19/03/2012 Weakest Link

Here are the nine contestants preparing for today's show.

Only one of them will win up to £10,000.

The others will leave with nothing when voted off as the weakest link.

Welcome to the Weakest Link.

Any of the nine people in the studio here today could win up to £10,000.

They've only just met, but to get the prize money, they'll have to work together.

However, eight will leave with nothing as round by round we lose the player voted the weakest link.

Let's meet the team.

I'm John, 57, from Goffs Oak, Hertfordshire,

and I'm a rock star property developer.

I'm Sarah, I'm 24, I'm from Cardiff

and I'm a brand development executive.

I'm Tom, I'm 19, I'm from Littlehampton

and I'm an Art and Design student.

I'm Gael, I'm 47, from Leeds. I'm an office co-ordinator.

I'm Rob, 65, from Eastbourne and I'm a sales assistant.

I'm Helen, I'm 18, I'm from Newcastle

and I'm an A-level student.

I'm William, 26, from Great Yarmouth and I'm a gardener.

I'm Gill, 56, from Malvern in Worcestershire

and I'm a company director.

I'm Nick, 38, from the Wirral. I'm a police officer.

OK, just to remind you, in each round, there is £1,000 to be won.

The fastest way is to create a chain of nine correct answers.

Break the chain and you lose all the money in that chain.

Say "bank" before the question is asked and the money is safe.

Round One. Three minutes on the clock.

We'll start with the person whose name is first alphabetically. That's you, Gael.

Let's play the Weakest Link.

The first question is for £20. Start the clock.

In animal care, a collar and lead are most often used on which domestic pets?

-Dogs.

-Correct.

In maths, what is 9 plus 1?

-10.

-Correct.

In romance, a written communication expressing feelings of affection is known as a what letter?

-Love.

-Correct.

In geography, Barcelona is a major city in which European country?

-Spain.

-Correct.

The announcement at the beginning of a night of entertainment is "Good evening, ladies and" who?

-Gentlemen.

-Correct.

In education, what E goes before "book" to make the name of a set of either lined or blank pages,

used by schoolchildren to make notes?

-Exercise.

-Correct.

In food, in the term "choc ice", the abbreviation "choc" is short for which word?

-Chocolate.

-Correct.

In a theatre, the booth where tickets can be purchased is the "box" what?

-Office.

-Correct.

"Sage", "lime" and "emerald" are all shades of which colour?

-Green.

-Correct.

-Bank!

END-OF-ROUND JINGLE

OK, you've reached and banked your £1,000 target in that first, pathetically easy round.

But who could possibly raise their IQ by wearing high heels?

Who won't help you in the rounds to come?

One of you is about to leave with nothing. Time to vote off the weakest link.

In an impressive first round, Gael is the strongest link as she banked all the money for the team.

The weakest link is Rob, but who will the players vote off at this early stage of the game?

Voting over. It's time to reveal who you think is the weakest link.

Tom.

Rob.

Gill.

John.

Tom.

John.

Rob.

Sarah.

Rob.

-What do you do, Nick?

-I'm a police officer.

-Are you? Where?

-On the Wirral.

-What rank are you?

-I'm a chief inspector.

-Are you? Put your board down. Move over towards Gill.

-You're a bit small to be a chief inspector.

-It's not just stature.

No. What else is it, Nick?

-It's many...

-Charm?

-Charm.

Character. Charisma.

-Yes.

-Motivation.

-How did you get in?

-I wonder that every time I wake up.

-Yes. Nip back.

Put your board up.

-So is it Merseyside Police?

-It is.

What can you be after a chief inspector?

-A superintendent.

-A superintendent? Will you have to grow for that?

-Only in ability, Anne.

-Yes. Why Rob?

-Hesitation, Anne.

-What do you do, Sarah?

-I'm a brand development executive.

-What does that mean?

-I work for an energy drinks company.

-You work for an energy drinks company?

-I do. In the sales team.

-What do you do when you're not selling soft drinks?

-I like trampolining.

-Put your board down.

Move towards Tom.

