An in-depth study looked at 28 major UK gameshows to analyse which have the highest ‘win-ability’.
They were scored out of 20 on their maximum cash prize, number of team members and opponents, volume of questions or rounds, and the type of skill required to compete.
University Challenge scored the lowest, offering no cash prize despite being the most difficult to win – although winning Jeremy Paxman’s show comes with prestige beyond monetary value.
Pointless was second on the win-ability chart, followed by The Wall, The Chase, and Rylan Clark-Neal’s Supermarket Sweep.
Alex Fagelson, head of brand at Jackpotjoy [https://www.jackpotjoy.com/uk/most-winnable-uk-game-shows-revealed], which compiled the report, said: “Game shows are a big part of what makes British TV great, and we’re definitely spoilt for choice with such a wide variety.
“We were surprised to see some of the classic game shows ranked below more recent comebacks like Supermarket Sweep.”
Who Wants to be a Millionaire? landed the number seven spot for win-ability, being beaten narrowly by Family Fortunes.
Taskmaster scored lowest for prize money, with no cash prize available to win.
Jeremy Paxman’s University Challenge scored lowest across the board, with no available cash prize despite having the highest number of questions (3,250) and opponents (27).
New game show Bank Balance, by Gordon Ramsay, debuted on BBC One earlier this year.
Despite being compared to the likes of Who Wants to be a Millionaire?, the research ranks it in the bottom 10 for win-ability, with the celebrity chef’s new show made more tricky by requiring both physical and mental skill.
Alex Fagelson added: “At Jackpotjoy we enjoy our players’ wins, and that’s why we were interested in researching which of these popular game shows are actually worth winning.”
THE UK GAMESHOWS WITH THE HIGHEST ‘WIN-ABILITY’:
1. Eggheads
2. Pointless
3. The Wall
4. The Chase
5. Supermarket Sweep
6. Family Fortunes
7. Who Wants to be a Millionaire
8. The Cube
9. The Hit List
10. Catchphrase
11. Tipping Point
12. Lingo
13. The Wheel
14. Total Wipeout
15. The Crystal Maze
16. Come Dine with Me
17. Only Connect
18. Fifteen to One
19. Bank Balance
20. Catchpoint
21. Mr and Mrs
22. Countdown
23. Lightning
24. Mastermind
25. Head Hunters
26. The Price is Right
27. Taskmaster
28. University Challenge
ENDS
