Episode 41 Pointless

APPLAUSE

Thank you very much indeed. Hello, I'm Alexander Armstrong and welcome to Pointless,

the quiz show where you've got to score low to win big.

Let's meet today's players.

APPLAUSE

And first we welcome Phil and Sue. You are our first pair on the show.

I overheard you talking to Richard before the show about something like, "My ninth oyster..."

-Ah, yes.

-What were you talking about?

Whitstable has had an oyster festival this summer

and I just missed out on winning the oyster-eating competition.

-I can eat oysters very quickly.

-How many oysters?

-Normally...

What you're judged on normally is six oysters, half a pint of beer.

-I can do that in ten seconds.

-What?!

Ten seconds!

Phil. What can you do?

You've got three seconds!

Nothing as impressive as that.

OK. Brilliant. Very best of luck to you on the show.

Phil, we're going to have to find out what you can do in ten seconds.

I'm sure it is equally impressive.

Graham and Valerie. Welcome back to you.

You were on the show last time.

Everyone gets two shots to get through to the Pointless final.

This is your second and final go at it. Remind us how you did.

We got to the second round, but it's geography and I don't know

where myself is most of the time, let alone other countries.

Oh, dear.

Dear, oh, dear, oh, dear.

Yes, it was land borders, wasn't it?

-Yes.

-Oh, dear. Well, very best of luck this afternoon. I don't think we saw you at your very best.

I think we're going to see you do fantastically well.

-Let's hope so.

-That's my hunch.

And welcome back to Charlotte and Diane.

You were also on the show last time. Remind us how you did.

Very badly. I would say catastrophically.

I mean, I think it's in fact made my fear of spiders just that little bit worse now.

Right. OK, basically they got locked in a tank with some spiders.

We do this every so often. We thought it would be fun.

Sounds like it just backfired, didn't it?

It backfired for them. For us it was fine. A right laugh.

Perhaps. It was actually better than fine.

It was most amusing.

But, um...yeah. Very best of luck to you this afternoon.

And finally we've got Ross and Ben.

How do you two know each other?

Well, I've lived in Edinburgh for 20 years and I met Ross

15 years ago through a mutual friend who couldn't believe there were two Eurovision fans in the same city.

You were both in the same city and you're both Eurovision fans?

I can't believe that either!

Best of luck to the pair of you. We'll find out more about you throughout the show.

There is just one more person to introduce. You've already met him.

It's probably given it away a bit, hasn't it?!

-He is a Who's Who of obscurity. He's my Pointless friend. He's Richard.

-Hiya.

APPLAUSE

Good afternoon.

-Good afternoon to you.

-See, I don't think I am a Who's Who of obscurity.

I think I am more of a Who Cares? of obscurity.

That would be my opinion.

We've got two returning pairs today.

Charlotte and Diane didn't cover themselves in glory last time, but

they had a difficult category and took risks, so I think they might go a little bit further today.

And Graham and Valerie were very strong, so I think it's going to be tough for our two new pairs.

The good news for Phil and Sue is we've replaced the head-to-head

with a cockle and whelk-eating contest.

Very good indeed.

OK, now we put all our questions to 100 people before the show.

We are after the obscure answers that they didn't get.

To stay in the game with a chance to win our jackpot, all our players

need to do is score as few points as they possibly can. It's very simple.

What everyone's trying to do is find a pointless answer that none of our 100 people gave

and, each time that happens, if it happens, we will add £250 to the jackpot.

Nobody has won the jackpot for ages, for the last eight shows.

And we'll add another £1,000 to that, so today's jackpot starts off,

would you believe it, at £10,750.

Someone has got to win that.

OK, let's play Pointless.

OK, in the first round each of you must give me one answer and you cannot confer with your partner.

Whichever team has the highest score at the end of the round will be eliminated.

So, our first category this afternoon is Pop & Rock.

Pop & Rock. Can you all decide in your pairs who's going to go first and who's going to go second?

And whoever's going first, please step up to the podium.

We gave 100 people 100 seconds to name as many family bands as they could.

