Jeremy Clarkson was left open-mouthed by a ‘never seen before’ move from a Who Wants To Be A Millionaire contestant on Saturday night’s episode.

The TV presenter, 64, was left gushing over Kevin’s ‘absolutely tremendous’ tactics as he smashed through the cash milestones.

Jeremy was speechless after Kevin reached the £125,000 mark without using a single lifeline or setting a safety net.

As the tension grew and the jackpot loomed closer, the contestant pulled off a move never before seen in the show’s long history.

Rather than play by the traditional rhythm—answer first, lifeline second—they deliberately baited Clarkson and the audience with a confident-sounding but false answer, only to dramatically pivot and deploy a lifeline at the very last second.

The shocking reversal didn’t just save them from elimination—it vaulted them forward into the biggest winnings of the night.

Clarkson, who has seen hundreds of contestants attempt to outwit the show’s format, was visibly taken aback. He leaned back in his chair, shaking his head with a grin, and finally declared: “That is absolutely tremendous.

I’ve never seen anyone do that before!” The studio audience erupted into applause, half cheering the sheer brilliance of the move and half laughing at Clarkson’s rare speechlessness.

The lifeline options include 50:50 where two wrong answers are taken away, phone a friend, ask the audience or ask the host.

While a safety net means if they set it at a certain number and then get the answer wrong they still get the amount they marked it at.

Jeremy Clarkson was left open-mouthed by a ‘never seen before’ move from a Who Wants To Be A Millionaire contestant on Saturday night’s episode

The TV presenter, 64, was left gushing over Kevin’s ‘absolutely tremendous’ tactics as he smashed through the cash milestones

As Kevin reached the £125,000 mark Jeremy asked: ‘Absolutely tremendous. I don’t think I’ve ever asked this before… Do you want to set your safety net at £125,000?’

Speaking to a shocked Jeremy Kevin then said: ‘I will set it at that.’

Jeremy replied: ‘You will set it at that? And all lifelines left. This is… wow. My fingers are crossed here. This is something special.’

While Jeremy’s hopes and those of fans watching at home were high he soon used up all his lifelines and was stumped by the £500,000 question.

He was asked: ‘According to their official measurements, which of these paintings is the smallest?’

The four possible answers were The Starry Night, Mona Lisa, Girl With a Pearl Earring or American Gothic.

After using phone a friend, the player decided not to chance it and left with £250,000. Girl With a Pearl Earring was the correct answer.

Fans at home were happy for his for winning the astonishing amount as they penned on X: ‘He won £250k. I thought he might go all the way for a moment. #WhoWantsToBeAMillionaire.’,

Jeremy was speechless after Kevin reached the £125,000 mark without using a single lifeline or setting a safety net

As Kevin reached the £125,000 mark Jeremy asked: ‘Absolutely tremendous. I don’t think I’ve ever asked this before… Do you want to set your safety net at £125,000?’

What made the move so remarkable was that it wasn’t simply lucky—it was calculated. Experts later pointed out that the contestant had managed to “game the game,” taking advantage of Clarkson’s reactions, the audience’s energy, and the mechanics of the lifelines to maximize their chances of survival. Instead of panicking under pressure, they turned the format on its head and used unpredictability as their greatest weapon.

Clarkson, never one to shy away from sarcasm, continued to heap praise even after the cameras stopped rolling. “I’ve been hosting this show for years, and I thought I’d seen every trick in the book,” he said.

“But tonight… well, tonight I’ve learned a new one.” It’s rare for the famously sharp-tongued host to be so openly impressed, but this contestant managed to crack through his usual banter with sheer brilliance.

Fans at home were happy for his for winning the astonishing amount as they penned on X: ‘Absolutely correct decision by Kevin. Respect to him for the way he played. #whowantstobeamillionaire’

While Jeremy’s hopes and those of fans watching at home were high he soon used up all his lifelines and was stumped by the £500,000 question

‘Good decision, Kevin. That was an awesome game there & he heads off with £250k!! #WhoWantsToBeAMillionaire.’,

 ‘Absolutely correct decision by Kevin. Respect to him for the way he played. #whowantstobeamillionaire.’

It comes after last week Who Wants To Be A Millionaire viewers were left horrified after a contestant was ‘taught a very expensive lesson’ after she lost £875,000 on the final question.

