the contestant ruling out the right answer beforehand, too, if not so confidently:

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