Family bands, Richard?

Yeah, the correct answers in this round are all musical groups or bands where the members are siblings.

OK. Right, Phil and Sue.

You all drew lots before the show and today you get to go first.

So in this round we're going to give you a choice of seven possible answers on the board in each pass.

Your first set of seven answers reads like this.

I am going to read those out one more time.

At least one of those answers is pointless,

but also that at least one of those answers is incorrect.

If you land on an incorrect one, you will score the maximum of 100 points.

Now, Phil, I think you might be quite good at this.

-Am I right?

-Well, there are a couple that I'm not sure about.

But I'm going to play reasonably safe and hope that it is

one that not too many people remembered or thought about.

I'm going to go for the Carpenters.

The Carpenters. OK. There they are. The third one down.

You're hoping that that is correct and you're hoping that it scores as few points as possible.

Let's see if it's right. Let's see how many people said The Carpenters.

Well, it is right.

Not bad. 25, Phil.

-Done all right, hasn't he, Sue?

-He has.

The Carpenters score you 25.

-Richard?

-Nice safe start, Phil. Richard on piano and Karen on drums.

The White Stripes of their day, The Carpenters.

Well done. Not a bad score at all. Now, Valerie, I think you're going to be good at this.

-Reasonably.

-I think you might be quite good at this.

What's that board looking like to you?

Remember there's at least one pointless answer on that board.

Yes, well I am going to go for something that is slightly before my time, but not a lot.

The Beverley Sisters.

The Beverley Sisters. There they are at the bottom.

The Beverley Sisters.

Let's see if it's right and, if it is, how many people said the Beverley Sisters.

It is correct.

Oh, a good score. Look at that! Six for you, Valerie.

Well done.

Six that scores you.

Yeah, very well played, Valerie. The Beverley Sisters - Joy, Babs and Teddie.

And one of them married Billy Wright the footballer.

They were very much the Posh and Becks of their day.

The Beverley Sisters. What a great answer.

Charlotte, you are going to be hot at this, I know.

Well, I am going to play it safe

and pick the people who I love.

So I am going to pick Jedward.

We've had The Carpenters. We've had The Beverley Sisters. You are saying Jedward.

Let's see if that is a correct answer and, if it is, let's see how many people said it. Jedward?

It's a brilliant answer, Charlotte.

Brilliantly said. Eight points for Jedward.

Jedward, of course, made up of John and Edward, the names of the twins.

Charlotte and Diane, don't do that because you'll be Dialotte.

-OK, very good. Ben. Now then, Ben.

-Well, I am going to take a risk.

This is what I like to hear.

There's a pointless on that board. There's a pointless in there.

And I am actually going to go for one that I am not sure are related, so that is

-a risk.

-Well, remember there is an incorrect one in there as well, and that will score you 100 points.

I'm going to say Orbital.

Orbital. One up from the bottom.

Let's see if it's correct and, if it is, let's see how many people said Orbital.

There we are.

Brilliant answer.

That's a pointless answer and adds £250 to today's jackpot, taking the total up to £11,000.

-It also scores you nothing. Richard? Orbital?

-Yes, very good.

Orbital, the '90s dance band. Phil and Paul Hartnoll were the brothers

and people don't remember them so they won't get that Ross and Ben look not unlike them.

They have a look of Orbital about them.

Let's have a look at the rest of the board.

The Osmonds, of course, would have scored you a fairly hefty 45.

The Everly Brothers, actually a surprisingly low score at just three.

And the Partridge Family, by process of elimination, was an incorrect answer as they were a fictional

-family band from a US sitcom.

-OK, thanks very much, Richard.

We're halfway through the round so let's take a look at the scores as they stand.

A very low-scoring round.

Phil and Sue, you see, normally, 25 would have been a brilliant start.

Turns out it is a rotten start.

You know when I said "well done"? I was lying.

Sue, you know what you've got to do in the next round.

Valerie and Graham, six...

wonderful. Charlotte and Diane, eight, wonderful low score.

