Pointless contestants baffled by 'most difficult question' that even stumps host

08 March 2024 , 17:00

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This Pointless question baffled contestants and viewers alike (Image: BBC/Endemol Shine UK Ltd/a Remarkable Television Production)

You'll need to be a brainiac and a foodie to get this question right.

Pointless is one of the most beloved quiz shows on telly as viewers can't get enough of its unique format as they try to see how many pointless answers they can rack up at home. But there was once one question on the show that was so difficult that none of the contestants could answer it - and even the show's hosts were baffled.

The question was part of an episode that aired in 2017 and formed part of the head-to-head round, where two teams of two contestants battle it out for a place in the final. In this round, contestants are given a topic and five questions that fit into that subject, and they must answer the question they think is the most obscure.

The question about Boston strawberries left everyone baffled (BBC)

In this particular round, the topic was "strawberries", meaning each of the questions had something to do with the delicious summer fruit. And while some of the questions were deemed to be quite easy, one of the five left everyone on set stumped. Could you answer it?

The question was: "Boston strawberries is a jocular name for this foodstuff."

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Do you know the answer? Before you take a guess - it's not strawberries. After the couples had both given their answers and received their scores, host Alexander Armstrong then asked what they thought Boston strawberries might be. One said: "Boston Strawberries? I haven't got a clue."

The contestants weren't alone either, as brainiac co-host Richard Osman - who left the main show in 2022 but still hosts the celebrity edition of the series - also had no idea what the food was until he was given the answer to read out to the rest of the studio.

So what are Boston strawberries? Well, apparently it's another name for baked beans. And if you'd answered the question on the show, you would've scored an almost-pointless two points.

Once the answer had been revealed, Alexander said: "That's a good name. I might start calling them Boston Strawberries, I'll do it at a dinner party," to which Richard responded: "'What are we having for a starter?' We're having Boston Strawberries on toast."

If you found that question far too easy, why not try out some other brain teasers? This one asks you to find three cats lurking in the family garden scene, while this one claims only 2% of people can find the hidden turtle in the messy bedroom.

There are also different types of puzzles you can try, such as this fiendishly difficult quiz shared by the question editor for BBC Two's Only Connect, or this maths equation that is said to be so tricky that only those with the IQ of Albert Einstein can solve it, or even this Who Wants To Be A Millionaire jackpot question that saw one contestant miss out on £1 million.

Zahna Eklund