-How do you do that?

-I haven't really got a trampoline here.

-We know that. Let's see you do some trampolining.

-What would you like me to do? A little jump?

That would excite Tom, yes.

-Are you good at jumping?

-I am. I've got heels on, but I'll do a tuck jump.

OK, I'll just do a little jump.

-I normally have my hair tied up and not heels on and a leotard, so I'm not really kitted out.

-Move back.

-Have you got a boyfriend?

-I have, yes.

-Does he jump with you?

-No, he doesn't like trampolining.

-No. Put your board up. Why Rob?

He was a bit slower than everybody else in answering the question because everyone got it right.

-Where are you from, William?

-Great Yarmouth.

-What do you do?

-I'm a gardener.

-Are you the Alan Titchmarsh of Great Yarmouth?

-I wouldn't say that.

-What would you say you're good at?

-I'm just good at my job, Anne.

-Did you train as a gardener?

-No.

-So how can you garden?

-It's the job I've done ever since I've left school. I've just grown up doing it.

-Are you a local authority gardener?

-I am.

-Do you do the roundabouts?

-I do.

-What's your favourite roundabout in Great Yarmouth?

-I couldn't say I have a particular favourite one.

-Really?

-No.

-Why Rob?

-Everyone done very well in that round.

-DID very well. You can't say, "Everyone done very well."

Everyone did very well in that round, but I just had to pick somebody.

Rob, you are the weakest link. Goodbye.

It's a bit sad to be voted off first in the Weakest Link,

but it's a bit of a lottery cos everybody got a question right.

It happened to me. You've got to be philosophical.

Round 2. In the bank, £1,000. We now take ten seconds off your time.

We'll start with the strongest link from the last round. That's Gael.

Let's play the Weakest Link.

Start the clock.

In children's literature, the boy called Mowgli made his first appearance

in which book by Rudyard Kipling?

-The Jungle Book.

-Correct. In botany, what W follows "pond", "water" and "duck"

to give three names of aquatic plants?

-Weed.

-Correct. In male fashion, a cravat is worn round which part of the body?

-The neck.

-Correct. In law enforcement,

a temporary barrier placed on a highway by the police to stop traffic is a "road" what?

-Cone.

-Block.

In a cafe, a person asking for a Danish would expect to receive a sweet pastry or a shoulder massage?

-Pastry.

-Correct.

In money, after the withdrawal of the £1 note in 1988,

what became the lowest denomination of note still to be issued by the Bank of England?

-A fiver.

-Correct.

In cinema, the British actress born in Reading in 1975 with the surname Winslet has what first name?

-Kate.

-Correct.

In history, the Bolshevik forces seized power in 1917 in which country?

-Cuba.

-Russia.

In farming, the hornless and mainly black cattle,

originally bred in Scotland and known for the quality of their meat, are Aberdeen what?

-Angus.

-Correct. In vocabulary,

the name of which round geometric shape is used to refer

to a group of friends or people sharing a common interest?

-Gang.

-Circle.

The annual boat race between Oxford and Cambridge Universities takes place on which river?

-The River Thames.

-Correct.

Which of these conditions is correctly described as contagious? Bad breath or the common cold?

-The common cold.

-Correct.

-Bank!

In the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the cases of Inspector Lestrade of Scotland Yard

are regularly solved by which private detective?

-Sherlock Holmes.

-Correct.

In pop music, which annual international competition was won for the UK

by Bucks Fizz in 1981 and Katrina And The Waves in 1997?

-That would be the Eurovision Song Contest.

-Correct.

-Bank!

-According to the proverb, what D is the better part of valour?

-Desire.

-Discretion.

A film that is being shown in many cinemas across the country over the same period of time

is usually said to be on general what?

-Availability.

-Release.

In history, after the Battle of Actium in 31 BC,

the future Emperor Augustus defeated the combined fleets of Mark Antony and which Queen of Egypt?

-Cleopatra.

-Correct.

-Bank!

In TV, on the game show Play Your Cards Right, Bruce Forsyth used the catchphrase, "Points make" what?