Ben and Ross!

I am going to be buying Orbital's records now, I think.

Maybe pass yourselves off as Orbital.

Think how many festivals you could get into free!

Could the second players please take their places at the podium?

OK, we're going to put another seven answers on the board.

We are looking for family bands and here is your next list.

Let me read those one more time.

Again, I can tell you that at least one of those answers

is pointless, and at least one of those answers is incorrect.

So please try and avoid those incorrect ones. Right.

Now, Ross, how well did Ben do there?

-He did very well.

-He did amazingly well.

There is only one fitting response to that from you, and that is to do equally well.

-No pressure then. I can do it.

-None whatsoever. You are on 0.

You have to score 24 or less with this answer.

24 or less and you are definitely through to the next round.

I'm going with the X Factor's Journey South.

The X Factor's Journey South. He's revealed something there.

Who'd have thought that a Eurovision fan would also be a fan of X Factor?

(I'm not!)

OK, there's your red line.

If Journey South gets you below that red line, you're definitely in the next round.

Let's see if it's right and, if it is, how many people said it.

Journey South.

It's right. Could go all the way down, I think.

Yes, you're through to the next round and it is pointless!

That adds another £250 to today's jackpot, taking it to a frankly obscene £11,250.

It scores you nothing and brings, or rather leaves, your total at zero.

Very well played. What a start! The perfect start. Andy and Carl Pemberton were Journey South.

-Came third behind Shayne Ward and Andy Abraham.

-Right, now, Diane.

You are on eight, thanks to Charlotte's brilliant answer of Jedward.

No pressure!

None whatsoever. If you can score 16 or less with this answer...

It's a very low-scoring round, this. If you can score 16 or less, you're through to the next round for sure.

How's that board looking?

Some of them I am sure of and some of them I'm not.

Taking a risk last time didn't work for me.

So I'm...

just going to stick with who I thought and go...

..The Nolans.

The Nolans? There they are, second band down. There's the red line.

Get below the red line and you're through to the next round for sure.

Let's see if that's correct and, if it is, let's see how many people said The Nolans.

It's right.

32 that scored you. It takes your total to 40. Richard.

Yeah, as you said, better safe than sorry.

You took lots of risks last time. But The Nolans, they're back together again. Spent the last 20 years

being on Loose Women, marrying Shane Ritchie, that sort of thing.

OK, thank you very much.

My pleasure.

Graham. Valerie's excellent answer of the Beverley Sisters scored you only six.

If you can score 33 or less... 33 or less with this answer, you are through to the next round.

Er, yes.

The only ones I am absolutely sure are genuine

are almost certainly quite popular.

But I think, on balance, I am going to have to go for one of them.

I know you prefer people to take a risk, but I am going to say The Bee Gees.

The Bee Gees. There they are, middle of the board.

The Bee Gees. There's your red line.

If The Bee Gees get below that red line, you are in the next round.

Let's see how many people said The Bee Gees.

Wow.

The Bee Gees score you 16, taking your total up to 22.

Richard, Bee Gees only 16?

Yeah, I wonder if, because the family name is not the name of the group, people forget they are brothers.

I don't know, but it is a very low score. Barry, Maurice and Robin Gibb, of course.

OK. Now, Sue, you are on 25.

You have to score 14 or less to get through to the next round.

So remember, we are looking for family bands.

OK, I think there are two wrong answers up there.

Do you, now?

And one massively popular answer.

Which only leaves, as long as I am right about the two wrong answers...

I can really only go for Sister Sledge.

You're going to go for Sister Sledge?

-With their song We Are Family.

-It's a clue!

"I've got all my sisters with me." Could they make it up? I don't think they could.

-I think they probably did.

-LAUGHTER

That's how composition works!

OK, there's the red line.

If you get below that red line, you are through to the next round.

Sister Sledge. Let's see how many people said it, and if it is a correct answer.

It's right.

Oh, wow!

Phew!

That scores you only four.

It keeps you in the show as it takes

your total up to 29. Richard.

