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Contestant makes worst ever Mastermind score

Last updated at 10:06am on 18th October 2006

Humiliation: Simon Curtis scored just one point in his specialist knowledge round

wers and just one point - this embarrassing tally represents Mastermind's lowest ever first round score.

Simon Curtis' 'specialist' knowledge of the films of Jim Carrey turned out to be more than a little shaky as he took to the intimidating black chair in front of questioner-in-chief John Humphrys last night.

Once he had passed on the first three questions, things just went from bad to worse. And even eight points in the following general knowledge round was not enough to save Simon from humiliation.

He admitted that he had acted on impulse when picking the topic and had paid a rather embarrassing price: "I just plucked the topic out of the air. I like Jim Carrey films but I think the mistake I made was not watching them again. John Humphreys ended up asking me about things in the movies rather than simply black-and-white facts so I was stumped.

"I knew two or three of the answers as soon as he said them but once you have gone through nine or 10 questions and you don't know the answers your mind does go blank. I was embarrassed but I had to go straight back for the general knowledge round. I wished a hole would swallow me up."

The 42-year-old probation worker, who is a self-confessed quiz addict and has run a quiz league in his home county of Yorkshire, racked up an impressive £250,000 on Who Wants to be a Millionaire last year. But with just pride and no money at stake on Mastermind, he choked.

Quizmaster John Humphrys said: "I think his mind just went blank. You get people who are immensely knowledgeable and then it won't come … You feel a bit sorry for them, you think 'poor bugger' but it's a game in the end."