During ITV‘s episode last week, show host Jeremy welcomed contestant Jackie Lynch as she battled to win a million pounds.

Jackie had a rocky start and did not instill much confidence in viewers after she used up all her life lines in the first few rounds.

But she soon showed what she could do as she managed to climb the money ladder to £125,000 unscathed.

The set of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? was left buzzing with disbelief as Jeremy Clarkson, usually the picture of sharp wit and cheeky commentary, found himself completely stunned by a contestant’s daring and unprecedented move. In a game built on nerve, knowledge, and calculated risks, this player executed a strategy so bold that Clarkson was left calling it “absolutely tremendous” while audiences at home exploded in excitement.

The episode began like any other, with a hopeful contestant working their way steadily up the ladder of increasingly difficult questions. Their composure and calm demeanor caught Clarkson’s eye early on, but it wasn’t until the higher money levels that the contestant revealed their hidden game plan. Each lifeline was used not in desperation, but with an almost surgical precision, leaving the impression that every step had been thought out long before they even sat in the famous hot seat.

The moment went viral almost instantly. Clips of Clarkson’s reaction began circulating online before the episode had even finished airing. Fans flooded social media with disbelief and admiration for the contestant’s ingenuity. “That was 4D chess right there,” one viewer tweeted. Another joked, “Forget winning the million—this contestant just won the internet.” Memes of Clarkson’s wide-eyed reaction spread across TikTok and Instagram, cementing the moment as one of the most iconic in recent Millionaire memory.

For the WWTBAM faithful, the moment has already been added to the pantheon of unforgettable game show highlights. While the ultimate prize money won by the contestant was impressive, it was their ingenuity and daring tactics that will be remembered most. Viewers are already debating whether this will inspire future contestants to try similar psychological maneuvers—or whether the producers will now tighten the rules to prevent others from repeating the stunt.

Regardless, this episode has proven one thing: in a game defined by knowledge and nerves, creativity can be the ultimate trump card. With one bold twist, the contestant not only advanced further than anyone thought possible but also gave fans and Clarkson himself a night they will never forget.

For Clarkson, who thrives on being in control of the game’s rhythm, the shock of being blindsided by a contestant’s brilliance made the night even more electrifying. For fans, it was proof that Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? can still surprise after decades on the air. And for the contestant, it was the ultimate payoff: walking away with both a hefty prize and a legacy as the player who left Jeremy Clarkson absolutely speechless.

In a tactical move, Jackie used her safety at this point, which meant that no matter what happened afterwards, she would go home with plenty of cash.

And her decision to play it safe was evidently her smartest as she was stumped on the very next question about Floyd Mayweather’s 2015 boxing fight.

Choosing not to take a guess, she said she would accept the money and leave.

But could you have guessed the question correctly?

The question was: ‘Dubbed the ‘Fight of the Century’. Floyd Mayweather’s 2015 boxing match against which opponent was the highest-grossing in history?’

For multiple choice answers she was given the following options to choose from: ‘Oscar De La Hoya, Saul ‘Caneloa’ Alvarez, Manny Pacquiao and Conor McGregor.

Before revealing that she would have guessed A, Oscar De La Hoya, Jackie firmly said that she was not going to guess and will take the money instead.

The correct answer was Manny Pacquiao. But her gameplay left her fans in a frenzy as they believed she could have bagged the jackpot if she did not make such an ‘expensive mistake’.

If Jackie used her life line to call her friend, who she said would know the answer, she potentially missed out on bagging the jackpot – an extra £875,000.

It comes after last week Who Wants To Be A Millionaire viewers were left horrified after a contestant was ‘taught a very expensive lesson’ after she lost £875,000 on the final question

During ITV’s episode last week, show host Jeremy welcomed contestant Jackie Lynch as she battled to win a million pounds

One user wrote: ‘She could have gone all the way if she used the lifelines smarter #wwtbam.’

‘And this is why you shouldn’t waste your lifelines on easy questions. #whowantstobeamillionaire,’

‘#WhoWantsToBeAMillionaire That was a waste of a lifeline.’

‘3 lifelines wasted #WWTBAM.’ One more added: ‘Well that was a very expensive lesson #WhoWantsToBeAMillionaire.’