Kim, Debbie, Joni and Kathy Sledge had a huge hit with We Are Family.

Their career went downhill after that!

We should stop this. This is the top of a very slippery slope!

Let's take a look at the rest of the board, shall we?

Obviously The Jacksons were a family band but would have scored you

a fairly hefty 57. And, as I think Phil and Sue suspected,

those other two are both incorrect answers.

The Thompson Twins, there were three of them and none were related.

And The Righteous Brothers is incorrect,

given away by the fact that Righteous isn't really a surname!

OK, thanks very much, Richard.

At the end of Round One, the losing pair with the highest score,

I'm sorry to say, is Charlotte and Diane.

-Bad luck once again.

-Thank you!

-Who's going to be watching?

Probably everyone.

Where do you apportion the blame, apart from obviously here!

-It was my fault last time.

-I don't know.

-No-one, really.

-There again!

-There you go, you can take the blame again if you want.

-I'm sorry.

It was a tough category but you did incredibly well.

Thanks for playing, you've been fantastic contestants.

Sorry to say goodbye to you so soon. Thank you.

APPLAUSE

For the remaining three pairs, it is now time for Round Two.

OK, it is now time to find out which two teams will be going through to the head-to-head

for the chance to reach the Pointless final and play for that massive jackpot.

OK, the category for Round Two is...

Sporting Stars.

Sporting Stars. Sue is delighted with that!

Can you all decide in your pairs who's going to go first and who's going to go second?

And whoever's going first, please step up to the podium.

And the question for Round Two concerns...

sports personalities and their nicknames.

In this round, we're about to show you the nicknames and sports of some famous sports personalities.

We gave 100 people 100 seconds to tell us who the nicknames belonged to. Richard.

Yes, we're going to show you six nicknames in each pass.

The more obscure ones will score you fewer points

and if you give us an incorrect answer you will score 100 points.

-See if you can get all six of them at home.

-OK, your first six are...

Let me do it one more time.

Now, then, Sue, we are looking for the sportsmen these nicknames are used for.

This so isn't my subject.

Oh...! I'm going to say...

Beefy

-is Ian Botham.

-Ian Botham.

Let's see if that is correct and, if it is, how many people knew that Ian Botham was indeed Beefy.

It's right.

53.

That scores you 53.

You've taken one of the big names off the board, though. So it may well work in your favour.

-Richard.

-Yeah, 'Beefy' Botham.

It's better than getting 100 points.

Probably England cricket's greatest ever all-rounder.

Splendid. Good. Graham.

Yes, um...

definitely not one of my strongest subjects.

So I am going to go for snooker

-and Ronnie 'The Rocket' O'Sullivan.

-Ronnie 'The Rocket' O'Sullivan.

Let's see if that's a correct answer and, if so, how many knew that answer.

It's right.

33.

20 whole points lower than Sue.

Ronnie 'The Rocket', Richard?

Ronnie O'Sullivan, multiple World Champion, made his first century break

-at the age of ten.

-Interesting.

Now, then, Ross.

We are looking for the real names of the sportsmen who have these nicknames.

Well, the only one

I know anything about is Gazza.

-Do you watch much sport?

-I don't watch any sport.

It's going to have to be Gazza.

-Paul Gascoigne.

-Let's see if that's right and, if it is, how many people knew that answer.

67. That's a high score, there, Ross.

-Gazza... Paul Gascoigne.

-Do you sense that sport wasn't a great category for today's contestants?

Probably Gazza's best, most famous goal was in Euro '96 when he took

the ball over Colin Hendry and smashed it into the back of the Scotland net.

-I don't know if you remember that at all?

-Yes!

-What a goal!

Let's take a look at the rest.

The Cat. Cricket.

Do you know, Alexander?

Phil Tufnell.

Yes. Would have scored you 14 points.

Stone Cold?

-I don't know that.

-Well, that would have scored you 19 points.

'Stone Cold' Steve Austin, the American wrestler.

-More points that Phil Tufnell?

-Yeah.

