Episode 9 Debatable

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Hello and welcome to Debatable,

where today one player must answer a series of tricky questions to

try and walk away with a jackpot of over £2,000, but as always,

they're not on their own - they will have

a panel of well-known faces debating their way to the answers.

Will they help or will they hinder? As always, that's debatable.

So let's meet them.

Talking the talk today, we have Olympian and sports presenter

Jonathan Edwards, we have retired MP and writer Ann Widdecombe,

and broadcaster Rick Edwards. CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Ann, you are chairing today's panel.

How does it feel to be the meat in the Edwards sandwich today?

Well, it will depend entirely on the quality of the bread which

-surrounds me.

-The Breadwards.

Do you think you will need to rule this with an iron fist, or are

you going to delegate like a Cabinet government?

Well, I know that they're both brilliant at sport.

And I also know that Rick is brilliant at nature.

So I shall delegate on that.

Now, Jonathan, can I just say you are the most

intelligent-looking panellist we have ever had on...

Oh, no. Not so intelligent now.

No, not the looking over the top of the...

Oh, when you look OVER the glasses...

You see? Who's with Stupid?

Look, and now we're back!

The smartest panellist we've ever had!

So, what's your specialist subjects? What do you think you can bring?

I did a physics degree, so maybe a bit of science, physics,

-something like that.

-This is very good.

-That shows there's proper brains there, Rick.

-Mm.

-Feeling any pressure there?

-I've got to say,

I'm delighted that if you took what Ann said out of context -

"both brilliant at sport" -

I've sort of been equated to a world record holder.

I have to say, I thought Ann was being very generous there.

Very generous to me! Yeah.

Olympian Rick Edwards. How does that sound?

-I mean, it sounds fantastic, doesn't it?

-It sounds convincing.

-Yeah. Does sound convincing.

-I could pull that off.

-You could once have been in the Boat Race, if you'd tried a bit harder.

-LAUGHTER

-Thank you, Mum. Erm...!

That is our panel. Let's meet today's contestant.

It is Danny from Hull. APPLAUSE

All right, Danny? That's a firm handshake! Whoa!

-How are you doing?

-Yeah, I'm good, thank you.

Tell us a little bit about yourself, apart from the fact that you've got huge guns and a handshake of steel.

Well, they're all for show.

-I did enter a bodybuilding competition last year.

-No way!

-Yeah.

-Give us a couple of the poses.

-Not in this jumper! No.

-Go on, give us...

-It's just the tapered waist, isn't it?

-Is it that?

-Yeah.

-Bit of that?

-Yeah.

-Straight in there.

-Bit of that?

-Yeah.

I don't look stupid here at all.

-What do you make of our panel?

-Nice selection.

Who do you think is going to be the standout performer here?

For me it'll be Ann, because politics is... Woof... Straight over my head.

All right, you're going to need to pay close attention because

you can only choose one of them to play the Final Debate.

-You ready to play?

-Yeah.

OK, here we go. Let's play round one.

Danny, in this round, it's all multiple choice.

Four possible answers, three questions,

£200 for each correct answer.

Let's see if we can get you up and running, Danny, with this one.

No idea who two of those are.

It will be a wild stab in the dark. So I'll be relying on the panel.

OK. I'm sure the panel will be able to sort this out for you.

Panel, your debate starts now.

Rick, what's your gut feeling?

-I think I might have a bit of knowledge here actually, Ann.

-Good.

Yeah...

Iman was married to David Bowie.

-Bowie, yeah.

-Right.

Kate Moss...

..was married or IS married or is...

-Something to...

-Jamie Hince.

-Yes, that's right, yeah.

-Who's in a band.

-Come on, you're getting it down to two.

..that I can't remember the name of... Christie Brinkley.

I can picture her.

Thankfully.

-That's not what this round's about!

-Yeah.

But I don't know who she was married to.

But Cindy Crawford was married to Richard Gere.

And then subsequently married to, like, a businessman called Randy.

-Sort of thing that makes me laugh.

-OK.

So I would say Cindy Crawford, because I don't remember her

ever being with a pop star and I have kept quite

a close eye on her relationship status.

Just in case there's a... You know.

-Do you have anything to better that with?

-No.

-No, you haven't.

-Great shout from the professor(!)

-Quite simply - no!

Well, I know nothing at all about supermodels.

So I think I'm going to go with you. What do the rest of the team...?

-I'd agree with that completely.

-I agree with myself. Yeah.

You agree with yourself? Well, that's something.

Um, the panel is going to say Cindy Crawford.

What do you think?

I think they'll know a lot more than I will on that...