Money.

Time's up. The correct answer was "prizes".

"Points make prizes."

You won £120, which is not very impressive.

So who's the hedgehog on your bouncy castle?

Who probably counts Spam as brain food?

Time to vote off the weakest link.

As the only player to get all their answers wrong, Tom is the weakest link.

Statistically, the strongest link is Gael, but will the team notice that?

Voting over. It's time to reveal who you think is the weakest link.

Helen.

Tom.

Gill.

Tom.

Tom.

Tom.

Tom.

Helen.

-Where are you from, Gill?

-Malvern in Worcestershire.

-Do they not have road blocks there?

-No, not very often.

-You thought it was a road cone?

-Yes. I didn't hear the question properly.

-You weren't thinking of an ice cream cone?

-Not at that time, no.

-You look as if you might like an ice cream.

-I do.

-And cakes, doughnuts?

-Yes, chocolate, anything like that.

-Do you have a job to do in between eating?

-Yeah, I'm a company director.

-Are you?

-It sounds very posh. It's a very small company.

-How small?

-Just me, basically.

-Yeah. At home?

-Yes, it's an internet company.

-Great. You can have the computer near the fridge.

-That's it, yeah. It's very handy.

-And what are you selling?

-It's outdoor activity toys.

-Yes, like what?

Swings, seesaws, slides, trampolines.

-Have you got to have a big chest to sell?

-Not necessarily, no.

-I don't think it's a stipulation, no.

-Oh.

-What's your company called?

-My company's called Toy Chest.

Oh. That doesn't really work for you, does it?

Well, that's what it was called when I took over.

-Why Tom?

-Unfortunately, Tom got both his answers wrong.

What do you do, Gael?

-I'm an office co-ordinator.

-Are you? Have you come straight from work?

-No, no, not today.

Put your board down.

Just move over towards Tom.

Did you think it was fancy dress?

This is what I do wear to work, actually, Anne.

-Is it?

-It is.

-Where do you work?

-I work for Sustrans, the sustainable transport charity.

-I ride my bicycle wearing these clothes.

-You wear a tutu, do you?

-Sometimes, yes.

-Pop up again.

Put your board up.

So what does your charity aim to do?

We want to get everybody travelling actively and healthily, so walking and cycling.

You're anti-motorists?

We're not anti-motorists unless they try and knock us off our bicycles, then we're not so keen.

Don't you think it would be helpful if more cyclists had better road manners?

-I think cyclists should have good road manners, yes. We try to get people cycling sensibly.

-Do you?

What's cycling sensibly? In a tutu?

-Yes, why not?

-Why Tom?

Tom got all his questions wrong.

Tom, you are the weakest link. Goodbye.

When I get home, my friends and family are probably going to rip it out of me

about the fact that I only made it to the second round,

but when they see the fact that I went out on a history question, they'll understand.

Round 3. You're up to £1,120. Another ten seconds off the time.

We'll start with the strongest link. That's Gael again. Let's play the Weakest Link.

Start the clock.

In communications, the system whereby messages are relayed by homing birds

is known as pigeon post or dove delivery?

-Pigeon post.

-Correct. In entertainment,

the actor who played Troy Bolton in the High School Musical series of made-for-TV films is Zac who?

-Efron.

-Correct.

In African wildlife, which big cat noted for its speed and light brown coat with black spots

is sometimes called the hunting leopard?

-Cheetah.

-Correct.

In maths, what is 440 minus 70?

-370.

-Correct.

-Bank!

-In an orchestra, what C is the usual five-letter name derived from Italian

of a stringed musical instrument of the violin family?

-Cello.

-Correct.

The devices in a vehicle engine that reduce vibrations caused

as the wheels pass over bumps are called "shock" what?

-Absorbers.

-Correct.

-Bank!

In the King James version of the Bible, as related in the Book of Exodus,

God spoke from a burning bush to which patriarch?

-Moses.

-Correct.

Which adjective meaning "plump" is the first name of the singer with the surname Checker

who popularised the twist?

-Chubby.

-Correct.

