ladbible homepage
ladbible homepage
  • iconNews
  • videos
  • entertainment
  • Home
  • News
    • UK
    • US
    • World
    • Ireland
    • Australia
    • Science
    • Crime
    • Weather
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV
    • Film
    • Music
    • Gaming
    • Netflix
    • Disney
  • Sport
  • Technology
  • Travel
  • Lifestyle
  • Money
  • Originals
    • FFS PRODUCTIONS
    • Say Maaate to a Mate
    • Daily Ladness
    • UOKM8?
    • FreeToBe
    • Citizen Reef
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Archive
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content Here
  • SPORTbible
  • Tyla
  • GAMINGbible
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • FOODbible
  • UNILAD Tech
BBC viewers were left traumatised after seeing contestant’s head explode in ‘Lee Mack quiz show’

Home> Entertainment> TV

Published 15:30 18 Feb 2024 GMT

BBC viewers were left traumatised after seeing contestant’s head explode in ‘Lee Mack quiz show’

This is truly quite horrifying

Emma Rosemurgey

Emma Rosemurgey

google discoverFollow us on Google Discover

If you've ever sat down on a Saturday night to tune into The 1% Club, you'll know Lee Mack hosts a good quiz.

The comedian uses a perfect blend of humour and relatability to make his contestants feel comfortable and make his audiences laugh, which is all we're really looking for on a Saturday night, right?

However, if you're one of the people who tuned in to see the Would I Lie To You panelist surprising fans with a one-off episode of quiz show 3 by 3 in May last year - then you'll know that's not always the case.

In fact, viewers who watched the BBC game show were instead left traumatised when the programme took a very dark turn.

Advert

In the final round of the quiz remained mother and daughter team, Margaret and Catherine Oakwood, who had already beaten off stiff competition from quiz teams The Three Tenors and Quiztopher Biggins for a place in the final.

For the last round, Margaret found herself locked in a soundproof booth to allow both her and Catherine to answer independently of each other.

However, after Margaret failed to get the final question correct, the Oakwoods failed to win the big money and that's when things went weird, as Margaret appeared to become trapped in the booth.

Seconds later, confusion turned to horror as the mum began screaming and banging on the glass to be let out, before all of a sudden... her head explodes.

No, that's not a phrase to say she was confused or stressed.

Her head literally exploded off her shoulders, spattering blood all over the glass booth in the process.

Lee Mack hosted the one-off quiz special.
BBC

It really does make for quite horrifying viewing but for those not in the know, you'll be pleased to know it wasn't actually from a real quiz show, and was in fact an episode of Inside No 9, the marvellously macabre series from Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton.

While fans had been expecting an On The Buses tribute episode titled 'Hold On Tight', they instead got '3 by 3', the first episode of Inside No 9 not to feature Shearsmith or Pemberton on camera.

As the episode progressed, it became clear that something was ever so slightly off with the Oakwoods, or more specifically Margaret (Gemma Page) and Catherine (Saskia Wakefield), as cricket-loving dad Stephen (James Tucker) was frozen out early on and never returned.

Margaret (Gemma Page) and Catherine (Saskia Wakefield) were the stars of the latest Inside No 9.
BBC

Catherine seemed to know the answer to every question despite revealing she'd basically no experience with entertainment or much of the outside world.

It's really to everyone's credit that Inside No 9 managed to keep up the pretence for so long, while weaving in so many brilliant clues as to what was really going on.

At the end, the episode there was a homage to the likes of Matilda and Carrie, with Catherine blowing up her mother's head after it was heavily implied her parents had kept her locked up as an experiment.

Mack didn't notice for a bit before all hell broke loose and the film crew fled the studio, with Catherine finally free of Margaret - even if she had to blow up her head to do it.

Here's hoping she made it to New Zealand.

Featured Image Credit: BBC

Topics: TV and Film, BBC, quizzes

Emma Rosemurgey
Emma Rosemurgey

Emma is an NCTJ accredited journalist who recently rejoined LADbible as a Trends Writer. She previously worked on Tyla and UNILAD, before going on to work at the Mirror Online. Contact her via [email protected]

Recommended reads

'Budget version of the Alps' is named cheapest 2026 summer holiday destinationGetty Stock ImageLisa Kudrow reveals staggering amount Friends stars still make twenty years after show endedReisig & Taylor/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty ImagesWoman with no limbs hits back at hate after answering question ‘everyone wants to know’ with husbandInstagram/@no_limbs_Dark truth behind every time you talk to ChatGPT as new 5.5 update releasedGetty Stock

Advert

Choose your content:

an hour ago
3 hours ago
4 hours ago
6 hours ago
  • Reisig & Taylor/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images
    an hour ago

    Lisa Kudrow reveals staggering amount Friends stars still make twenty years after show ended

    What a lovely surprise that must be each year

    Entertainment
  • Netflix
    3 hours ago

    Real life cults that inspired Netflix's number one drama Unchosen starring Asa Butterfield

    The show is the number one series on Netflix

    Entertainment
  • MrBeast/YouTube
    4 hours ago

    Man who won Lamborghini off MrBeast was given urgent advice as soon as camera turned off

    It probably saved him a lot of hassle

    Entertainment
  • Instagram/_holly_stark_
    6 hours ago

    Where Virgin Island cast are now year later as one announces pregnancy

    While one lost his virginity in a 'sex marathon' on the show, others remain virgins today

    Entertainment
  • BBC viewers switch off after spotting ‘unbearable’ recurring theme
  • Inside No.9 episode considered the 'darkest ever' after head explodes during 'Lee Mack quiz show'
  • Creator of ‘BBC quiz show’ where contestant’s head explodes responds to backlash from episode
  • 'Gut-wrenching' crime drama available to watch on BBC has near-perfect ratings and a stacked cast