Phil Tufnell will be pleased. And 'The Juice'. Do you know 'The Juice'?

-I think it was OJ.

-OJ Simpson.

A famous American footballer and then he was in the Naked Gun movies,

then he just disappeared! LAUGHTER

OK, let's take a look at the scores.

We're halfway through the round.

It's been a very, very high-scoring round.

Graham and Valerie, who'd have thought?

You're looking the most comfortable at this stage.

Valerie, we just rely on your sporting know-how in the next pass

to ensure that you make it through to the head-to-head.

Sue and Phil, Ross and Ben, not a great deal to separate you.

Ross and Ben, you have the highest score, so Ben, you know what you've got to do on the next pass.

We're going back down the line. Can the second players please take their places at the podium?

OK, we're going to put six more names on the board.

Nicknames, I should say, on the board. And they read like this.

And I will read those again.

Remember, we are looking for the sportsmen these nicknames refer to.

You are trying to find the one that the fewest of our 100 people knew.

Now, Ben, you are on 67. You are out in front.

This is not my specialist subject, either, so I am going to play it

absolutely safe and say Goldenballs... David Beckham.

-OK, is that the only one on the board you knew?

-Yes.

OK, no red line for you. You are the highest scorers.

'Goldenballs' Beckham. Let's see how many people said that.

65 is what that scores you,

taking your total up to 132.

Richard, Goldenballs.

Pretty big score. David Beckham, of course, married to Posh Spice.

-Very much the Billy Wright and the Beverley Sister of their day, aren't they?!

-Absolutely.

OK, now, Valerie, you are on 33.

If you can score 98 or less with this answer,

you are through to the head-to-head.

Do you know any of those names?

Not a single one!

I think the only thing I can...

Oh, dear...

..is make a wild guess.

Lightning Bolt... Steve Ovett?

It's probably wrong!

There's your red line. You don't have to go very far to cross it.

Have you crossed the red line? That's the question.

Steve Ovett... The Lightning Bolt?

Let's see, is it right? How many people said it?

Oh, Valerie, I am afraid that is an incorrect answer.

I'm afraid that scores you the maximum of 100 points.

That's great news for Ben and Ross.

It sees them through to the head-to-head.

Bad news for Valerie and Graham...for now. Richard.

Yes, Steve Ovett would love to be called 'The Lightning Bolt', I suspect.

I won't say who it is, in case Phil wants to have a go at that one.

OK, Phil, you are on 53. You have to score 79 or less

with this answer, 79 or less, and you are through to the head-to-head.

OK, well, I could guess at some of the others,

but there is only one other answer on there that I know,

so I'm going to have to go for that,

and that's the darts one...

Phil 'The Power' Taylor.

Phil 'The Power' Taylor. OK, here's your red line.

If Phil 'The Power' gets you below that red line, you are through to the head-to-head.

Let's see if that's right and, if so, how many people said it.

It's right.

And you are through to the next round.

28, Phil.

That's not a bad score at all.

It gives you a total of 81.

Yes, very good, Phil. You are our very own Phil 'The Power'...

fill in your surname, which I am not aware of!

Let's take a look at the rest of these.

Alexander, do you know any of these?

The Dark Destroyer?

I don't know that.

That's Nigel Benn, the middleweight boxer who is famously competitive with Chris Eubank.

Let's clear up The Lightning Bolt.

-Do you know that?

-I'm guessing that's Usain Bolt.

Correct, the world's fastest man, would have scored you 35 points.

Nigel Benn would have scored you 16 points.

El Nino...football?

No.

El Nino and football is Fernando Torres, the Liverpool striker.

Would have scored you 5.

And Birdman and skateboarding?

Weirdly, I do know that one.

-OK...?

-Tony Hawk.

-It is Tony Hawk.

Very well done if you got that at home.

It would have scored you 3 points. A very, very good answer.

So at the end of Round Two, the losing pair with the highest score -

a knife-edge result there -

it's Graham and Valerie.

So who's watching at home, Graham and Valerie?

Probably nobody now. I don't suppose we're going to tell them!