-Bank!

-In UK education,

courses that provide practical training experience are described as "feet first" or "hands-on"?

-Hands-on.

-Correct. In shipping, the open oceans of the world that are outside the territorial waters

of any one nation are called "the high" what?

-Waters.

-Seas.

In which sport can play be halted for a knock-on when the ball goes forwards, rather than backwards?

-Rugby.

-Correct.

In science, what H is the space telescope launched by NASA aboard the shuttle Discovery in 1990

that is named after a US astronomer?

-Hubble.

-Correct.

-Bank!

-In TV, the 2011 comedy drama series starring Jack Whitehall

about a group of students at Manchester University is called Fresh what?

-Fresh Prince.

-Fresh Meat.

In geography, the name of which island in the British Isles is often abbreviated to the initials IOM?

-Isle of Man.

-Correct.

In emergencies in the UK, a green flashing light on a vehicle indicates

that it is transporting which type of professional? A doctor or lawyer?

-A doctor.

-Correct.

-Bank!

In the game of Cluedo, one of the potential murder weapons is a length of piping made from which metal...?

Well, that wasn't on the tip of your tongue.

You won £400, but you actually had a chain of nine correct answers.

Who keeps banking? Who's slower than frozen treacle?

Who probably thinks fettuccine was a composer? Time to vote off the weakest link.

Having answered the most questions correctly, Gael remains the strongest link.

The weakest link statistically is William, but can he survive the vote?

Voting over. It's time to reveal who you think is the weakest link.

Helen.

William.

Sarah.

William.

John.

John.

Helen.

We have a three-way tie. Helen, William and John have two votes each.

-What do you do, John?

-I'm a sort of rock star property developer.

I hardly needed to ask because you're obviously the rock star, aren't you?

I guess so.

-What sort of music?

-Rolling Stones, Cream, Thin Lizzy, Santana.

-Where do you do your playing?

-We do local pubs and functions in the Herts, Essex, North London area.

Put your board down. What can you sing for us?

-I can do a couple of lines from a song if you like.

-Yeah, go on then.

# Well, no-one told me about her

# The way she lied

# Well, no-one told me about her

# So many people tried

# But it's too late to say you're sorry

# How would I know? Why should I care...? #

-That's more than two lines.

-Maths never was my strong point.

-Put your board up.

Why Helen?

It was a difficult one that time. Helen got one wrong and she got a couple wrong earlier on.

-What do you do, Helen?

-I'm an A-level student.

-You're at school still?

-Yeah.

-What do you do in your spare time?

-I'm a member of Air Cadets.

-Why are you an Air Cadet?

-Just because it's a good laugh and it's something to do.

-Did you need to meet a man?

-No.

-You've got a boyfriend, have you?

-Yes.

-Is he an Air Cadet?

-Yes.

-So you met him?

-Yes.

-You don't need to be an Air Cadet any more, now you've found someone?

-No, Anne.

-Do you do drills?

-We do drills every now and then.

-Put your board down.

-Take us through your drills.

-Squad! Squad, 'shun!

Squad, from the centre, quick march!

What are you going to do with this training? Is it just for marriage?

No.

It's general training, so it's learning a bit of discipline and whatever else.

Put your board up. Why William?

He got a couple of questions wrong.

William, the flower pot man from Great Yarmouth,

-did you think John was the worst player?

-I did.

I just remember him getting one question wrong.

The strongest link was Gael, so she gets to decide.

Gael, you've got a choice between Helen, William or John. Who would you like to get rid of?

Sorry, John. You've sung your song. It's time to go.

John, you are the weakest link. Goodbye.

When I put myself up as a rock star, I guessed that Anne would make the most of it,

so it wasn't a total surprise to sing.

Hopefully, I didn't embarrass myself, my family and my friends.

Round 4. In the bank, £1,520. Another ten seconds off the time.

We'll start with the strongest link from the last round. That's Gael. Let's play the Weakest Link.

Start the clock. In British royalty, in 1840, Queen Victoria married which German-born prince?

-Albert.