..so, yeah, go with what they're suggesting,

-we'll go with Cindy Crawford.

-OK, you're going with the panel.

-Yes.

Which supermodel hasn't been married to a pop star?

Correct answer is...

It IS Cindy Crawford! Well done, panel!

Well done.

So, you were right. Iman was married to David Bowie.

Kate Moss was married to The Kills' guitarist, Jamie Hince.

-Christie Brinkley was married to Billy Joel.

-Ah!

Cindy Crawford was famously married to Richard Gere

in the 1990s. She is now married to businessman Rande Gerber.

I keep an eye. I keep an eye!

APPLAUSE

And er...Rick's restraining order is still in place.

LAUGHTER

You are up and running, Danny,

£200 into the prize pot.

Here comes your next question.

Considering I couldn't even SAY the word,

it would be a guess again. Trying to think if I can

split the word up, to pick anything out relating to the four answers,

-but no, not getting anything.

-OK. Don't worry. Panel, can you

shed some light on this?

-Your debate starts now.

-Mr Nature, you know all these things.

-Popular culture and now nature!

-Yeah.

-Off you go.

He's good at nature.

Well, I'm trying to split it up.

The...The "-phagous" part just means "eating",

so it's only the "xylo-" that matters.

-I'd get rid of rainwater.

-Get rid of rainwater. I agree with that.

Apart from anything else, you can't feed on rainwater.

And soil...?

Er... Mmm...

Xylo...

..it means "stem", doesn't it? I think.

Or something like that.

I think it's wood.

-Erm...

-Do you?

-I think that... Yeah, I think this is like, a woodworm

is a xylophage.

And is the "xylo" in "xylophone" the same "xylo"?

-And does that give us anything?

-Ooh!

I like that. Maybe. Cos that's just...

-That would have just been "wooden"...

-"Wood"...

-Yeah.

Maybe it just means "wood", then.

That sounds very plausible to me.

I don't know of any insect that feeds...feeds on pollen

in the way that... I mean, bees don't...

Would you say that bees FEED on it?

Maybe.

Well... You are the expert, you think it's wood...

It's the only one that makes sense. You know, "xylo" and "xylophone".

-Only one that makes sense.

-Yep. I'm glad you brought up "xylophone"

cos it takes a bit of pressure off me!

I think we should now just have the courage of our convictions,

the panel says...wood.

Ann harnessing the panel. Taking charge there.

They're going for wood.

That's what I was thinking with "xylophone", strangely enough.

-So, we'll go with them again.

-OK. You're going for wood.

A xylophagous,

does it primarily feed

on wood? For £200.

It's the correct answer! Well done!

APPLAUSE

Well done, Danny.

Good knowledge, Rick. Very well played.

The "xylo" does come from the Greek and means "relating to wood".

Hence, Professor...?

-Xylophone.

-Thank you very much.

Good knowledge. Yeah, very good knowledge.

Well done. Another £200 into the prize pot. You're up to £400!

APPLAUSE

OK, Danny, here's your last question of this round.

All of the panel with their head in their hands

before we begin on this, this is a very good sign(!)

Pondering!

I like Michael Caine, so I'd...probably go Michael Caine.

-OK, just because you like Michael Caine?

-Yeah.

It could be as good a reason as we find.

Panel, your debate starts now.

Maggie Smith was a stage actress in the '60s.

I saw her a lot at the National.

-Ah!

-So there...!

-That's interesting.

-So would she have been

in the running for a film award? She was definitely a big stage actress.

-I think you're on to something there.

-Yeah. And we haven't got

-a lot else, so...!

-No.

I think it's between Vanessa and Peter,

because those two tended to get nominations.

-I mean, what would Michael Caine have been nominated for?

-Alfie?

And then maybe The Italian Job?

I think, shall we get rid of Maggie Smith, because of your stage thing?

-I quite like that.

-Yes.

-And then...

Yeah, I mean...

Is Michael Caine an obvious... Too obvious, going back to the...?

I'm going to say Peter O'Toole. It's probably Vanessa Redgrave,

-but I'm going to say Peter O'Toole.

-I'd go with O'Toole, yeah.

-Yeah.

-Caine's too obvious.

-OK, we're going to say Peter O'Toole.

OK. They're going for Peter O'Toole.

They haven't not let me down so far. We'll go with Peter O'Toole.

OK. Was Peter O'Toole nominated for an Oscar in every decade

from the '60s to the 2000s?

It was Michael Caine!

It was Michael Caine.

Peter O'Toole was nominated eight times - but not in the '90s.

Danny, nothing for that question, I'm afraid.

It means, at the end of round one, you're on £400!