-LAUGHTER

-Have you got children?

-Yes, grown-up children.

-Well, "children", yeah...

-Offspring.

-Three boys.

-Three boys? How is it with three boys? We have three boys.

Me and you? LAUGHTER

Well, there you go!

Let's put it this way. My middle son said that if we didn't take something back, he'd be changing the locks!

Well, I tell you what, you WILL be taking something back -

our deep respect for having been fantastic contestants,

and our apologies for not having served you some better topics to answer on.

But thank you for playing, Valerie and Graham, you've been great.

APPLAUSE

For the remaining two pairs, it's about to get more exciting now as we enter the head-to-head.

So we've already said goodbye to two teams.

It's now time to find out which of our remaining pairs will be playing

for the jackpot which currently stands at an enormous...

£11,250.

APPLAUSE

Right, so Phil and Sue, Ross and Ben,

you are now going head-to-head on the best of three questions.

You may now confer. That's the important bit.

All you have to do is come up with an answer which scores less than the opposing pair to win that question.

The first pair to win two questions will be playing for today's jackpot. OK, let's play Pointless.

Here's your first question.

We gave 100 people 100 seconds

to name as many countries that border Russia as they could.

Countries that border Russia. Richard.

We're looking for any country that shares a land border with Russia.

As always, by countries we mean a sovereign state that's a UN member in its own right.

OK. Phil and Sue, you've played best throughout the show so far, so you get to answer first.

We are looking for countries that border Russia.

THEY WHISPER

OK, we have an answer.

Well, I can see it spelt in my head...

so I'm hoping I'm pronouncing it roughly right.

It's Kerzakstan.

Kersakstan. OK, we have Kerzakstan from Phil and Sue. Ross and Ben?

Well, there's all these former Soviet states, but how many of them actually do border Russia?

That's the question. So we want to go for a better-known country

which does have a border but people might not know it.

So...we're going for...

-Iran.

-Iran.

So we have Iran from Ross and Ben.

We have Kerzakstan from Phil and Sue. Phil and Sue first. Kerzakstan.

Let's see if that is correct and, if it is, let's see how many people said it.

Bad luck.

Ross and Ben have gone for Iran.

Let's see if that's right and, if it is, how many people said Iran.

Um...wow. So, after the first question, it is a 0-0 draw.

-Richard.

-Iran sounds like a good answer but it doesn't border Russia.

I think that the country you were referring to was Kyrgyzstan but it doesn't actually border Russia

so it wouldn't have been a correct answer anyway.

Let's look at the countries that do border Russia. Probably fewer than you think.

Azerbaijan and North Korea down the bottom with two.

Well done if you got those. And then Belarus would have scored you 11 points.

Kazakhstan and Georgia and Norway all got 13. Estonia on 17.

Lithuania also 17.

Latvia 18, Mongolia on 19, then Ukraine and Finland on 32. Poland 49.

It's a bit like the Eurovision Song Contest, isn't it? Except China are in it!

And China there on 54.

OK, so we have had one question and we have got nowhere.

Here is your second question.

We gave 100 people 100 seconds to name as many ingredients in a salad nicoise as they could. Richard.

Yes, we're looking for any of the main basic ingredients in a salad nicoise, not including the dressing.

-We've gone with James Martin's recipe for the BBC.

-Of course you would.

The main ingredients in a classic salad nicoise.

OK, Ross and Ben, you get to go first this time.

OK, we have an answer.

-We are going to go for tuna.

-Tuna?

OK, we have tuna from Ross and Ben.

Phil and Sue, what do you say?

I think black olives and I think potato?

And maybe hard-boiled egg as well.

Oh, yeah, hard-boiled egg. Definitely.

He can take it then. Hard-boiled egg.

Hard-boiled egg. OK, we have tuna and we have hard-boiled egg.

OK, first, Ross and Ben. Tuna?

Is that right and if it is how many people said tuna?

It's right.

25.

And Phil and Sue have gone with hard-boiled egg. Let's see if that's right and how many people said it.

It's right.

