Mastermind was far from element and, as Chris Tarrant used to say about general knowledge, it’s only easy if you know the answer

Monty Panesar’s recent performance on one of the most classic British television shows left many gobsmacked as he answered only one question correctly.

It’s easy to get into a bad run and lose confidence when you’re not only having question after question peppered at you in the space of a frantic two minutes, especially f they’re wordy and you’re in front of lights and cameras for everyone to see.

The English cricket legend started off well, it was one of two sports questions he was given and he nailed it.

But that was his lot, as the 14 questions that followed were met with passes or wrong answers and his efforts went from bad to worse as John Humphrys’ voice just became a blur under the pressure of time.

Here is the full transcript…

1.

JH: How many pockets are there on a full-sized snooker table?

MP: Six.

2.

JH: Which sign of the zodiac is represented by a crab?

MP: Sagittar- Scorpion.

JH: Cancer.

3.

JH: What is the title of A.A. Milne’s stage adaptation of Kenneth Grahame’s children’s novel, The Wind in the Willow?

MP: Harry Potter.

JH: Toad of Toad Hall.

4.

JH: Henry VIII had three wives called Catherine, two called Anne and another who died shortly after she gave birth to the future Edward VI. What was her name?

MP: Elizabeth.

JH: Jane.

5.

JH: What is the standard international unit of absolute temperature? It is indicated by the letter K.

MP: Oh gosh… pass.

(Kelvin)

6.

JH: Which Asian island city state is served by Changi International Airport.

MP: Shanghai.

JH: Singapore.

7.

JH: Birds described as ‘pelagic’ spend most of their lives flying over what?

MP: The sky.

JH: The sea.

8.

JH: In what ’97 film do a group of unemployed men in Sheffield become strippers for a night in their local Working Men’s Club?

MP: The Dream Boys.

JH: The Full Monty.

9.

JH: In which city is the Olympiastadion, built for the 1972 Olympics and where Germany’s national football team played international matches until 2001?

MP: Oh gosh, Athens?

JH: Munich.

10.

JH: What is the title of the first volume of C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia to be published? Chronologically, it follows The Magician’s Nephew.

MP: C.J. Lewis.

JH: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.

11.

JH: Kimberlite and igneous rock, named after the South African city of Kimberley, is a rich source of what very precious stones?

MP: Tar… pass.

(Diamonds)

12.

JH: What were the five guys named in the title of the hit musical that was a tribute to the jazz bluesman Louis Jordan?

MP: Pass.

(Five Guys Named Moe)

13.

JH: In an 1819 poem, what season of the year does Keats describe as ‘a season of mist and mellow fruitfulness’?

MP: Oliver Twist.

JH: Autumn.

14.

JH: In which city is the television comedy series, Cheers, set?

MP: America.

JH: Boston.

15.

JH: What national survey has been held in Britain every 10 years since 1801, except for 1941 because of the Second World War?

MP: …

JH: National survey.

MP: pffff…

JH: I’ll give it to you, shall I? Census.

MP: Okay.