People are only just realising why the BBC iPlayer goes to 11 (Image: BBC)
It’s a tiny detail hiding in plain sight on the iPlayer.
But whether you’re watching Strictly, The Traitors, or The Apprentice, there’s a cute Easter Egg visible on every single programme right there on the iPlayer’s volume controls.
Available on computers, phones, TV or games consoles, the iPlayer volume control has a slider which lets you set how loud the programme goes, separate to your device’s own volume level.
And on the iPlayer, you can turn it up to 11.
Taking to , User u/Games_sans_frontieres pointed out: “The iPlayer desktop volume control goes to 11. This minor detail was very enjoyable to me.”
But not everyone got the reference. u/skelebone48 said: “Is this detail intentional or is it just a bug?”
A former employee, Richard Titus, has confirmed that the number 11 on the iPlayer volume control is very much intentional.
The 11 is a reference to cult classic rock comedy Spinal Tap. The ‘mockumentary’ spoof film follows the misfortunes of a fictional washed up British rock band, Spinal Tap, as they try to revive their ailing careers, and stars Better Call Saul’s Michael McKean and The Simpsons’ Harry Shearer among the cast.
The film became a sleeper hit and is widely regarded as creating the “mockumentary” genre.
In one iconic scene, one of the band shows off his custom made guitar amp that can be “turned up to 11”.
Asked “Why didn’t you just make 10 louder?”, he replies, blankly: “…but these go up to 11.”
Richard, who used to work at the as Controller of Future Media, later confirmed in a blog post that the volume control is a reference to Spinal Tap.
Posting on his own blog, he said: “One of my visual designers from the News design team, whose name escapes me now (though if he reads this he should take full credit) brought me some design “comps” or composites. He had cheekily suggested that maybe the volume should go to 11, a sly reference to a joke in the film “Spinal Tap” — to which I instantly agreed.”