-Correct. In definitions,

which five-letter term for a small pouch used to carry money is a verb that means "to pucker the lips"?

-Pout.

-Purse.

In music, Tony Bennett had a UK No.1 single in 1955

with a song that began, "Take my hand, I'm a stranger in" where?

-Paradise.

-Correct.

In maths, what is 40 divided by 5?

-8.

-Correct.

-Bank!

-In transport, the west coast US city

whose cable car system was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1964 is called San what?

-Francisco.

-Correct. In the UK, what is the usual three-word term for a short film on TV,

designed to persuade the electorate to vote for a particular organisation?

-Pass.

-Party political broadcast.

In art, the works of Piet Mondrian are noted for their use of what? Straight lines or knotted strings?

-Straight lines.

-Correct.

-Bank!

-In English law, what male title is given to the member of the jury

who announces the verdict?

-Foreman.

-Correct. In fortune-telling, the Major Arcana that includes cards called the Moon

and the Wheel of Fortune is part of a pack known by what name?

-Tarot cards.

-Correct.

In football, the flamboyant Welsh midfielder who retired from the game in 2011

to work as a media pundit is Robbie who?

-Robbie...Savage.

-Correct.

In the navy, the small chamber from which a submarine is steered when on or near the surface

is a scheming turret or conning tower?

-Conning tower.

-Correct.

-Bank!

-In modern slang, the term "a friend of Dorothy", meaning a gay man,

is derived from the name of the leading character in which film?

-Wizard Of Oz.

-Correct. In science, there are how many hours in a mean solar day?

-24.

-Correct.

-Bank!

-In pop music, the song We Are Family was a UK hit single in the 1970s, '80s and '90s

for the all-female, family disco group called Sister what?

-Pass.

-Sledge.

In English geography, what P is the name of the south coast city that includes the resort of Southsea?

-Portsmouth.

-Correct.

-Bank!

-In human biology,

which small bone in the middle ear is named after a hand-held tool used in DIY and carpentry?

Hammer.

Hammer was correct, but you were out of time.

You won £340,

but who's got a longer face than a depressed horse?

Who's bleaker than winter in Wigan?

Time to vote off the weakest link.

The statistics show that Helen is the weakest link.

Gael is still the strongest link, but who will the team want off?

Voting over. It's time to reveal who you think is the weakest link.

Helen.

Helen.

Sarah.

Helen.

Helen.

Helen.

-Gill, why Helen?

-Helen, unfortunately, got two questions wrong.

Chief Inspector Nick of the Merseyside Police, why Helen?

-She got a couple of questions wrong.

-She did.

Helen, you are the weakest link. Goodbye.

The highlight of the day for me was just being in the studio and getting to play the game

and to get a chance to speak to Anne has been really good.

Round 5. In the bank, £1,860. Another ten seconds off the time.

We'll start with the strongest link. That's Gael. Let's play the Weakest Link.

Start the clock. In weather, a depression is a system with which type of pressure? High or low?

-Low.

-Correct.

The Dublin-born author whose 1982 debut novel was Light A Penny Candle is Maeve who?

-Weather.

-Binchy.

Which bird has achieved the fastest recorded speed for any creature running on two legs?

-Ostrich.

-Correct.

In fashion, the British designer whose surname is also the name of a Greek island is Zandra who?

-Rhodes.

-Correct.

In TV, the 1980s sitcom Hi-De-Hi was set at a holiday camp called Dixons or Maplins?

-Maplins.

-Correct.

In the Tour de France, which word is used for each daily section

of the race which can be flat, mountain or a time trial?

-Stage.

-Correct.

-Bank!

In informal language, what numerical value is represented by the term "three score"?

-60.

-Correct.

In pop music, the 2011 album by Foo Fighters that ended the record 11-week run at No.1 for Adele

is entitled Wasting what?

-Time.

-Light.

In religion, what C is the term for a vow to remain single and chaste

that is derived from the Latin word for "unmarried"?

-Chastity.

-Celibacy.

On a standard office telephone keypad, which digit often has a raised tactile nib?

