ITV Who Wants to Be A Millionaire contestant loses £7k as question stops them in tracks

An ITV contestant’s winning streak came to a sudden halt with a puzzling question about animals. hosted the popular quiz show where hopefuls aim to win the coveted £1 million prize.

Contestants are quizzed on their general knowledge and have access to four lifelines: 50:50, Phone a Friend, Ask the Audience, and Ask the Host, to help them answer the 15 questions that separate them from the million-pound jackpot. On Saturday evening’s episode, Neil Clements, the first contestant, confessed to feeling nervous.

However, Neil quickly found his footing, effortlessly answering the first five questions, including one about halitosis that showcased his medical knowledge.

Neil proceeded steadily, but his progress came to a screeching halt with a question about . The question read: “The young of which animals is not called a calf? A: moose, B: hippopotamus, C: camel, D: zebra.”

Neil was caught off guard by the question and was forced to use his 50:50 lifeline. The computer eliminated camel and hippopotamus, providing little assistance as Neil was already certain those were incorrect, reports .

He exclaimed: “Those were the two I didn’t want left.” Following a brief period of deliberation, Neil utilised another lifeline, Phone A Friend, to contact his friend Jamin.

Unfortunately, Jamin was uncertain, leaving Neil with no choice but to take a chance. Neil decided to take a gamble on “moose” only to be informed that his answer was incorrect.

It turns out, a young moose is actually known as a calf, while a young zebra is referred to as a foal. The host Jeremy broke the bad news: “You’ve just lost £7,000.”

He explained further: “Zebras are in the horse family so they are foals. Oh dear. I am sorry about that. It’s been so much fun chatting. What can I say, I’ll try and put a spin on it – you’ve still won £1,000!”

Despite this sudden loss, Neil left the show with a smile, content with the programme’s minimum cash prize.