Episode Gotcha

The Gotcha episode was a joke episode intended as a prank on Richard Whiteley. It was planned by Noel Edmonds and the cast of Noel's House Party. It was broadcast on 25 November 1998, as part of Series 39, and immediately before the real Episode 2400. The rounds were set up as part of the joke.

Amanda Richards played Richard Max (both contestants were actually actors from Noel's House Party), with Richard Max winning 58 - 36. The Dictionary Corner guest was Richard Stilgoe, and the lexicographer was Susie Dent.

Rounds

Rnd	Selection	Amanda Richards	Score	Richard Max	Others	Max.
1	GDLIANPAI	PILING	6 – 6	PILING	DIALING*, GLIADIN*, PAGINAL*, PALADIN	7
2	SRRBAASME	BEARS	6 – 12	SABERS	EMBARRASS	25
3	GRTEAFIHR	GATHER	6 – 19	FREIGHT	FARTHER*, FIGHTER*, FRIGATE*, GRAFTER*, GRIFTER*, REFIGHT*, REGRAFT*, RIGHTER*	32
4	25 7 3 9 2 8 → 299	298	6 – 29	299 (9 + 3) x 25 - (8 - 7)		42
5	RHDAAROIE	DIARRHOEA	24 – 47	DIARRHOEA		60
6	OMETHINGS	SHINE	24 – 53	HOMING	SOMETHING*	78
7	NCSAEKRPK	CRANK	29 – 58	KNACK	KNACKERS	86
8	7 7 8 3 6 100 → 291	293 3 x 100 - 7	36 – 58	—	CV: 291 = 3 x 100 - 7 - (8 - 6)	96
9	HOGCAT		36 – 58		GOTCHA	106

Jokes

• The contestants' names, Amanda Richards and Richard Max, were not the real names of the actors and were made up to be confused with Richard Whiteley and Richard Stilgoe.
• For round 2, Dictionary Corner jokingly suggested MARSBARS.
• After Dictionary Corner spotted EMBARRASS, Richard Max's mobile phone went off and it turned out to be his mother calling. Richard Whiteley carried out a joke conversation with her.
• During round 3, Amanda had to go to the loo.
• During round 4, Richard Max asked for an "Inverted T — T as in Terrific Time."
• The clock music for round 4 continued after the 30 seconds were up. In addition, the clock was shown resetting itself, something that is usually never aired.
• Richard Stilgoe read the following limerick by Amanda during the Dictionary Corner break: "There was a young woman called Richards / Whose hobby was going to the pictures / She liked Dumb and Dumber / And Gone with the Wind / But best of all she liked Saving Private Ryan."
• At the beginning of Part Two, Richard Max's parents showed up on stage. Richard Whiteley laughed about it being his craziest program ever. The title card for the program was then shown and the real Part Two was started.
• In round 5 everybody joked, "I've got DIARRHOEA." Richard Stilgoe responded, "Well, it's a collection of bowels incontinence."
• Both contestants missed the obvious niner in round 6. Dictionary Corner played along with the joke, offering HINGES and MOISTEN.
• The original letters for round 7 were MRKELICIT. Despite it not being the conundrum, Richard Max pressed his buzzer and offered the word LIMERICK. For this reason, it was decided that round 7 be replaced with another letters game.
• After declaring LIMERICK in the original round 7, Richard Max read another limerick: "There was an old man called Whiteley / Whose puns were always said frightfully / He took some Viagra / And now like Niagra / He rushes and gushes twice nightly."
• Round 8 was also replaced with another numbers game. The original round had 75, 2, 6, 3, 8, 7 and a target of 623. Richard Max declared "6 2 3" (combining the small numbers 6, 2 and 3). When this was disallowed he (and his parents) complained to Richard Whiteley that he didn't know this was against the rules. Whiteley replied that he was talking about "a load of bollocks." Due to this controversy the numbers game was deleted.
• After the conundrum answer GOTCHA was revealed, the audience burst into cheers and Noel Edmonds of Noel's House Party walked out on stage and gave Richard Whiteley a "Gotcha Oscar."

External links

• Watch this episode on YouTube (part 1), (part 2), (part 3), (part 4), (part 5)