-5.

-Correct.

In butchery, the cut of beef known as brisket is taken from which part of the animal? The legs or belly?

-The legs.

-The belly.

In translations, the day of the week known in German as "Mittwoch" has what name in English?

-Wednesday.

-Correct.

In film, the 2006 comedy Starter For 10 and the 2011 romantic drama One Day

were both adapted from his own novels by the writer David who?

-Don't know.

-Nicholls.

In zoology, what "A" is the general term for the group of vertebrates

that hatch as aquatic larvae with gills and later change into adults with lungs?

-Amphibians.

-Correct.

-Bank!

The annual award given by the Plain English Campaign for the most baffling comment by a public figure

is known as a Foot In The what?

-Mouth.

-Correct.

-Bank!

-In stationery...

END-OF-ROUND JINGLE

Time's up. You won £240.

But who is now in a hurry to be hopeless?

Who's in a rush to be rubbish?

Time to vote off the weakest link.

With the most wrong answers, Gill is the weakest link.

Statistically, Sarah is the strongest link, but will the votes pick up on the facts?

Voting over. It's time to reveal who you think is the weakest link.

William.

Gill.

Gill.

William.

William.

-Sarah, why William?

-I just clocked he got a couple wrong in that round

and one or two in the round before.

-Gill, why William?

-I thought he was the weakest link.

If he wasn't statistically, who do you think might have been?

-Probably me.

-Not probably. Definitely.

It's votes that count. William, you are the weakest link. Goodbye.

I feel being voted off in Round 5 was unfair.

It was tactical voting. I feel Gill should have been voted off.

If I'd been kept on, I feel I could have gone on a lot further.

Round 6. £2,100 in the kitty. Another ten seconds off the time.

We'll start with the strongest link. That's Sarah. Let's play the Weakest Link.

Start the clock.

In TV, which former England cricketer succeeded Ally McCoist in 2008

as a regular team captain on A Question Of Sport?

-Graeme Swann.

-Phil Tufnell.

In medicine, the insertion of a hollow needle between two lower back vertebrae

to withdraw a specimen of fluid is called "a spinal" what?

-Tap.

-Correct. In folklore, the church bells of St Mary-le-Bow on Cheapside

are said to have called which future Lord Mayor back to London?

-Dick Whittington.

-Correct.

-Bank!

The controversial fourth novel by Salman Rushdie, published in 1988, was entitled The Satanic what?

-Chronicles.

-Verses.

In sport in the UK, what L is the name of the championship belt awarded to a boxer

who wins a British title fight?

-Lightweight.

-Lonsdale.

In African geography, the town of Mombasa is the chief port of which country?

-Kenya.

-Correct. In the UK, the daylight saving scheme known as British Summer Time

always begins in which month?

-March.

-Correct.

In music, the man re-elected in 2008 by the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra

for a further ten years as their Chief Conductor is Sir Simon who?

-Rattle.

-Correct.

-Bank!

-What B is the name for a usually collarless jacket reaching almost to the waist

that was copied from the costume worn by Spanish dancers?

-Bolero.

-Correct.

In the media in 1964, which national newspaper relocated its headquarters from Manchester to London?

-Guardian.

-Correct.

-Bank!

-The historian from whose chronicles Shakespeare derived many of his plots had what surname?

Holinshed or Pottingshed?

-Holinshed.

-Correct. In banking, the three sets of numbers printed at the bottom of a cheque

are the cheque number, the sort code and which other?

-Account number.

-Correct.

-Bank!

In grammar, what "I" is the type of verb that does not conform to the usual pattern of conjugation?

-Irregular.

-Correct.

END-OF-ROUND JINGLE

Time's up. You won £250.

But is Gill on the slide?

Should Gael be on her bike?

Has the fizz gone out of Sarah? Or perhaps Nick is under suspicion?

Time to vote off the weakest link.

The statistics reveal that Gill is now the strongest link.

The weakest link is Sarah, but will the other players realise that?

Voting over. It's time to reveal who you think is the weakest link.

Gill.

Nick.