Ohhhhhhhh!

So after the second question, Ross and Ben are up one-nil. Richard.

Unlucky, Phil and Sue. Let's take a look at the ingredients.

Mixed salad leaves scored two, French beans six, new potatoes 11,

anchovies 12, olives 20.

There's tuna on 25. Eggs 26...

hard-boiled egg. Tomatoes 34 and lettuce right at the top on 53.

OK, thanks, Richard. Here is your third question.

Ross and Ben, if you win this, you are straight through to the final.

Equally though, Phil and Sue, if you want to go through to the final, you have to win this point.

We gave 100 people 100 seconds to name as many George Orwell novels as they could.

Richard?

We are looking for any of the nine complete novels or non-fiction works by George Orwell.

We are not looking for any essays or poems. Just the nine novels and non-fiction works.

Thanks very much. Phil and Sue, you go first this time.

OK, Phil and Sue, we have an answer.

We're going to go with The Road To Wigan Pier.

The Road To Wigan Pier? OK.

Ross and Ben?

I only know the obvious ones. Ross thinks that he knows a risky one.

I know of one but I think it's not fiction. I think it's essays.

So Homage To Catalonia, I am going to go for.

Homage to Catalonia. OK, we have The Road To Wigan Pier.

We have Homage To Catalonia.

The Road To Wigan Pier, let's see if it's right and, if it is, how many people said it.

Right.

Oh, look at that.

That is fantastic. It might be just enough to keep you in the game.

Ross and Ben have gone for Homage To Catalonia, though.

Let's see if that is right and, if it is, let's see how many people said Homage To Catalonia.

It's right.

Yes!

That's a fantastic answer, Ross and Ben.

After the third question you're through to the final. Two-nil. Richard?

Great answer. Well done, Ross and well done for trusting him, Ben.

Homage To Catalonia, about his experiences in the Spanish Civil War.

A couple of answers would have beaten it.

There were a couple of pointless answers here.

Burmese Days, his second novel.

Coming Up For Air, often described as his most depressing book,

which is saying something!

There's Homage To Catalonia, A Clergyman's Daughter and Keep The Aspidistra Flying all on one point.

There's The Road To Wigan Pier, three points.

Down And Out In Paris and London on four. And then the two big-scorers...

Nineteen Eighty-Four, 47, and Animal Farm on 51. Very well done if you got most of those at home.

OK, thank you very much, Richard.

So the losing pair at the end of the head-to-head is Phil and Sue.

Wow, two incredibly close calls there. You knew your stuff.

And there were countries bordering Russia that we could have said. Ukraine. Belarus.

We thought they were too obvious but it would have won the point.

I have every confidence that next time you will do even better.

Thank very much for playing.

Brilliant contestants. Phil and Sue.

But for Ross and Ben, it is now time for our Pointless final and the chance to win £11,250.

Congratulations, Ross and Ben.

You have seen off all the competition and you have won our coveted Pointless trophy.

-That's all we came for.

-Of course! Of course it is.

-You now, however, if you want it, have the chance to win our Pointless jackpot.

-Yes, please.

Well, at the end of today's show the jackpot stands at £11,250.

One of our really big jackpots.

To win the money, all you need to do is find a pointless answer...

that's an answer that none of our 100 people could think of.

Now we've had two Pointless answers on the show, which you both gave.

You just need to find one more now and you will leave here and go home with all that money.

First you've got to choose a category from these three options.

You can go for...

What do you think?

Chemistry, definitely not.

Definitely not. Out of the two of those, I'm thinking TV Chat Shows?

-Yeah, I think we'll go for TV Chat Shows.

-Not International Diplomacy?

Let's find out what the question is.

We gave 100 people 100 seconds to name as many

guests on Friday Night With Jonathan Ross as they could.

-Richard?

-Yeah we're looking for anyone who appeared as a guest

or musical act on the 2010 series of Friday Night With Jonathan Ross.

That's from January 2010 to July 2010, in the studio or by satellite.

