University Challenge Scrabble Question Causes Uproar After Jeremy Paxman Appears To Give Incorrect Answer

Well, it wouldn't be Christmas without a row over a board game.
LOADINGERROR LOADING

Playing a board game at Christmas always seems like a good idea until someone inevitably gets frustrated and a family row breaks out.

But last night it was a University Challenge question about Scrabble that got people’s blood boiling after legendary quiz-master Jeremy Paxman appeared to give an incorrect answer.

In a bonus round, alumni from City, University of London, were asked to calculate how many Scrabble points the word “party” is worth.

After the team incorrectly guessed 17 points, in true Paxman-fashion the host smugly replied that the figure was actually 11.

However, Scrabble fans took to social media in their droves claiming that the true answer was in fact 10 points:

Oh dear #UniversityChallenge, Party scores 10 in scrabble, not 11. Paxo should perhaps have been less smug giving that answer.

— Nicola Roberts (@nikki_roberts) December 21, 2016

@universitychallenge, 'party' is value of 10 in Scrabble not 11. Values are 3,1,1,1,4. Spent years playing my nan!!

— laura jones (@ljo2924) December 21, 2016

Losing my shit with the rest of Twitter about that #UniversityChallenge Scrabble question

— Huw Davies (@thehuwdavies) December 21, 2016

Wrong answer on University Challenge there. PARTY scores 10 in Scrabble, not 11. Get it right Paxo, standards are dropping.

— Daniel Leon (@dj_leon) December 21, 2016

I've never seen my mum angrier about anything than the incorrect scrabble q #universitychallenge

— rebecca. (@bckycrns) December 22, 2016

It seems like fans’ board-game related fury might be justified - according to the official Scrabble website, the word “party” is in fact worth ten points:

P(3) A(1) R(1) T(1) Y(4)

Still, team captain Samira Ahmed didn’t seem too worried about the whole affair, tweeting:

Sod scrabble.
We were more of a video gaming family. #universitychallenge

— Samira Ahmed (@SamiraAhmedUK) December 21, 2016

Luckily, the alleged blunder didn’t have an effect on the outcome of the quiz, with City defeating their rivals from Newcastle University 145 points to a disappointing 35.

The BBC has been contacted for comment.

Close

What's Hot