viewers were left unimpressed during the latest episode of the quiz show after contestant Diana England failed to acknowledge the audience’s help when answering a crucial question.
Diana used the Ask the Audience lifeline when presented with the question: What is the name of the mascot of Arsenal Football Club?
An overwhelming 78% of the audience voted for Gunnersaurus, which turned out to be the correct answer. However, instead of expressing gratitude to the audience for their assistance, she remained silent, prompting fans to call her out on social media.
One Twitter user wrote: “Oh dear, she didn’t thank the audience.” Another remarked: “A little nod to the audience wouldn’t have hurt you.”
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Contestant Diana England used her Ask the Audience lifeline on WWTBAM tonight (Image: ITV)
Even host seemed to notice, as he stepped in to say, “To the audience, well done you guys.” The Ask the Audience lifeline has been a staple of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire since its inception.
It has often proved highly reliable as the audience response is correct 95 percent of the time according to talk show host Regis Philbin, making it one of the most useful lifelines for contestants.
But the audience snub wasn’t the only reason Diana sparked frustration among viewers. Later in the game, she chose to walk away with £16,000 despite being given the correct answer during the Phone a Friend lifeline.
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Viewers have complained that she didn’t thank the audience for their help (Image: ITV)
When asked which flag has the same colours as the Irish flag but in reverse, her friend hesitated – but ultimately told her it was Côte d’Ivoire, which was the right answer.
Rather than taking a chance and doubling her winnings to £32,000, Diana opted to play it safe and leave the game.
This decision didn’t sit well with some viewers, who took to social media to vent their disbelief. One person tweeted: “It’s the easiest answer and she walked.”
Another added: “Wow… a kid could have answered that.” A third wrote: “How can she not know what the Irish flag looks like?” while another questioned: “She literally just got told the answer and she takes the money??”
Despite the backlash, Diana still walked away with a respectable £16,000.