Sarah.

Gill.

So, Chief Inspector Nick, are you a trained observer?

I like to think so.

And you can probably spot things quicker than the rest of us?

-Some things, yes.

-And you've voted for Gill because...?

She got one question wrong and she got one wrong in the last round.

Let me explain how this game works.

You're intending to vote off the worst player from the last round

and you thought that was Gill?

-On a par, I would say.

-On a par with...?

-Me.

Yeah. Or on a par with the strongest link, do you think?

It's so close that it would be hard to judge.

-Oh. Is that what the criminals say when you arrest them?

-You've got to look at the whole picture.

-Sarah, did you think Gill was the worst player?

-Yes, I did.

Gill was the strongest link.

She did not answer a single question incorrectly.

It's votes that count. Gill, you are the weakest link. Goodbye.

My family will be quite proud of me, and my friends.

I was voted off in a round when I was the strongest link, so it wasn't my fault, really.

My daughter did say that I can't come home without any money,

so I may be homeless tonight.

Round 7. You have £2,350 in the bank.

Another ten seconds off the time.

You've voted off the strongest link from the last round, so we'll start with the second strongest - Gael.

Let's play the Weakest Link. Start the clock.

In the UK Parliament, a pair of red lines separate the front benches by a distance of two sword lengths

to ensure order in which chamber?

-The lower house.

-The House of Commons.

In surgery, if a person has a kidney removed,

the remaining one takes over the functions of both by shrinking or enlarging?

-Enlarging.

-Correct.

In art, in the 1533 painting The Ambassadors by Hans Holbein,

what macabre shape is hidden as an optical illusion at the foot of the picture?

-A cat?

-No, a skull.

In international organisations, in the acronym UNESCO, the letter C stands for which word?

-Children.

-Cultural.

In literature, the first chapter of which 1961 novel was published six years earlier

in the magazine New World Writing under the title Catch-18?

-Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.

-Catch-22.

In cosmetics, what L is the name of an oily substance extracted from wool and used in skin preparations?

-Lint.

-Lanolin.

In TV, which comedy writer collaborated with Ben Elton and Rowan Atkinson

on the scripts of Blackadder and later wrote The Vicar Of Dibley?

-I don't know.

-Richard Curtis.

On the stock market, agricultural produce such as wheat and raw materials such as rubber

are known as commodities or monopolies?

-Commodities.

-Correct. In geography, the island of South Georgia is in the southern part of which ocean?

-Indian.

-Atlantic.

In political quotations, at the Liberal Assembly in 1981,

David Steel urged delegates to "go back to your constituencies and prepare for" what?

-Government.

-Correct. In maths, what is the only prime number between 12 and 16?

-13.

-Correct.

-Bank!

The director whose film debut was the 1957 drama 12 Angry Men was Sidney who?

END-OF-ROUND JINGLE

Time's up. The correct answer was Lumet.

You won £50. Now, in Round 8, you get the chance to treble what you bank.

Have the courage to vote off the WEAKEST link.

Nick is the strongest link because he answered the most questions correctly.

Statistically, Sarah is the weakest link, but who will be taking the final walk of shame?

Voting over. It's time to reveal who you think is the weakest link.

Gael.

Sarah.

Gael.

So, Chief Inspector Nick of the Merseyside Police,

you didn't have the courage to vote off the worst player?

You've voted off the person who is most likely to rival you in the final.

She didn't do so well in the last two rounds.

She was not the worst player in the last round as you well know.

I thought she was. I thought she got two questions wrong.

The round before this, she answered all the questions correctly, as you well know too.

You're a terrible liar.

And you're a chief inspector?

How does that reflect on the Merseyside Police?

There'll be many reflections on this. Trust me on this, Anne. Trust me on this.

-Sarah, why Gael?

-We all had a bit of a shocker then.

But I thought Gael was slightly worse than Nick.

Yes, but no-one was as bad as you.

Probably not, no.

It's votes that count. Gael, you are the weakest link. Goodbye.

I'd like to see Sarah win this. I don't think Nick deserves to win after stitching me up.

