The 1% Club: ITV pulls popular quiz show from weekend schedule shortly after contestant's death

The 1% Club, hosted by comedian Lee Mack, has become a huge hit for the channel, with the show normally delighting fans in its Saturday evening slot. However, after the death of contestant Steven Wong, the show has disappeared from this weekend’s listings.

ITV paid tribute to Mr Wong at the end of last Saturday’s episode with a dedication to him which read: "In memory of Steven Wong. 1972-2024.". While he did not make it to the end of the show, Mr Wong, 52, put in a great show by making it to the 50% question. The £99,000 jackpot was eventually won by fellow contestants Daniel and Mitul, who answered the 1% question correctly.

Eagle-eyes viewers have now spotted that the show, which airs every Saturday night, has disappeared from this weekend’s schedule. Fans are convinced that ITV have pulled the show temporarily after the official 1% Club X (formerly Twitter) page mistakenly posted: “Thanks for watching folks! Don’t forget to tune in next week for brain teasers! #The1PercentClub.”

Instead, James Bond film Casino Royale is billed to air at 8pm on Saturday evening in its place. It is believed that the move is to avoid one of ITV’s biggest gameshows going up against the Eurovision Song Contest, which will air on BBC One at the same time.

The 1% Club has quickly become one of the British public’s favourite gameshows on TV and ITV’s biggest original gameshow in a decade. In 2023, it ranked as the highest viewed gameshow on UK television, with this currently series averaging 5.8 million viewers per episode, according to ITV.