Hull comedian Lucy Beaumont has declared she is ceasing her participation in television quiz programmes, explaining that her consistent poor showing is causing her grandad considerable embarrassment. The stand-up comic, known for her distinctive humour, has featured on several high-profile game shows, including 'Celebrity Mastermind', 'The Weakest Link', and 'Michael McIntyre's The Wheel', where her answers reportedly led to contestants losing significant sums of money.
Beaumont shared her decision on BBC Breakfast, where she candidly admitted that despite considering herself an intelligent person, she struggles to retain knowledge under the pressure of a quiz show format. She highlighted the impact on her grandad, who resides in a cul-de-sac in South Cave, East Yorkshire, where neighbours 'watch everything I do'. This scrutiny, she suggested, made her feel as though she was 'letting down' the entire village.
The comedian also revealed a personal consequence of her quiz show appearances. Her challenging experience on 'The Great British Bake Off' ultimately led to an ADHD diagnosis. Reflecting on this, she commented that it 'would have been nice to find out privately rather than national TV'. Her struggles were further illustrated by an anecdote from 'The Weakest Link', where she spent more time saying goodbye to fellow contestants than actually playing the game.
A clip from 'Celebrity Mastermind' was also shown during her BBC Breakfast interview, featuring Beaumont attempting to answer questions on the late comedian Les Dawson. She recounted trying to read a biography about Dawson the night before the recording but believes she 'froze' in the iconic black chair, resulting in her passing on most questions. She concluded her announcement by stating, 'I'm hanging up my quiz book. That's it. I've retired.'
While stepping away from quizzes, Beaumont remains a prominent figure on UK television, regularly appearing on comedy panel shows such as 'Would I Lie To You?', 'The Last Leg', and 'Have I Got News For You'. Fans will also have the opportunity to see her live as she embarks on a UK tour starting in September 2026. Her new theatre show, titled 'Bad At Quiz Shows, Good With Weirdos', is directly inspired by her experiences on these challenging programmes.