OK, you now have up to one minute to come up with three answers. All you need to win that £11,250

is for just one of those answers to be pointless.

Your 60 seconds start now.

It's a big show so lots of big stars have been on it. Um...

Andrew Lloyd Webber? Did he do it this year? I know he did it last year.

I know Sade was on it when she had her new album.

-Sade, that's good.

-A bit obscure, so let's go with her.

-Um... Lady Gaga. She's probably obvious.

-Too big.

Let's think of another one.

-We've got Sade. We've got...

-Karen Gillan, Andrew Lloyd Webber...

Andrew Lloyd Webber. Are they the three we're going for?

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

Happy with those? Stop the clock? OK, so your three answers are?

-Karen Gillan.

-Karen Gillan.

-Sade.

-Sade.

-And Andrew Lloyd Webber.

And Andrew Lloyd Webber. OK, we are looking for guests on Friday Night With Jonathan Ross in 2010.

Which of those do you think is your best shot at a pointless answer?

-I'd go for Sade.

-Sade? We'll put her last then.

What about your least confident answer?

-Karen Gillan will probably be high scoring.

-We'll put Karen Gillan, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Sade.

We'll put them up in that order. There they are up on the board.

OK, we were looking for guests on Friday Night With Jonathan Ross.

This was your least confident answer.

You only need one of these to be pointless to win that £11,250 jackpot.

OK, let's see if Karen Gillan is right and, if it is, let's see how many people said Karen Gillan.

Bad luck.

Your first answer is incorrect so that is not a pointless answer.

You only have two more chances to win today's jackpot.

-How confident are you on your next one?

-Not really.

I'm a big Dr Who fan and so I was sure she was going to be...

Might it have been last year, I wonder?

£11,250. How do you spend that?

Well, I think we'd just have to go to Eurovision again, wouldn't we?

Indeed. We could do that. Or a nice big holiday somewhere.

Or both. At the same time.

Or both.

We're looking for guests on Friday Night With Jonathan Ross.

Let's hope nobody said your next answer, which was Andrew Lloyd Webber.

There it is. This has to be correct, of course.

It also has to be pointless. Let's see if it's correct.

If it is, let's see how many people said Andrew Lloyd Webber for £11,250.

It's right.

It's correct.

It has to go all the way down to zero if you're going to win that jackpot of £11,250.

Down into the 20s, into the teens, into the single figures.

Oh! One person said Andrew Lloyd Webber so it's not a pointless answer.

Oh, it's looking good for Sade, isn't it?

It's looking good for Sade. OK, Andrew Lloyd Webber, not a pointless answer.

That means you only have one shot

at the jackpot. One shot remaining.

This is your best and final shot at that jackpot of £11,250.

OK, we are looking for guests on Friday Night With Jonathan Ross in 2010. You're saying Sade.

Let's see if it's correct and, if it is, how many people said it.

It has to be pointless to win that jackpot. Sade.

It's right.

It's correct. Can this go all the way?

Andrew Lloyd Webber only went down to one.

Sade has to go all the way down to zero of you're going to win that jackpot. £11,250.

Fantastic. Well done!

Congratulations.

You managed to find that all-important pointless answer

which means you do go home with the jackpot of £11,250.

-How does that feel?

-I'm speechless. I just...

-It feels fantastic.

-No idea we would win but just so pleased that we did.

-Well, well done. Well done.

-Richard?

-Yeah, very well done.

Are you sure we can't tempt you with International Diplomacy?

No, no, we're fine with what we've got, thank you.

Good answers. Andrew Lloyd Webber and Sade were actually on the same show.

-Really?

-So that was a very profitable Friday night in you had, Ross.

-Yeah!

Very well deserved. You played brilliantly throughout.

Very well done. Well, thanks once again to our winning contestants,

Ross and Ben, who go away with today's jackpot of £11,250.

Join us next time, we'll be putting more obscure knowledge to the test on Pointless.

-Goodbye from Richard.

-Goodbye.

-And goodbye from me. Goodbye.

If you want to be on the next series of Pointless, find out more at...

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