The 1% Club


The 1% Club is a British game show that has aired on ITV since 9 April 2022, and is hosted by Lee Mack. The show is styled as an IQ test and the questions are not based on general knowledge, like many shows, but on "logic and common sense". The top prize achievable is £100,000.
The first series averaged 5.3 million viewers across its span of eight episodes, whilst the second series averaged 5.4 million viewers.

Gameplay

All questions used during the game are taken from a set that have been put to members of the general public prior to the show. The questions are classified by the percentage of participants who answered correctly; those with lower percentages are considered to be more difficult.
One hundred contestants are each given a £1,000 stake at the beginning of the game. Mack asks 15 questions of increasing difficulty, each of which has a 30-second time limit, and the contestants secretly lock in their answers on their mobile phones or tablets. If a contestant misses a question, they are eliminated with their stake added to the final prize pot.
Upon reaching the fifth question, each remaining contestant is given the option to pass on any one question except the last. In order to pass, a contestant must put their £1,000 into the prize pot. Upon reaching the ninth question, any contestants who have not yet used their pass may either keep their £1,000 and immediately leave the game, or continue playing; those who have used their pass must continue.
All contestants who answer the 14th question correctly or pass it, or who advance the furthest in the game if all 100 are eliminated, become finalists. They may each choose to take an equal share of £10,000 and leave the game, or attempt the 1% question. Any contestants who attempt the question and answer it correctly receive equal shares of the prize pot; those who miss it receive nothing. In addition, any contestants who reach the 1% question without using their pass or giving an incorrect answer keep their £1,000 irrespective of the final outcome.

History

The show was originally planned to be filmed in early 2020 but was delayed due to the COVID-19 lockdowns, not airing until April 2022.
In November 2025, ITV released a trailer for a new edition of the show called The 1% Club Rollover. It features a new twist: anyone who makes it to the 1% question returns the following episode in an attempt to gain more money. Also, if the jackpot is not won, it rolls over too. As such, the maximum prize that can be gained during the week quintuples. The series was broadcast over five consecutive nights from 8th December to 12th December 2025.

Awards and nominations

In 2023, the show won a National Television Award in the quiz/game show category.
YearGroupAwardResult
2022National Television AwardsQuiz Game ShowNomitated
2023TRIC AwardsGame ShowNomitated
2023National Television AwardsQuiz Game ShowWon
2024National Television AwardsQuiz Game ShowWon
2025National Television AwardsQuiz ShowWon

International versions

BBC Studios holds international format and distribution rights to the series.
CountryNameHostTV stationPremiereFinaleRef
Australia

Games

In 2022, BBC Studios signed a licensing deal with John Adams Leisure to develop, manufacture and distribute a table-top board game based on the game show under the Ideal label. The game was released on 18 July 2023.