APPLAUSE

Couple of rounds still to go before you have to choose who plays

the Final Debate with you. Let's see how our panel are on pictures,

it's time for round two!

OK, Danny, round two is our picture round,

we need you to put three pictures in order.

£300 for each correct answer,

a possible £600 up for grabs.

Here's your first picture question.

My best friend travels America, and he plots it all out and knows

exactly where he's going...

If I had Phone A Friend, we'd be on this.

If only you had a well-travelled panel, Danny,

that could sort this out for you. Panel, your debate starts now.

-Can anybody picture any of these exactly?

-I'd say that was

-the most southerly.

-Yeah. Cos that's...that's, sort of,

-right in the middle-bottom, right?

-Down, yeah.

I'd say that was the most southerly.

-And I think...

-That's the most northerly...

..New Hampshire - most northerly? Cos it's up, sort of,

like... Past, you know...

-Sort of Boston-y.

-Yeah, Boston-y way.

-And then Maryland...

-In the middle.

-Yeah.

So, make sure we've got them the right way round, because...

So the northern one should be in front of Jon...

-Oh, yeah, sorry.

-New Hampshire...

We've been fairly quick to get to it.

-I think you've got to be right about that one.

-Yeah.

I'll tell you what I'm trying to see. I'm trying to see the map of

-the American elections in my mind...

-Oh, yeah.

-Was Maryland at the top in the middle?

-And I think this is right.

OK.

-I do think it's right.

-Yeah, my only slight concern is

I can't quite work out where Maryland is.

Arkansas here, New Hampshire here -

we just need Maryland to be somewhere here!

-There, yeah.

-I think it's...

I think Maryland

is east coast.

But it could also not be!

-No, let's go...

-No, I think we should go with...

-We'll talk ourselves out of it in a minute.

-We will.

-Yeah?

So - the panel have decided that the most northerly is New Hampshire,

Maryland comes next, and Arkansas is the most southerly.

-So, Danny - panel reasonably sure on this one.

-Yep.

Definitely agree with the one to the far right,

and it would have been a guess for me on those two

but I'll stick with that.

OK, you're going with the panel.

You think that New Hampshire is most northerly,

then Maryland, then Arkansas.

For £300, is that the correct order?

It is the correct order!

Very well done.

APPLAUSE

Well played. There it is.

New Hampshire is the most northerly of the three.

Then Maryland in the middle

and Arkansas, basically, in the middle of the Deep South.

OK, well played. £300 into the prize pot. You're up to £700.

APPLAUSE

Here's your second picture question.

I'd be guessing again...

Erm... So I'm not even going to try and guess,

I'll wait to see what the panel say

-and get an idea from there, I think.

-OK, panel, it is almost

a question of sport. Your debate starts now.

I think George Harrison comes before George Best.

-OK.

-They were both young men when they were very famous

and beginning to peak and all the rest of it.

I can remember George Harrison very well from the '60s

cos it was Beatlemania.

I remember gyrating to them.

-Oh, lovely, let me just take a moment. Got it.

-LAUGHTER

When was Foreman fighting his big fights?

-With Ali...?

-Erm...

-Because he'd be 20-ish, wouldn't he?

-'70s.

-'70s.

-So I would say Foreman is probably younger than these two.

-Yeah.

But it's quite... I mean, when did he design the grilling machine?

-The lean, green...

-Lean, MEAN...

Lean, mean grilling machine!

-LAUGHTER

-The thing he's most famous for(!)

So you think he's younger.

Well... I think he was... he was fighting in the '70s.

When did George Best die?

-When?

-Mmm...

-And how old was he?

-Quite recently

-and I don't know.

-I wasn't aware of him at all in the '60s.

Would you have taken a lot of notice of football as opposed to music?

No, I wouldn't, that's perfectly fair, I wouldn't.

But on the other hand, when guys are making headlines,

-you do it by osmosis.

-Yeah.

And I was much... I mean,

I WAS aware of George Harrison throughout the '60s, pretty well.

Um... I came to recognise George Best much, much later.

And I don't think that's just because I wasn't a sports fan,

I think... Cos he wasn't around in the papers and making headlines.

That's what I THINK.

-So you think he's the oldest...

-I think.

And then, do you want to go between these two...?

If I accept your judgment that he's the youngest,

then I think he's the oldest. You have oldest...

Harrison, then Best...

-Do we sign up to this, do we think?

-Er...

Yeah, I think I would go with this.

So the panel has decided - fairly confidently but not 100% so -

that the order of birth was George Harrison first,

George Best second,

George Foreman third.