It'd be nice to see a young woman get a bit of money in her pocket.

Round 8. You're up to £2,400. In this round, 90 seconds.

But whatever you win will be trebled.

We'll start with the strongest link. That's Nick. Let's play the Weakest Link.

Start the clock. In golf equipment, a No.2 wood is known by what informal name?

A copper or a brassie?

-A brassie.

-Correct. Edward Lear wrote a nonsense poem entitled The what With A Luminous Nose?

-Bear.

-Dong.

What D is the term for both a canoe made from a hollowed-out tree trunk

and a shelter constructed from an excavation in the ground?

-Dugout.

-Correct.

-Bank!

-In Irish history, the nationalist politician born in 1846

who campaigned for home rule was Charles Stewart who?

-James.

-Parnell.

According to the music hall song, "If you want to know the time, ask a" member of which profession?

-The police.

-Correct.

-Bank!

In cocktails, the classic recipes for a Gimlet, a Singapore Sling and a Dry Martini

all include which spirit as the main alcoholic ingredient?

-Gin.

-Correct.

-Bank!

Which DJ, who worked on Radio One from the 1960s until he resigned on air in 1993,

was nicknamed The Hairy Cornflake?

-Pass.

-Dave Lee Travis.

In the 1980s, which institution in London advertised itself

as "an ace caff with quite a nice museum attached"?

-National History Museum.

-The V & A.

In the human body, if arteries and veins are the largest types of blood vessels, what C is the smallest?

-Capillary.

-Correct.

-Bank!

-On the US national...

Time's up. You won £80 which we'll treble.

It gives you prize money today of £2,640.

There can only be one winner. Now up to five questions each.

If there's a tie, we'll go for Sudden Death.

So, Sarah and Nick, for £2,640, let's play the Weakest Link.

-Nick, as the strongest link, you have the choice of who goes first.

-I'll go first.

Nick, in TV in 2011,

which series with an alliterative title

and set in an advertising agency in New York City

won a fourth successive Emmy for Outstanding Drama?

-Mad Men.

-Correct.

Sarah, in history, between 1901 and 1904,

which explorer commanded a ship called Discovery

on an expedition to the southern polar region?

-Captain Scott.

-That is correct.

Nick, in literature, a crossing sweeper called Jo

and the shopkeeper Krook who dies by spontaneous combustion

are characters in which novel by Charles Dickens?

-Hard Times.

-The correct answer is Bleak House.

Sarah, in cinema, the name of which flower features in the title

of a 1989 film, centred around a beauty parlour,

starring Julia Roberts,

and is also the title of a 1999 film with Tom Cruise?

-Rose.

-The correct answer is Magnolia.

Nick, in politics, in the chronological sequence

of the spouses of British Prime Ministers,

which first name comes between Cherie and Samantha?

-Pass.

-The correct answer is Sarah.

Sarah, in science in 2011, the three researchers

who discovered that the Universe is expanding at an increased rate

were awarded the Nobel Prize in which discipline?

-Physics.

-That is the correct answer.

Nick, in engineering, the famous transporter bridge

that was opened in 1911 over the River Tees in north-east England

connects the settlement of Port Clarence to which large town?

-Swansea.

-The correct answer is Middlesbrough.

Sarah, in the children's stories by Richmal Crompton,

which word meaning "fugitives from justice"

was the name of the gang led by William Brown?

-Pass.

-The correct answer is Outlaws.

Nick, in popular music,

the titles of the UK hit singles Galveston by Glen Campbell

and Is This The Way To Amarillo by Tony Christie

both refer to places in which US state?

-California.

-The correct answer is Texas.

Sarah, you are today's strongest link and you go away with £2,640.

Nick, you leave with nothing.

Join us again for the Weakest Link. Goodbye.

My family will have been hoping I've won, especially my two young sons.

My colleagues will be quite bemused, but also quite proud of my progress to the final round.

To win the Weakest Link, it feels absolutely amazing.

I can't put it into words. I didn't think I'd win it and I'm absolutely chuffed that I did.

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