The 1% Club lands ITV in hot water with fans as show taken off air midway through series

The 1% Club fans are seeking answers after their favourite quiz show 'vanished' from screens this weekend with little explanation, as a Bond film aired in its place on Saturday night.

Capturing millions of viewers' interest from the get-go when it launched a few years ago, The 1% Club, hosted by comedian Lee Mack quickly established itself as one of the biggest ratings winners of the quiz show genre on British TV, with fans needing little persuasion to play along from home, to see if they can do better than the contestants in the studio.

Given the success of its first two series, it was little surprise that ITV commissioned a third run of The 1% Club and upped the amount of episodes from eight to 16. It therefore came as a bit of a surprise to fans that, given there is still plenty of series 3 to come, that the programme wasn't on this weekend, as Casino Royale aired in its usual time slot.

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It's not unheard of for ITV to postpone Britain's Got Talent to avoid a ratings clash with the BBC broadcast of the Eurovision Song Contest, but, unlike BGT which aired on Sunday evening instead, The 1% was axed completely this weekend, with the latest episode of thriller Red Eye following BT at 9pm on May 12.

Fans who follow The 1% Club X account may have spotted an announcement made on the page early on Saturday evening which read: "Tonight is the Eurovision Song Contest. The 1% Club will not be on your telly box tonight, but do not worry it is just for this week. We will see you next week where there will be more quiz questions for everyone. Including the one percent question." And the comments section underneath was quickly filled with complaints.

One annoyed fan replied: "Yes, but what has the Eurovision Song Contest got to do with The 1% Club? ESC is on the BBC?" as another reacted: "shame on you ITV, taking off the 1% Club trying to take the viewers off the eurovision putting c**p James bond on." A third ranted: "I’ve got to say I’m p**sed off that ITV have taken off BGT and the 1% Club tonight and replaced it with a BOND FILM Casino Royale sort your shit OUT ITV"