So Ann drawing on some of her '60s knowledge there, and Beatlemania.

-What do you think, Danny?

-I'll stick with, as they've got it,

George Harrison, George Best, then George Foreman.

OK - agreeing with the panel for £300, is that the correct answer?

It is! Very well played! Well done, Ann. Very well done.

Well played, Danny.

Harrison was born in 1943, George Best was born in 1946,

Foreman was born in 1949. Danny, very well done -

at the end of round two your prize pot stands at £1,000.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

And there's still another £1,000 up for grabs, as we play round three.

So, in this round you will face three statements about a person,

a place, or a thing - only one of them is true.

Again, two questions in this round,

£500 for each correct answer, a possible £1,000 up for grabs.

Have a look at this.

I think I actually might know this one.

Erm... I think it's the Vanilla Ice one.

You think The Bartman was produced by Vanilla Ice?

Hold that thought.

Let's see if our panel can bring any Simpsons knowledge to this,

your debate starts now.

Anybody want to argue with the contestant?

-RICK SIGHS

-You do...

I know nothing about The Simpsons. Nothing.

-I... I don't...

-I would have thought

three was very plausible.

Yeah, but it's more likely to be a reference to the famous Homer,

isn't it?

Do you not think?

I don't know. I mean, people have odd reasons for naming characters.

-Yeah...

-And sometimes there is that sort of personal involvement.

I just always assumed that it was funny to have a kind of character

who was a fool called...

-Homer.

-..a kind of highfalutin', famed, sort of intellectual.

And the printing error wasn't...

The printing error...

How did it...

I actually don't know if it STARTED as a TV thing.

If it started as a TV thing...

..how would you have a printing error that would...

-It doesn't seem to make any sense.

-Yeah, doesn't really...

Unless it was in... kind of early sketches,

that they did on...

-Mmm...

-Even then...

What do we think about the second option?

This is the one that Danny has chosen.

Yeah, I mean, the one that Danny said, I felt like

-it seems plausible.

-And given our vagueness...

-Does it ring any bells?

-Honestly, no, it doesn't ring a bell...

But given our vagueness,

-Danny's going to take absolutely no notice of us.

-That's a good point.

Well, he'd be very wise not to.

-Shall we go for the second?

-Yes.

-Yeah.

Right, well, the panel has elected to go with Danny,

and we think it's all to do with Vanilla Ice.

-Magnificent Simpsons knowledge there...

-Indeed.

..from the panel, Danny. They're going with you.

Erm, I'm going to stick with B,

Do The Bartman was produced by Vanilla Ice -

-and look like a complete numpty if it's actually wrong.

-LAUGHTER

OK. You're going with your first thought, agreeing with the panel -

was The Bartman produced by Vanilla Ice, for £500?

It's Homer's dad. Yeah...

Creator Matt Groening's father was called Homer.

The Simpsons are yellow because when people were flicking through

the channels, the creators actually wanted people to know that it was

The Simpsons, just with the flash of yellow.

I'm afraid no money for that, Danny, but still £500 up for grabs here -

have a look at this.

Not a huge cricket fan, but for some reason, B is ringing

bells with somebody telling me something...a long time ago, maybe?

But I'm hoping Jonathan might confirm.

OK... Panel, your debate starts now.

So... I presented the BBC Sports Personality of the Year trophy

to Damon Hill in 1996, and he was

the first person to win it twice.

-So it certainly isn't the bottom one...

-No.

He definitely played football for Scunthorpe United...

Hang on, there wasn't anything about the first person,

it just says "twice voted".

Nothing about being the FIRST to be twice voted.

Sorry, what have I missed?

-No, but he was the first one, Damon Hill, in 1994 and 1996...

-Yes.

-..and Ian Botham was before then.

-He wouldn't have won after '96.

Got you. Got you. Yeah.

He definitely played for Scunthorpe -

I can't think he has the most wins ever as England captain,

-he wasn't a great England captain.

-No...

If you're watching, Beefy, you're a great cricketer

but I don't think you were the best ever England captain!

So it's got to... Got to be Scunthorpe United, do you think?

-Diplomatic! That was diplomatic.

-Yeah...

-I'm totally with Jonathan.

-Scunthorpe United?

-Yes.

-I'm sure it isn't the bottom one, the Sports Personality...

-It's definitely not that.

-..and Jonathan's reasoning is watertight.

-Yeah, I can't believe he's got the most wins as the captain.

-No.

And I know that he played football to a...to a decent standard.

And it WAS Scunthorpe United, for sure.

-So it must be the middle one.

-Yeah. I would go for that.

OK. I would have... if I'd been left on my own,

I would have gone for the third, but I bow to your superior knowledge.

So therefore, the panel is going to say that Ian Botham

played league football for Scunthorpe United.

So, on the basis that we have a former winner of

BBC Sports Personality of the Year on the panel, they're going for B.

As am I. I'll go with B.

-OK, you're going with the panel...?

-Yeah.

All righty, for £500,

did Ian Botham play league football for Scunthorpe United?

He did! APPLAUSE

Well done. Well done.

Ian Botham made 11 appearances as a non-contract player

for Scunthorpe United in the '80s,

during the peak of his England cricket career.

Botham was Sports Personality of the Year just once, in 1981...

Botham didn't have any wins as England captain.

-It was a fair comment, then.

-LAUGHTER

I mean, it was as diplomatic as you could be.

-Danny, very well done...

-Thank you.

At the end of round three your prize pot is up to £1,500!

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

So it's a tidy sum -

any plans with the money, if you manage to win today?

Yes - going to Mexico in September,

so I'll be planning on swimming with some whale sharks, if possible.

OK. Trip to Mexico at stake. No pressure, panel.

There is one question between you and that money,

it is of course the Final Debate.

You're going to have six possible answers -

only three are correct, we need all three.

You're not going to be on your own, though,

you are going to have the help of one of these fine human beings.

So - who would you like to join you for the Final Debate?

Will it be our lean, mean quizzing machine, Jonathan?

Will you be twisting and shouting with our Beatles fan, Ann?

Or do you want to go for the "Homer run", with Rick?

-Going to go with Rick.

-You're going for Rick. Rick, please join us for the Final Debate.

OK, Rick, Danny's chosen you for the Final Debate. Feeling confident?

I AM feeling confident. Yeah.

I think I'm going to get this money for Danny.

-OK. Happy with your choice?

-Yes, very.

-OK, good.

All right, you do get two categories to choose from -

have a look at this, tell me what you fancy.

I think we'll go Nature?

I... Yes. Yeah.

I don't know anything about novels.

Read a book(?)

-LAUGHTER

-At school.

-I think nature.

-Yeah, Nature.

-LAUGHTER

-Nature?

-Yeah.

-Nature it is!

OK, Danny, we wish you all the best here.

£1,500 up for grabs - you know how it works,

we need three correct answers from this.

Here's your Final Debate question.

Your time starts now.

Well... I mean, you could probably get rid of Macaroni

and Pappardelle, cos they're pasta...

I'm pretty sure that Humboldt is a penguin.

Erm, Bering...

The Bering Strait. Is there a... Mmm...

I think Mariana... I'd go Humboldt, Mariana... (Galapagos...)

I think there IS a Galapagos penguin.

-I mean, do you want to say anything?

-LAUGHTER

I was waiting for you to keep going!

-I don't know...

-Is there one that lives on the Galapagos Islands,

is that a thing? Does it just... live there so they named it, or...

-10 seconds.

-That's sort of what I'm hoping.

But honestly, I don't know. It's between...

-I would go Humboldt, Mariana and Galapagos. But...

-Yeah.

SIREN SOUNDS Danny, I need three answers.

We'll go Humboldt, Mariana and Galapagos, then.

We need all three of these to be correct.

First one you gave me was Humboldt...

To stay in the game for £1,500, is Humboldt a species of penguin?

It is!

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE It is, well done.

South American penguin that breeds in Chile and Peru.

Tell me something I DON'T know, Patrick(!)

LAUGHTER

You then gave me Mariana. Any particular reason for that?

This gentleman to the right of me.

Any particular reason for that, Rick?

Don't think Mariana is a type of pasta, if that helps. I...

-Yeah, I think there is a Mariana penguin.

-OK.

-Simple as that.

OK.

You said Mariana - to stay in the game for £1,500...

is Mariana a species of penguin?

It's not, Danny. I'm so sorry.

Erm,

-let's have a look at your other answer.

-Oh, sorry.

-Never mind.

Galapagos is the most northerly of all penguins,

and then the Macaroni

is the penguin with the distinctive yellow crest on its head.

Oh, I'm sorry, Danny!

-Don't worry about it.

-I'm so sorry.

-Thanks for coming in to see us, Danny. Very well played.

-Thank you.

Give it up for Danny!

-APPLAUSE

-Sorry.

-Nah, don't worry about it.

I've enjoyed it.

That is it for Debatable. There's just enough time for me to thank our fantastic panel,

to Rick Edwards, to Jonathan Edwards and Ann Widdecombe! APPLAUSE

I do hope you've enjoyed watching,

see you next time for more heated debates. For now, it's goodbye from me!